Luckily, infected ear piercings arent the norm and, if you get pierced at a reputable place and practice solid piercing after-care, youre probably going to be just fine. Still, infected piercings can and do happen to good people. Whomp, whomp.

If you find your piercing looking or feeling a little...off, it can be hard to tell the difference between minor irritation and a full-blown infection. But Kenneth A. Kaplan, MD, an otolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat doctor) with ENT and Allergy Associates in New Jersey, and Leila Mankarious, MD, an ear, nose and throat specialist at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, are here to clear things up that confusion and answer all the burning (and oozing, and swollenkidding!) questions you have about infected ear piercings.

Plus, the 10 photos ahead (...sorry) can help you identify if you're indeed dealing with an infection.

How do ear piercings even get infected?

View this post on Instagram I think it's time to retire my industrial... but I really don't want to. But man oh man this is bad. Suddenly swelled up two days ago and now it's throbbing so bad I can't tilt my head without pain. A post shared by tiny mapul elf (@waxandsulfur) on May 20, 2013 at 5:32pm PDT

Anyone can get an infected ear piercing, but it usually happens due to one of two major reasons, Dr. Kaplan says: Either your piercing site wasnt adequately sterilized before you were pierced, or you kinda-sorta-definitely didnt take great care of it after you were pierced.

Touching your piercing a lot, while it's still a new, open wound, can also expose it to bacteria that can cause an infection.

Do only new ear piercings get infected?

View this post on Instagram Safe to say I have a very swollen ear with an infected room piercing!! Anyone got any great home remedies save me hitting up the walk in centre tomorrow as this guys getting worse and currently growing bigger and bigger with the swelling!! #ouchie #infectedpiercing #swollen #inpain #help #homeremediesneeded #4monthold #joysofpiercings #ouch A post shared by Hayley Callaghan (@hailz_c) on Aug 16, 2019 at 3:50pm PDT

If youve had pierced ears for eons, youre not totally off the hook, but you are at a lowered risk of just randomly developing an infection. Infections are most likely to occur during the first week following the piercing, but can arise later on, Dr. Kaplan says.

But infection symptoms won't pop up the moment your piercing is exposed to bacteria. "Surprisingly, piercing infections do not typically happen until three to seven days after the initial piercing, sometimes more," Dr. Mankarious says. "Bacteria need time to proliferate."

What ear piercings are most likely to become infected?

View this post on Instagram My ear is so swollen, leaking infection into my ear drum, my face is swollen! I can even get a q tip in there to clean it very well! KEFLEX 500mg twice a day, And continued ibuprofen! Hurts so bad! #infectedpiercing #killingme A post shared by Kristi Nichole Zick (@kizicki0825) on Oct 5, 2018 at 6:04pm PDT

There are so many options for spots on your ear you can pierce and, TBH, you can get an infection anywhere. That said, some spots are riskier than others. Piercings that go through ear cartilage are much more likely to become infected and are more difficult to treat than infections through the ear lobe or the soft tissues just above the lobe, Dr. Kaplan says.

View this post on Instagram So last week I was a very unhappy chappy! I developed an infection in my cartilage piercing a week after having it done; I don't deal with pain well at all, if I'm not being snappy then you'll find me moping around feeling sorry for myself. I'm feeling so much better this week thank goodness, and I didn't have to take the stud out which makes me happy. I normally put off going to the doctors but I'm so glad I didn't this time. #infectedpiercing #piercedears #cartilagepiercing #doctortime #antibiotics #penicillin #grateful #stopsulking #ouch A post shared by Emily Powell (@eclectic_emi) on Jul 23, 2017 at 10:39am PDT

Dr. Mankarious agrees. "Piercing infections are most likely to occur in areas where the blood supply is low and cartilage is notorious for a low blood supply," she explains. "Cartilage infections can be particularly dangerous just for that reason." In other words, it's difficult for antibodies and antibiotics to reach the infection site when it's in your cartilage, giving the infection the opportunity to take over.

How can I prevent an ear piercing infection?

View this post on Instagram Ok, so, I know this is not exactly a pleasant sight....but on the left is my left ear, my healthy ear. On the right is my right ear, my I infected ear. My right ear has been infected and in a lot of pain for about a month now. I clean it regularly and take my antibiotics. Does anyone have any helpful tips or any knowledge they can shed about my problem? #Earinfection #infectedpiercing #infectedtragus #piercinginfection A post shared by K. (@trainket1) on Dec 19, 2014 at 10:21pm PST

A huge factor is choosing a piercing shop thats sanitary. In general, the more experience someone has in doing piercingswith a reputation for good resultsthe better the odds of a favorable outcome, Dr. Kaplan says. Read reviews on the shop and on your piercer beforehand if you can find any. And if you go into a piercing shop and it seems like its not clean or you just dont get a good vibe, go someplace else.

The spot on your ear that you choose to pierce matters, too. No physician will ever recommend piercing the cartilage of the ear, Dr. Kaplan says. Of course, that's never stopped anyone. That's why following your after-care instructions if so crucial, even after it seems like your piercing is all healed up. Not strictly adhering to the post-piercing care instructions would increase the odds of infection, Dr. Kaplan says.

So, what does a minor ear piercing infection look like?

View this post on Instagram Graphic content (well not really, unless you are squeamish): out of nowhere my helix piercing has become a swollen, hot mess. I'm going with a warm compress, saline, and anti-inflammatoires but it's not looking good. Marc and I did the math, and there's a whole diamond on the front side of the ring that covered up by the swelling. I'm thinking I have to get this checked tomorrow #helix #helixpiercing #piercingissues #infectedpiercing #whatdoidonow #iswearididnttouchit A post shared by Heather M. (@hazelclover) on Sep 1, 2017 at 6:29pm PDT

Dr. Kaplan says a minor ear piercing infection displays the following symptoms around the piercing site:

• Redness
• Discharge
• Tenderness
• Swelling

View this post on Instagram Listen to your #piercer when they say to NOT TWIST OR MESS WITH YOUR NEW PIERCINGS! I had some swelling from my new #triplehelix and I couldn't resist spinning them to try to promote fluid draining... #stupid idea. It got worse! So bad in fact I had to go back to @derrick7day and have him put in the longest posts he could find to help reduce swelling because my ear was puffing up around the shorter posts! I went to the #doctor on Monday who started me on #bactrim and it's done WONDERS! Lesson learned, #listentothepros they know what they're talking about! #helixpiercing #piercing #7daygallery #derrickbourg #orangecz #bleedforbeauty #infectedpiercing #infected #infection A post shared by Jess C (@jxcadds) on Jul 27, 2017 at 10:10am PDT

You can treat a minor infection at home. Dr. Kaplan recommends going back to the place where you got your piercing to have the area evaluated (provided, of course, the place is reputable). Places that do piercings see this kind of thing all the time and should be able to recommend next steps based on your situation.

In general, Dr. Kaplan says that they'll recommend cleaning the site at least three times a day with hydrogen peroxide or alcohol, and then applying a topical antibiotic ointment like Bacitracin, Neosporin, or Triple Ointment for at least a week. (You can use a cotton-tipped applicator for all of this, Dr. Mankarious says.)

What does a severe ear piercing infection look like?

View this post on Instagram #piercing #blood #sangre #infectedpiercing #perforacion #perforacioninfectada A post shared by abruise me (@abruise.me) on Apr 27, 2019 at 3:34pm PDT

A more major infection would have severe" redness, pain, and tenderness, discharge, and major swelling, Dr. Kaplan says. Even worse infections might have pus draining from the site, abscess formation, or the appearance of reddish soft tissue at the piercing site, he says.

If the skin around your piercing becomes red and tender and you have a fever greater than 100.4 degrees, you may be dealing with cellulitis, a common and potentially serious bacterial skin infection.

View this post on Instagram Bit infected like. Any help would be very much appreciated. #infectedpiercing #infected #industrialpiercing #industrialpiercingproblems #girlswithpiercings #girlswithmods #girlswithtattoos #girlswithstretchedears A post shared by Kasey (@kasey_crunch) on Apr 13, 2014 at 8:58am PDT

Of course, you can also have an allergy to the hardware in your ear and that can look like an infection. But, unfortunately, it can be tough for non-doctors to figure out the difference, Dr. Mankarious says. "Professionals often think of allergies based on a history of allergies to metals as well as a lack of response to antibiotic treatment," she says. So if you're unsure, it's best to see a doc.

How can you treat an infected ear piercing?

If you think you need to see a doctor, its really best to see an ear, nose and throat specialist or plastic surgeon if you can, Dr, Kaplan says. You may need oral antibiotics and, if you have any abscesses, theyll need to be drained (fun!).

If you have a major infection or it involves the cartilage of your ear, youre probably going to need to remove the piercing. "The piercing site needs time to rest and for the immune system to calm down," Dr. Mankarious explains.

And really, as sucky as it is to remove a piercing you were psyched about, this isnt something you want to mess with. Failure to remove hardware in a timely manner could result in the need for hospitalization for intravenous antibiotics and/or surgical intervention for drainage of pus or to cut away the diseased, non-salvageable tissue, with a greater possibility of deformity as a result, Dr. Kaplan says. So, yeah...you dont want that.

That doesn't mean you have to live a piercing-free existence, though. "Getting an infection does not mean you cannot be re-pierced, it simply means that technique surrounding the cleaning or the metal used was inadequate for your needs," Dr. Mankarious says.

Most of the time, you can treat infections at home if you catch them early enough. But if your infection seems to be getting worse, isnt clearing up, or you just have a bad feeling about it, dont hesitate to see a doctor.