Conventional piercing of the ear lobe normally heals in six to eight weeks without infection, provided that the piercing practitioner is scrupulously clean, has a good aseptic technique and the piercing is cared for appropriately using twice-daily salt-water soaks. 

• It is normal to have some redness, tenderness and swelling around a piercing for the first few weeks. There can also be some oozing of fluid and crusting. Poor hygiene and inadequate aftercare can result in infection of the piercing site. Signs of infection include increasing swelling and redness, increased tenderness and pain on touching, burning and throbbing around the site and an unusual discharge that may be yellow or green with an offensive smell. If signs of infection are present, the patient should be referred to a GP.
• Ear cartilage piercing, which involves the upper parts of the external ear, can take longer to heal than ear lobe piercing and the risk of infection is greater. This is thought
  to be because the cartilage has a low blood supply.
• Perichondritis – inflammation of the perichondrium that overlies the cartilage – develops when the perichondrium is infected with bacteria. This starts with redness and inflammation around the piercing site, but the infection can pass into deeper layers of cartilage, causing it to become very tender and painful. There may be an unusual yellow-green discharge. Infected cartilage piercings will need antibiotic treatment.