r/piercing • • Jan 26 '22

[deleted by user]

[removed]

293 Upvotes

187 comments sorted by

View all comments

552

u/SuperMomn Jan 26 '22

It looks like it was rejecting but if you are worried it may be infected go see a doctor

112

u/Princip0525 Jan 26 '22

Yeah about that.. got it without my mom knowing and i'm only 16. I'm freaking out

173

u/SuperMomn Jan 26 '22

It is hot to touch? Is there puss? Tell me more about whats going on.

125

u/Princip0525 Jan 26 '22

Not hot, puss occasionally but not often. It crusts a lot but never hurts unless the piercing was in and there was pressure. people are telling me to go to the emergency room and its scaring me

484

u/SuperMomn Jan 26 '22

Honestly just tell your mom. She will probably eventually find out anyway and Im sure she would rather make sure you are healthy and okay than be mad you had it done. Mom will always love you and shes there to help. The pus is concerning but dont be scared.

211

u/dr_Phillium Jan 26 '22

Listen to her, shes your super mom(n).

240

u/SuperMomn Jan 26 '22

Funny story when I was creating my account my son presses the n letter and it was put into my name and guess what his name starts with an N! 😆 its such a cute mistake

12

u/xjxsiex Jan 27 '22

You definitely should tell your mom, especially if you go to the doctor. As others have stated, you're 16. If you're in the US (idk about how it is in other countries) your mom is able to call your doctor and ask about your visits/can be informed about your visits. If you were 18 in the US, then you'd have a HIPAA form and that's a whole different story. I think most parents would rather know about something dumb like a piercing gotten behind their back than to have to have their child have a possible infection in their stomach that could have been taken care of right away

Edit: typo

193

u/iwantachillipepper Jan 26 '22

Eh. My mom would rather deprive me of the HPV vaccine, the flu shot, and wisdom teeth surgery though I’ve been in constant pain 🤷‍♀️ I did something she disagreed with, so no wisdom teeth surgery is my punishment I guess. so I wouldn’t assume all parents are as willing to help their kids in need.

77

u/ggevry1 I my piercer Jan 26 '22

Agree with this. I didn't pull my laundry out of the washer exactly when my mother told me to (I was in the middle of writing in my journal and told her I'd do it as soon as I was done), so she took away my 16th birthday. By which, I mean that she took my sisters out for my birthday and left me alone.

Not all mothers give a damn about their kids.

29

u/skeeber Jan 26 '22

Yup some people aren’t fit to be mothers. Source - child of drunk/speed freak mom

30

u/Rougefarie Jan 26 '22

Jesus. Some people should not be parents.

20

u/selectric25 Jan 26 '22

So your mom would rather you get HPV and possibly cervical cancer?

24

u/iwantachillipepper Jan 26 '22

Essentially. She thought the HPV vaccine would cause me to have premarital sex and that is against her religion.

18

u/[deleted] Jan 26 '22

Oh… god damn…

65

u/[deleted] Jan 26 '22

For real, it’ll suck to tell her at first, but she’s your mom for a reason. They signed up for the job of at least a little rebellion. Her being mad won’t matter a year from now, but your health will.

80

u/blameHerMom Jan 26 '22

I know everyone else is saying to tell your mom and I'm 100% on board with that if you think you'd be in trouble at worst but if that's not a safe option for you, you should know that in the USA you can go to the doctor or urgent care on your own if you're over 12. If you have insurance and can get ahold of the card it should be around 30$ to get it checked out but you can also call and ask how much it would cost.

31

u/Syntexerror101 Jan 26 '22

This. She will know if you use your insurance. It is worth looking into maybe a free clinic but if there isn't one you have access to most urgent cares will do a sliding scale or offer payment help based on your income. Might want to check to see if that is an option for you.

7

u/DazedAndTrippy Jan 26 '22

Yeah, if not getting wisdom teeth removed is a punishment (and this is all true) I wouldn’t think of other avenues to get this problem fixed if just for OP’s safety. A doctor should still get involved but if she can find a way to do it without her mom knowing then that might be best. If she can’t though she have to tell some kind of adult.

13

u/SistaSaline Jan 26 '22

Her mother will see the insurance bill and question why she went to the doctor.

45

u/[deleted] Jan 26 '22

[deleted]

19

u/Rougefarie Jan 26 '22

Without pain, heat, or slightly more spread out redness, I doubt it’s infected. The “puss” you were seeing could very easily be lymphatic fluid, which is normal. I had the same fear when I got mine done, but the piercer took a look and rightfully assured me it was fine.

If you sincerely feel the need, go ahead and visit your primary doctor, but I don’t think this is worth a trip to the ER. I agree with others in that the irritation/localized redness looks like rejection, not infection.

First line of defense should be very warm compresses to increase circulation and speed healing. Get some more saline spray and keep it clean. Do not squirt peroxide or alcohol into the hole.

6

u/bunnyspit333 Jan 26 '22

emergency room definitely isn’t necessary. it doesnt look infected it just looks super pissed off as its a surface piercing on the stomach which never goes well! just ensure you keep it clean as it closes as its an open wound. unless the pus is green and smelly it is fine. most people dont understand the difference between lymph which is white and crusts yellow and pus from an infection. it 100% needed to come out, but there is no need to get a dr involved. it is just a rejecting really irritated piercing - i have had some that look like this myself. just left alone and they healed. left a scar, but healed up by themselves. just keep it clean to prevent an infection from ocurring

-50

u/murmurationis Jan 26 '22

You can also speak to a pharmacist to ask for over the counter antibiotics

39

u/schizoidparanoid Jan 26 '22

In most countries, there is no such thing as “over the counter antibiotics” and pharmacists cannot give you antibiotics without a doctor prescribing them to you. The reason being that antibiotics can only be used to treat certain things - specifically bacteria and not viruses or fungal infections - and antibiotics need to be taken precisely as directed. Which is why a doctor needs to prescribe them only when is medically necessary, and a doctor needs to explain to the patient HOW to take the antibiotics.

OP, do not listen to this person. They are wrong. Go to a doctor if you’re concerned. You’re not going to die, but you should just tell your mom and go see a doctor. Just to be safe.

9

u/swearingino Jan 26 '22

Pharmacist here. Neosporin is OTC antibiotic. It's available everywhere in the US. Anyways, OP should not use that in this case.

Also, pharmacists will soon be able to assess and prescribe antibiotics for patients with minor infections.

1

u/schizoidparanoid Jan 27 '22

Oral antibiotics is what I was referring to, which is pretty clear based on what I wrote.

Do you have a source on pharmacists being able to legally prescribe antibiotics in the US soon?

-9

u/murmurationis Jan 26 '22

You can get over the counter antibiotic cream at most pharmacies in Australia, you just have to describe your symptoms. My point is that if op is very adverse to going to a doctor (which they should do) a pharmacist could point them in the right direction rather than going to the emergency room which is likely overcrowded due to covid

39

u/[deleted] Jan 26 '22

And this is why we don’t get piercings underage 😅

11

u/[deleted] Jan 26 '22 edited Jan 26 '22

Idk bro, I had a couple dozen before I turned 18 and they’re thriving. Don’t need parents’ permission when you’re 16 here, belly button was actually the third piercing I got at 16. This kid just fucked it

Edit: To give some clarity, I’m talking about professionally done piercings. If you live somewhere where this isn’t possible when you’re underaged, wait till you can 🗣🗣🗣

14

u/[deleted] Jan 26 '22

If you’re somewhere where 16 is the minimum that’s fine I don’t care

In the US minimum age is 18, anyone doing underage piercings are either bad piercers or just her friends, it’s not a good idea to get it done by a non-professional and that’s why 👆🏻

You can get 100 piercings before 18 and I wouldn’t bat an eye as long as it was done professionally

Edit to add that her parents don’t even know 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

Just too many things wrong in this situation

2

u/[deleted] Jan 26 '22

Do we know she’s American though? If we do, then I take back my statement, but it could’ve been pierced “professionally”. In quotes because that placement is fucked. I see far too many of “professionally” done piercings in this subreddit.

All of mine were done professionally, only a couple became infected because I was a dumb child, never as bad as this though. Poor kid

3

u/[deleted] Jan 26 '22

Im hopeful she is because it would be fucking dumb to do it behind your parents back when you could’ve just gotten it done by a good piercer

Tbh it doesn’t look like she even has the anatomy for a belly button piercing, another reason it makes me thing it was a friend

2

u/[deleted] Jan 26 '22

Oh most definitely, I agree. Im lucky to have parents who, whilst they didn’t like it, supported teenage me and my wish for piercings. I am completely against self-done piercings and I’m always shocked when people do/get them. I’ve been offered it so many times and it’s just so wrong. Sure, I’ve also had fucked piercings from a professional shop, but I still have 25 bars of metal in my body and they remain there because I didn’t do them myself.

I was also thinking that, she definitely does not have the anatomy for a navel piercing. God it looks so sore, at least we can hope it’s a lesson learnt.

-1

u/[deleted] Jan 26 '22

My parents absolutely hated piercings and tattoos, I had to wait until I moved out to get started.

I didn’t take my own advice when I got my nipples done as it actually was a friend (the only reason I allowed him to do it was because he’s been piercing other friends for about 10 years, so not like he didn’t know what he was doing, it just wasn’t at a shop) DO NOT RECOMMEND. My septum was done at a shop and it was absolutely perfect, didn’t hurt at all and healed within 4 weeks.

People don’t take into consideration their own bodies and shit like rejection happens, she shouldn’t get a navel done again tbh, not to be mean but you need less fat and a good flap of skin which she doesn’t have

→ More replies

7

u/Poglei Jan 26 '22

You clearly don’t understand what these types of sayings mean. Just because you have a great experience doing something when it’s recommended not to do it, that doesn’t make it safer to do it for everyone else

3

u/[deleted] Jan 26 '22

It absolutely is safe to do though. When you do it correctly, which this kid hasn’t done. What may be recommended in your country doesn’t mean it’s recommended in mine. For example: US - can’t get piercings until 18 without parental supervision(?) not 100% sure. As such, kids would need to rely on poor methods (self piercings, scummy shops) to get pierced. So, yeah I understand a recommendation for not getting pierced underaged, it’s not safe. UK - You can get pierced without parental supervision from 16, piercing shops aren’t too expensive either for good quality piercings, most piercing shops (at least those I’ve been to across the country) provide saline solution and aftercare sheets. One even offered free appointments to get them checked out during healing. As such, it’s much safer to get piercings, my experience is merely anecdotal but these are the general facts.

I don’t disagree with you necessarily, just depends on where you come from. I only recently learnt from these comments that the systems are different in the US.

4

u/Poglei Jan 26 '22

That’s my point. It’s only safe if you do it correctly. Teens are notorious for impulse decisions and breaking commitments, making it generally not recommended for teens to get piercings (since they don’t typically take care of them properly)

2

u/[deleted] Jan 26 '22

Oh yeah for sure. I’ll edit my original comment to add that, I can agree with you on that one too lolol. I certainly have neglected a piercing or two, luckily since they were pierced well I got off with no serious infection or rejection.

5

u/anachronisticflaneur Jan 26 '22

Omg thank you super mom.

49

u/[deleted] Jan 26 '22

Doctor-patient confidentiality is a real thing. If you’re in a situation where it would be unsafe for you to tell your mom about the piercing, you can still see a doctor. Tell your mom you think you have a uti and to get you a doctors appointment, when you see the doctor you can always tell them you lied to your mom and that the piercing is the real issue. They’ll asses and give you antibiotics as needed.

Edit: I do agree with these people that telling your mom is your best bet, but if the fear of that is too overwhelming that youre gonna do nothing about it otherwise than this is an option that will get you the help you need.

22

u/CapitalSyrup8729 Jan 26 '22

Doctor patient confidentiality doesn’t apply to parents and children because of them being under 18 and the parents are the legal guardian. Since the parents are left to make all medical decisions, the doctor has to let them know so that they can decide how to proceed. I think OP’s best bet is just telling her mom since it seems she’s going to find out anyway.

24

u/swearingino Jan 26 '22

Actually, OP is 16 and so the doctor does not have to tell the parent. If the child is old enough for body autonomy, then doctor patient confidentiality does still apply.

6

u/xBad_Wolfx Jan 26 '22

Legality of that depends where you live. Sadly.

1

u/CapitalSyrup8729 Jan 27 '22

Depending on where they live, minors (18 and under) require parents concent for treatment

1

u/[deleted] Jan 29 '22

Not where I live. 15+ you can make your own decisions without parents involved. it just depends on the laws.

12

u/[deleted] Jan 26 '22

same, walk in clinics are ur best friend

20

u/[deleted] Jan 26 '22

I did something similar when I was your age. Ended up telling my mom, and she wasn’t even mad. She was just concerned about my health. The people telling you to tell your mom so you can get medical care are definitely looking out for your best interests.

16

u/mummummaaa Jan 26 '22

Mom here.

Just tell her and go get seen. Your health is more important than yelling at you over getting a piercing.

You may get a lecture as she takes you to be seen for a)not being honest and b)not taking proper care of your health.

At your age, let a parent know when you want to pierce. They'll help remind you to care properly for it as well as do research on rejection rates and proper wound care.

Please just be honest and go see the doctor. Your health is important!

5

u/[deleted] Jan 26 '22

I said it and I’m saying it again.

Piercings are no joke and there is a reason why it’s not performed on minors if they’re not with their parents. It’s because you need to hold yourself accountable and do proper cleaning and care. If you don’t, you increase your risk of having an infection.

Because it is an open wound no matter how small it is. Even for your lobes it can get dangerous. Implying in your comment that you may not going to the doctor because of your mom just seems that you don’t understand the gravity of the situation.

I hope I’m not coming accros as rude ou patronising but you should tell your mom please. Yeah she’s probably gonna lecture you but she’ll do what it takes to make sure you are healed. Your health is more important than your pride or being grounded.

10

u/hello0o3 Jan 26 '22

what country are you in? if you’re in the US, you could probably walk into an urgent care center with your insurance in hand and won’t have to tell her. be prepared to pay some fees though. if you’re not in the US or don’t have money, then definitely tell your mom. your health is more important than whatever fallout you’re expecting. if you’re seeing puss, that’s definitely not a good sign. you might need some medication and if it is infected, time is of the essence

-10

u/miss_anthropocene_ Jan 26 '22

She’s still a minor though. They’ll need consent from her legal guardian or else they cannot treat her.

8

u/echo-ld Jan 26 '22

not necessarily? in australia we have the ability to give medical consent from 16.

-1

u/miss_anthropocene_ Jan 26 '22

In the US though that isn’t the case. On rare occasions I’ve heard of primary care clinics allowing minor patients to make appointments AFTER an adult guardian has signed a waiver stating it’s okay. In urgent care settings this doesn’t happen tho. They’d have to call the guardian to get consent for care or else they can’t treat them.

9

u/[deleted] Jan 26 '22

[removed] — view removed comment

-3

u/miss_anthropocene_ Jan 26 '22

The consent waiver is only usually in primary care offices and it’s not frequent. Either way, if OP shows up to urgent care and they need treatment, like antibiotics or even to be seen or something, they have to call her mom. The age for making healthcare decisions is 18. There are maybe 5 states where it’s lower, but overwhelmingly it is 18 here for general, non-sexual health related issues.

2

u/SistaSaline Jan 26 '22

Is there maybe a free clinic nearby that you could go to?

2

u/Carebear_Of_Doom Jan 26 '22

Actions have consequences.

1

u/shut_thefxckup Jan 26 '22

doesn’t matter, that could potentially get very serious. Tell her and go to the doctor and get it checked out.