Cartilage Piercing Infection....!?

Hi,
I got my cartilage pierced a week ago today (by a professional, and with a needle, NOT a gun). Everything seemed to be going well...I had been using anti-bacterial soap on it two or three times a day. I ordered a sea salt wash that they had recommended, and for about the past four days, I've been using it 3-4 times a day.

Unfortunately, it seems to have gotten infected. My ear is twice its normal size, and what looks like pus has been oozing out. I've been using warm compresses which seems to help drain out the pus, but the swelling hasn't gone down, and it hurts very much.

The swelling will eventually go down, right?

And does this have anything to do with the fact that I switched from the soap to the sea salts? What's my best option at this point?

Thanks so much.

try bactine, it's a first aid spray that will clean it and make the pain go away. I'm not sure if soap is good cuz it dries it out, maybe just water and bactine, stop with the sea salts and go see a doctor.

Ive gotten my cartilage pierced several time. Every time, i have had some swelling. And really what can you expect from jamming a piece of metal through your ear? If you have long hair, keep it pulled back away from your ears if possible. And make sure your hair is clean. My advice would be to stick to the antibacterial soap for now, especially when the piercing is infected. Sea salt will aggrivate it.

You shouldn't use the sea salt as much. It is making it sore. Also, you are washing it too much. Your skin is irritated. That is what happened to me. I would suggest that you wash it once day for both things and DONT use Polysporin or anything. I let all of my 4 piercings heal on their own. My belly button and 3rd earring healed 2 weeks faster. Keep your hair or anything else out of it.
Hope that helped.