What causes perichondritis to recur?

Hello doctor,

I have been experiencing recurring perichondritis. After one week of using antibiotic ointment, it improved but did not fully return to normal. Then, a couple of weeks later, I developed perichondritis in the same spot again. Why I keep experiencing recurring perichondritis? I do not lie on my side, have not worn earrings for years (I had my earlobes pierced seven years ago), do not use earphones, and always wash my ears with soap and water during my showers. How can I prevent this recurring issue?

Thank you for the reply doctor,

Here are the answers to your questions:

1. Inflammation or redness seen? - Yes, the area has been consistently red since I first experienced these symptoms.
2. Itchy ear? - I have experienced occasional itchiness, especially when I had a scab, and just before the second recurrence occurred.
3. Irritation? - I have not felt any specific irritation. However, if you are asking whether I might have irritated the ear. I wore a mask every day for around eight hours during the last school year. I also used earbuds frequently six months ago, and the earbuds came into contact with the area where I had the pus. I may have contaminated the earbuds because I sometimes touched them without sanitizing my hands. After observing pus coming from that side, I stopped putting earbuds in my left ear, but I continued to wear a mask five months ago. I touched the area only when I was in the shower, so I could wash it with soap and water. This practice began five months ago, as advised by the doctor.
4. Excess scratching and rubbing? - I did scratch the area recently, five days ago. However, before that, I never scratched or touched the ear.
5. Fever? - No, I have not experienced a fever or high body temperature, but I did have a cold that lasted for ten days seven days ago.
6. Painful or tender pus-filled lesion? - There is no pain, but there has been a pus-filled lesion.

I have visited healthcare professionals on the following dates with the corresponding diagnoses and treatments:

1. Urgent Care doctor prescribed me Mupirocin ointment 2 % five months ago.
2. Family medicine doctor prescribed me Cefadroxil (oral antibiotics) four months ago.
3. Dermatologist prescribed me Clobetasol Propionate three months ago. Also, I was instructed to wash the area with soap and water.

I have also taken additional steps also. I have heard that drying the earhole after a shower is important, so I have been using a hairdryer for this purpose. I recently wiped my earholes with cotton swabs several times. This helped get rid of the pimple on the earlobe seen in the picture dated three months ago, but it did not affect other pimples. Additionally, I have had a bump near my earlobes ever since I got my ears pierced. These bumps appear behind the ear, close to the earlobe, at the spot where I got them pierced. When I have a bump in the same spot where I got my ear pierced, pus comes out. These bumps come and go throughout the year. When I press on them, they are painful, but they typically resolve on their own and return after a few months. I have not sought any treatment for them. These bumps did not return for a while when I stopped wearing earrings a couple of years ago. I am curious if there could be any correlation between these bumps and my perichondritis. Kindly suggest.