Yay, I finally got cartilage piercings in my ears! did it last sunday. Anyway, I've heard rumors that infection in cartilage piercings can lead to deafness and blindness (yikes), but I haven't found any articles/studies that expressly draw that conclusion. Just in case, here a couple links explaining in layman's terms how your piercing heals and how to take care of it.

Thorough ~ Advice and Explanations
Piercing Care and Precautions
Less Formal ~ Risks, History, and Care

Personally, I'm more than a little careless when it comes to taking care of myself, luckily para mi, I was informed of the serious risk of infection early (thanks Vic).

Abbreviated summary of care (this is mostly for me so I don't forget):
- no ear piercing guns: needle can't be changed, beware blood-borne microorganisms
- clean with antiseptic as often as recommended (for cartilage- two to three times a day, 8 - 12 months)
- keep free of shampoo, hair gel, hairspray, perfume, etc. etc. etc. any chemicals
- clean with water/antiseptic after using any of the above chemicals or exercising (sweating)
- no public phones. disinfect own phone.
- keep pillowcase/sheets clean and changed frequently (::weep::)
-avoid sleeping on piercing (this one's a pain... i enjoy sleeping in fetus-position)
- don't pick at crust. that's like picking at a scab

Oh, the links also explain how to take care of infected piercings. The first link even explains what the different colors of pus mean! =D I like that. I also like looking at the color of my snot/urine to see how well I've been eating/ how ill I actually am.
Note to self: post that on blog later.