Piercing bump is the tiny or large bump appeared under the skin due to the piercing. Sometimes it may be painful or sometime it may be painless. Piercing bump appears shortly after a piercing or after changing a jewelry. Piercing bump indicates the infection of an area and it is easily treatable.
Causes of Piercing Bump
Piercing bump is a cause of buildup tissues around the piercing area. Sometime it is a result of an infection. In very rare cases it may turn into a serious issue. Sometime it is a result of improper care, friction and no proper cleaning or sanitizing. If piercing performed by non-professional piercer, piercing is very close to other piercing, sometime metal of jewelry cause piercing bump and sometime cleaning solution is the cause of piercing bump.
Bump on Ear lobe Piercing:
After piercing of earlobe it forms bump around the jewelry which is made-up of tissues. This is not a serious issue it means piercing area starts healing but when bump is painful, red in color with yellow pus and crusty than it means it is infected and needed to be treated.
Bump on Cartilage piercing
Industrial piercing involves piercing of cartilage. Cartilage piercing heal slower than earlobe piercing. It is normal in cartilage piercing because it take 4 to 12 months to heal. Bump on cartilage piercing may be caused by poor aftercare or allergies. When swelling subside and bump is still present than it may be Keloid, granuloma and pustule.
Bump on Nose piercing
Nose piercing is popular as middle lip piercing.Bump on nose piercing is a cause of poor piercing technique, allergic reaction to jewelry, cleaning products and touching with dirty hands. Nose piercing take 6 months for healing. Nose bump will clear with treatment.
Tragus piercing Bump
Tragus is the small cartilage nub near the ear. Bump on tragus piercing formed when it is infected. Tragus is more close to hairs so hairs caught on tragus piercing easily which cause irritation and prevent healing and leads to an infection and tragus exposed to bacteria because of dirty hairs, chemical containing shampoos and other hair products.
Daith piercing bump
Daith piercing is done on the cartilage tissue of ear canal. This tissue is thicker than cartilage on ear lobe. Daith piercing take 4 to 12 months to heal. Infection caused by touching piercing area with unwashed hands, body fluids such as saliva and sweat contact with piercing and cause bacterial infection. Hair, headbands and other hair accessories can cause irritation.
Treatment of piercing bumps
First step of piercing bump treatment is to identify that you have bump on piercing or not if yes than follow the instructions given by piercer. Every type of piercing have different treatments. Some of them are:
1) Cartilage piercing bump treatment:
Rinsing of piercing area is very important because rinsing prevent bacteria.
Avoid sleeping on the side of piercing area which cause irritation and piercing area exposed to bacteria present on bedsheet.
Use of antibiotic cream or antibacterial spray heal the piercing area quickly.
2) Earlobe piercing bump treatment:
Earlobe piercing is more prone to infections so cleaning is very important for this type of piercing. Not only piercing area also your bed sheet and hands when you touch piercing area.
In the case of serious issue you will need to see your piercer or any professional skin specialist to seek help.
Use warm compress with chamomile compress which have anti-inflammatory properties which is helpful for piercing bump treatment.
3) Nose piercing bump treatment:
Follow all instructions given by piercer than use salt solution for sanitizing purpose which clean the piercing area around nose and prevent bacteria.
Use of cheap jewelry cause piercing bump so avoid using those jewelries which cause allergy.
Avoid using cotton swabs around your nose for cleaning purpose because sometime cotton leaves fibers which irritate the piercing area and cause piercing bump.
Use of warm compress also helpful in shrinking of bump.
4) Daith piercing treatment:
Clean the piercing area with the piercer’s suggested disinfectant or cleanser.
Don’t use alcohol based cleanser. Use clean cloth for drying the piercing area.
Use sea salt solution which helps in the healing of an infection.
Warm compress helps in relieving pain and swelling.
Piercing bump treatment products
Treatment products of piercing bump depend on the cause of the piercing bump. Sometimes doctor or piercer suggest antibiotic creams or pills, sometime it healed after just changing jewelry. These are some products which we use at home to treat piercing bump:
1: Piercing bump removal oil
This oil is the solution of all the piercing problems. From this oil piercing bump starts healing and completely gone after 4 weeks.
2: Piercing bump removal sea salt concentrate
As the name indicates it includes sea salt which is helpful in sanitization of the piercing area and remove the piercing bump.
3: Tea tree essential oil
Tea tree oil is helpful in shrinking of piercing bump but you should always use it in diluted form. Dilute it with other oils such as almond or coconut oil.
What is Piercing pustule?
Piercing pustule is a type of an infection looks like a pimple on piercing area. Piercing pustule easily go away with warm compresses and cleaning but sometimes it may be return. If piercing pustule is painful or keeps coming back than you need to go for medical help.
Piercing bump vs Keloid
Piercing bumps are very common and formed by allergies and improper aftercare, it can be fully healed when swelling subside or with the treatment while Keloid scars are large scars and they appear after the healing of piercing infection. These Keloid scars are more common in peoples with darker skin. Keloid scars are treated by corticosteroid injections or surgery. Surgery is not an appropriate treatment option because after surgery it may become bigger.
How to drain a piercing bump?
When bump is red, swollen and full of pus than it is caused by Staphylococcus bacteria you will need to go to professional doctor, he drain the bump and test the fluid to check which type of bacteria is present in bump. Only professional doctors can perform this procedure. Don’t try to it yourself as it can make infection worse. Only doctor decide whether it needs draining or not. If doctor not used sterile equipment to create opening than the bump become worse. Fluid test determines which treatment is suitable. When draining won’t help than cortisone injection helps in reducing inflammation.
Summary
Piercing bump is the tiny or large bump appeared under the skin due to the piercing. Piercing bump is a cause of buildup tissues around the piercing area. In very rare cases it may turn into a serious issue. After piercing body forms bump around the jewelry which is made-up of tissues. This is not a serious issue it means piercing area starts healing but when bump is painful, red in color with yellow pus and crusty than it means it is infected and needed to be treated.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1: How do I get rid of a piercing bump on my piercing?
From following these methods you treat your piercing bump:
Avoid using Nickel jewelry because many peoples are allergic to these metals. Use jewelry which is made-up of 18 or 24 karat gold, Titanium and stainless steel.
Clean piercing three times per day for 3 to 6 months. Wash your hand before touching piercing area. Use paper towel instead of cloth towel because cloth towel can be contaminated with bacteria.
Use saline solution for cleaning purpose which prevent harmful bacteria which can lead to an infection.
Use chamomile warm compress as chamomile has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Avoid using chamomile when you are allergic to chamomile.
Apply tea tree oil as it has antimicrobial and antifungal properties. Avoid using tea tree oil directly on piercing bump you should try to dilute it first than apply it.
2: How long does it take for a piercing bump to go away?
Piercing bump takes weeks for healing but it starts healing within days immediately after treatment starts. Bump may be pustule, granuloma or keloid. Pustule is a pimple that contain pus, granuloma is a lesion which developed after 6 weeks of piercing and keloid is a big scar which appears after the healing of piercing. The piercing bump will go away after the treatment within 4 to 6 weeks.
3: How long does it take for tea tree oil to work on piercing bump?
Tea tree oil very effective on piercing bumps but it will take several weeks so wait with patience and use tea tree oil with proper aftercare and see the results.
Conclusion
Piercing bump is the tiny or large bump appeared under the skin due to the piercing. Sometimes it may be painful or sometime it may be painless. Piercing bump appears shortly after a piercing or after changing a jewelry.
Piercing bump indicates the infection of an area and it is easily treatable. Piercing bump is a cause of buildup tissues around the piercing area. Sometime it is a result of improper care, friction and no proper cleaning or sanitizing.
This is not a serious issue it means piercing area starts healing but when bump is painful, red in color with yellow pus and crusty than it means it is infected and needed to be treated. Cartilage piercing heal slower than earlobe piercing.
Tragus is more close to hairs and hairs caught on tragus piercing easily which cause irritation and prevent healing and leads to an infection and tragus exposed to bacteria because of dirty hairs, chemical containing shampoos and other hair products.
Piercing bump takes weeks for healing but it starts healing within days immediately after treatment starts. Tea tree oil very effective on piercing bumps but it will take several weeks so wait with patience and use tea tree oil with proper aftercare and see the results.
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