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bumps and lumps

jk87
Joined: 08 Oct 2008
Member #: 16356
Status: Offline

Posted on October 8, 2008, 4:48 am

I have a standard cartilage piercing which is now almost a year old. I know they take ages to heal, this one is still sore amd develops the occasional crusties. But in the last few weeks it has grown a little lump on each hole. My piercer says that it is not infected but has keloid scarring. I am notsure as I have heard keloids are very uncommon, and I've never had them before. He has recommended that I go back to regular sea salt soaks, but using lots of pressure on the lumps.
Not sure if this sounds quite right to me. I think the lumps are caused by friction, as the bar is quite long, but changing to a shorter bar would be impossible now because of the lumps.
Any ideas of what I can do?

BadKiTtY
Malevolent Pussy
Joined: 30 Jan 2008
Member #: 119
Status: Offline

Posted on October 8, 2008, 6:19 am

You are correct, the piercer is wrong.

Improper jewelry, such as a bar that is too long, can cause bumps. It is not keloiding, especially if you never had any keloid scars in the past. Hypertonic scarring and "the bump" are common results of irritation caused by poor jewelry size or constant friction from clothes, sleeping on it, etc.

Go to a piercer and have them fit you with an appropriate length bar. Putting pressure on the bumps will only serve to irritate them further. Hot sea salt soaks will soothe the piercing. It is probably taking longer than normal to heal because of the long jewelry.

Never miss someone from your past - there is a reason they did not make it to your future.

DC83252
Joined: 31 Jan 2008
Member #: 191
Status: Offline

Posted on October 8, 2008, 9:53 am

That is why I tip the lady piercer that I use for her ability and knowledge. There are to many that are just hole pokers without a clue. Just do what the Kitty suggested and you will be ok.

Robert/Bob

I feel a sin coming on!

Cloud
Joined: 19 Feb 2008
Member #: 513
Status: Offline

Posted on October 8, 2008, 9:59 am

Actually, not sure if I agree with you re: the pressure, BK.
Heat and massage (i.e., "pressure") CAN help with bumps, especially if the underlying cause, such as improperly fitted jewelry, is taken care of.

Soaking, or hot compresses, plus gentle massage of the bump with a good oil, can help. Not a sure fire remedy, though!

Sometimes the bumps happen just 'cause, and you have to wait it out.

im in ur forumz . . . harshin ur noobz

http://piercedconsumer.com

Dariattack
Joined: 09 Jul 2008
Member #: 7268
Status: Offline

Posted on October 8, 2008, 12:47 pm

I'm with Cloud on this one. Sometimes a massage is in order. I've had piercings benefit from a little cleaning and massaging. Remember, massages can help promote circulation to that area which is key to healing.

josho
Obnoxiously Omniscient
Joined: 24 Jan 2008
Member #: 71
Status: Offline

Posted on October 9, 2008, 3:26 pm

right, but also note that the piercer recommended lots of pressure, which is hardly a gentle massage and would surely cause more irritation.

Viva La Josho!

jbrinatl
Joined: 26 Sep 2008
Member #: 14645
Status: Offline

Posted on October 9, 2008, 4:46 pm

I recently had bump next to my nipple piercing and my piercer recommended sea salt soaks followed by a massage of the bump and what had lasted for over a week went away with in two days. I agree with the massaging. It helped me.

Cloud
Joined: 19 Feb 2008
Member #: 513
Status: Offline

Posted on October 9, 2008, 6:27 pm

firm pressure, okay? firm.

I would like to take this opportunity to mention that firm pressure applied by the piercer at the time of piercing, particularly for cartilage piercings, is something to try to avoid the worst of the bumps. You may have to prompt your piercer to do it.

This is called the "compression technique" and it's used to realign the tissue immediately after piercing.

im in ur forumz . . . harshin ur noobz

http://piercedconsumer.com