Troubleshooting
When a piercing acts up, it is commonly assumed that it is infected however not everything that is wrong with a piercing is an infection. When a piercing is performed and cared for properly, infections are much less common than other complications like irritation.
Problems can arise when harmful bacteria are introduced into the area or the jewelry worn is an inappropriate size or of poor quality.
We will always check the fit and quality of the jewelry first as inferior metals or scratches in the finish can cause serious problems. Sometimes the easiest and quickest fix is to replace the jewelry with a new piece.
Talk to your piercer to determine whether this is something that should be addressed first, often we will suggest a jewelry swap along with additional troubleshooting aftercare.
If you are suffering from an infection, the piercing and surrounding tissue will be very swollen and red, extremely tender, there will be a yellow/green secretion coming from the opening of the piercing. The skin around the area will also feel hot to the touch.
Keep the area clean and free from debris and excess irritation. Performing mild saline or sea salt soaks with a hot compress will help relieve discomfort and encourage drainage of the area. You can buy a pre-made saline solution or mix your own with 1/4 tsp of non-iodized sea salt to 8 oz of hot distilled water. The solution must be mixed accordingly as you want the Ph balance of the salt solution to coincide with our body’s natural Ph balance.
You will use this solution along with a chamomile tea bag to do hot compresses on the area to promote drainage and draw blood to the area. Chamomile acts as a natural anti-inflammatory and will help the body break down toxins and absorb the infection. Submerse the tea bag into the sea salt solution and apply directly to the affected area, holding it there with a little pressure for up to 10-15 min. Re-dunk and re-apply as the bag cools down.
Continue this treatment for up to 2 weeks.
Minor localized infections can be easily treated if your condition is mild and you do not have any chronic illness or underlying health problems. Try the suggestions below for up to 2 weeks but see your doctor if the problem persists for any longer or it dramatically worsens, you experience fever or chills, become nauseous or start vomiting or if there are red streaks in your skin emanating from the area.
Be sure to thoroughly rinse the area with water to remove any of the remaining sea salt solution and pat dry afterward with a clean paper towel.
This is slightly different than a localized infection and is often characterized by a small pus-filled pustule or bump directly next to the opening of the piercing. This small pocket forms close to the surface and repeatedly fills and drains in a cycle that can last weeks or months. It is usually red, inflamed, tender to the touch and will secrete blood/pus when drained.
Your body needs to break down and absorb this pocket so we suggest using the same treatment on this as we would for a localized infection.
Do not attempt to pop these on your own, seek medical assistance with this or if the problem cannot be resolved with the suggested aftercare.
A granuloma is a fancy word for a nodule of tissue made up of blood vessels and inflamed cells that normally form on wounds but that have overgrown quite quickly and can be caused by repetitive irritation, trauma, moisture or infection. These bumps commonly protrude above the surface of your piercing, bleed easily and usually secrete a yellow or clear fluid. Keeping the area as dry as possible and free from any excessive irritation is imperative.
We suggest using a hot chamomile tea compress to bring down the swelling, draw blood to the area and promote the breakdown of toxins. The hot compress will be done with a mix of 1/4 tsp of non-iodized sea salt and 8 oz of hot distilled water. Dunk the teabag in the solution and apply directly to the affected area, hold it there with a little pressure for 10-15 min, re-dunk and apply as the bag cools down.
Consistency is imperative to get results with this method so we suggest twice a day for 5-7 days. After “prepping” the area with the initial soaks we and then suggest another 5-7 days of the same hot compress but adding a TBSP of hydrogen peroxide to the solution to further dry the bump-out. Make sure to rinse the area with distilled water after the soak to not leave any of the salt solution on the skin. Pat dry with a clean paper towel afterward and leave alone.
Before doing any hot compresses, it needs to be determined whether jewelry fit is the problem or if there is an unidentified irritant. This problem often occurs when the piercing is kept too moist, there is an issue with jewelry fit or a problem with friction or irritation is not resolved. If the problem persists removal of the jewelry might be the only option.
If you are one of the people in society who have sensitivities or allergies to jewelry, you might have experienced this problem before.
If you develop a rash with multiple pimple-like blisters or hives; have inflamed, cracked or peeling skin; itching or burning sensations; or if the hole of your piercing is becoming visibly larger and appears to be receding from the jewelry you are reacting to either your jewelry or your aftercare product.
Replacing the jewelry with a more inert or implant-grade quality piece or discontinuing the use of the offending product should clear up the problem.
Do not scratch the rash and see your doctor if the reaction is severe or your symptoms do not clear up after taking the above-mentioned actions.
Hypertrophic scarring is a raised fleshy bump that stays within the bounds of an injury, is somewhat pink or red in colour, may be itchy and tends to form during the healing period.
There no drainage or pus and may go away spontaneously or recur and recede in cycles for a while before improving or disappearing. These commonly form on ear cartilage and nostril piercings though can occur with other piercings.
Frequent salt soaks or hot compresses as described above can help calm the area as well as using a topical collagen gel-like Coloplast. Apply the gel directly to the affected area, cover with a piece of bandaid or medical tape and leave overnight; rinse thoroughly in the morning. Apply the product for 2 weeks then discontinue, if the problem persists, removal of the jewelry might be inevitable.
Frequent massages with an over-the-counter product such as Bio-Oil can be effective but is usually not possible without the removal of the jewelry. This needs to be done consistently for up to 15 min a day to be effective. The time frame for this depends on the scar itself and how often the area is being treated.
Similar to how burn victims are treated with compression bandages, these small hypertrophic scars can be flattened with products such as No Pull Piercing disks.
These can be ordered online, refer to the manufacturer’s instructions if this is something you are interested in trying
Generally caused by repetitive irritation this is also a heredity condition that will make some individuals prone to developing them. As treatments are often ineffective and the rate of recurrence is high, if your immediate family has a history of keloids, avoiding piercings might be in your best interest.
Unfortunately once a keloid has formed it can be hard to treat and sometimes impossible to recover from, there will always be some amount of scar tissue left, even after treatment. Many over-the-counter scar-reduction products can be tried but will be ineffective for most people; seeing a dermatologist for more aggressive treatment is generally your only option.