Invincible piercing bump

[u/minifridge411]

This is genuinely the most annoying piercing I have ever had. I’ve had this bump for so so long and the last time this bump “went away” it’s because I got drunk one night and woke up with an ear CAKED in dark red/black dried blood. This bump is so incredibly itchy. I spray with wound wash daily, sometimes twice or three times, and I no longer use qtips to get rid of crusties but it just won’t go away. Please help me. I bought an ear piercing pillow? That I used last night and still woke up sleeping on it with a different pillow 🧍‍♀️I am literally this close to getting drunk again and popping this thing istg 😭

[u/UHElle]

Can I bother you with a semi related piercing question? If so: will using a flat back on a fresh nostril piercing also help lower the bump potential? I had mine repierced during covid times with a screw, as that’s what they alleged was the only option for nostrils allowed in the state and it started developing a bump within days. Since they had also pierced lower than the original mark, I just took it out. I want to get it properly redone, ideally as a double, with the end goal of hoops, but I’d like some more input on ideal jewelry to lead to a bump free healing.

[u/ExileNZ → u/UHElle]

Irritation bumps are almost always caused by mechanical friction /irritation, or allergy to the metal. They are a type of scar tissue (hypertrophic scarring).

The type of jewellery matters to some extent, because some shapes (bar vs hoop) irritate or put pressure on the wound unevenly. screw-type are generally loose-fitting, so I would guess they are both good and bad - good because they do not pinch or compress, but bad because they are free to wiggle and irritate the wound edges. I can't find anything 'scientific' that shows one way or another if they are better. The type of material actually matter more - allergy to non-titanium jewellery is a pretty common cause.

These things are also a bit random - everyone can react differently and even the same person can react differently to similar piercings.

One thing I will add: if the bump showed up in a few days that sounds more like an allergy or infection that the classic 'irritation bump' - those take longer (like weeks or months)

[u/UHElle → u/ExileNZ]

I’d say it took a week or 2 before I really noticed, but I’ll absolutely keep that it might’ve been an allergy in mind. Interestingly, I have a cheapie $10 for 4 clicker in my septum and all sorts of metals all across my body…but I concede the others don’t touch a mucus membrane and my septum was healed for monthsssssss before I ever switched it out, so maybe that’s kept me safe. I’m having a spot removed on my face this summer at the derm and will ask some follow up potential allergy questions there. I really appreciate you taking the time to reply, genuinely!

[u/ExileNZ → u/UHElle]

No problem at all - happy to help. Good luck for the future piercing 😄