Sore bump on the back of my cartilage piercing?

Jun 27, 2018

Rebecca G.

If your jewelry is not titanium I am betting you are allergic. This happened to me. I tried everything and was told the same stuff everyone was saying. At the very far depths of the internet I found out it is rare but people can be allergic to surgical steal. Thats why no one thinks that. From your picture it looks similar to mine. Titanium healed it up in no time nothing else worked.

Nov 18, 2013

April A.

Also, keeping it too clean will delay healing. Leave it alone for a few days and see what it does.

Nov 18, 2013

April A.

Was it done with a needle or piercing gun? A gun can shatter the cartilage, which could be resulting in the bump. It's hard to say from the picture, but if you're messing with it that will delay the healing process.

Nov 16, 2013

Caitlin M.

Don't take it out! It will trap the infection and make it a million times harder to heal. Take ibuprofen for the pain and swelling. Antibiotics can make it worse because then your body will be hellbent on getting rid of the piercing even after it heals. When I went to get my traguses pierced my piercer wouldn't do it because they had the potentional to make the piercing reject. So I would really try to get rid of the infection without antibiotics. If you keep it clean and leave it alone it should honestly take care of itself. The best advice I got from my piercer when I got my traguses done was to leave them alone and let my body heal itself. All I did was rinse them with water in the shower. No antibacterial wash, no alcohol, no salt, no peroxide. Nothing but water. And they healed perfectly with no infections. Before I went to a professional piercer I had my cartilage pierced at Claire's and used the cleaner they gave me and they were infected all the time and healed horribly. The tragus piercings are the only two I've kept in out of the other 4 I had.

All the stuff people are suggesting is fine now because its infected but I definitely believe you should leave a piercing alone. All the stuff people tell you to clean it with is way too harsh and kills good bacteria that we need to heal. Everyone's experience is going to be different but based on mine that's what I recommend.

Nov 15, 2013

Kierstyn C.

The doctor is really busy I can't get in till dec 2nd. if it gets worse ill go to the hospital.

Nov 15, 2013

Kimberly S.

Girl, take it out!

Nov 15, 2013

Gabriella M.

I had this just a month ago with a cartilage piercing of mine. First off, your piercing is infected, I know it probably hurts, but you cannot take the earring out. You need it in to keep the piercing open so the infection drains. Schedule a doctor's appointment, while you are waiting to see the doctor, wash the infecting earring with mild soap and warm water, let the water run through the piercing, it'll help drain the infection. Wash it morning and night- DO NOT use peroxide, I know it seems like it would helpful its not. If you want to use anything else, soak the infected area in sea salt and warm water, that's all you need.

Nov 15, 2013

Kierstyn C.

Thanks so much guys ill continue with the salt soaks and peroxide 3x a day and if it doesn't help ill see a doctor (:

Nov 15, 2013

Shushoni C.

Most of my piercings have done this. the salt water soaks 2x a day are good. not touching it is good, I can't use peroxide, but if it doesn't bother you, then I guess that is good. it took mine a full year to heal. when I asked my doctor he said NOT to take it out! that traps the bacteria under the skin causing an infection. right now, from what I can see, it doesn't look infected. just looks like a keloid, like others have said here. they go down after time. you just have to deal with it. try not to sleep on it. and if it starts pussing yellow or green, see your doctor. good luck.

Nov 15, 2013

Traci L.

That is a keloid I had the same thing you can't pop it its a over growth a scar tissue all I did was put neosporin on mine and it went away I have keloid skin and anytime I have trauma to my skin ,piercings or a cut there is a chance that it will heal with a lump so to keep it from happening I put alittle neosporin on it an it usually heals it right up

Nov 15, 2013

Becca L.

I've known lots of people who have needed to go to the doctor for infected pericings and I really recommend, if it is as painful as you are saying, not to wait. I work in the medical field and from dealing with this stuff you do not want to leave an infection go, you asked for advice and even if you think going to the doctor is a bit extreme it's better than going down the road with something worse because you waited and clearing up the infection doesn't mean that you have to take your piercing out!

Nov 15, 2013

Jessica P.

It's infected...more then likely a pus filled pocket happened when I got mine years ago my mom kept draining it and cleaning with peroxide and it went away

Nov 15, 2013

Sable G.

Lol I don't know if I'd go to a doctor just for a keloid on your piercing, but you know better than any of us because we can't exactly guage your pain so that's really your call, but I've never myself known anyone to go to the doctor for an irritated piercing/keloid. You just need to baby it and LEAVE IT ALONE. Have yiu tried a gentle salt soak to bring the yuck out of it? That's usually a more natural way to help relieve it, I know I personally have always healed best that way, anything else irritates my skin.

Nov 15, 2013

Becca L.

You need to see a doctor to take antibiotics before taking it out! I have 11 piercings in my ears and thankfully mine never got infected but I did see lots of my girlfriends go through this when having theirs done. It's honesty very common to get infections in these piercings but I told all of them to go to the doctor because the infection is not always the same. A lot of then took antibiotics and were told not to touch it( I think that is very important you need to stop touching and moving it your ear is trying to heal and when you move the piercing your jut disturbing it. It's very different from having your ear lobes pierced where they tell you to rotate your earrings) but I did have friends who had to take the piercing out because their body's were rejecting it. Don't want for it to get bad go to a doctor - the piercer may have told you it's not an infection but because it is painful that means it is and you don't want to get sick from your ear piercing

Nov 15, 2013

Amber B.

DO NOT TAKE OUT THE PIERCING. The hole will close and trap the infection. Take some ibuprofen for the swelling and try the aspirin trick mentioned above. If you have any sign of fever or sickness, GO TO THE DOCTOR. Good luck, doll! :)

Nov 15, 2013

Katriena c.

This happened to me with my industrial piercing and I cleaned it with peroxide on it to help clean it but after it will be a hard ball just buy tea tree oil mine is barely going away

Nov 15, 2013

Meg K.

I got about ten of them when mine was Ealing, just pop a needle through it and allow the icky stuff to come out. It's normal for cartilage to get that btw.

Nov 15, 2013

Sable G.

Totally looks like a gnarly keloid. Try some Witch Hazel or tea tree oil. Everyone's body is different and reacts differently. What are you cleaning it with and how if you don't mind me asking? (Sorry I use to be a piercer so I'm curious lol).

Nov 15, 2013

Micaela G.

I have mine done and it had happened to me use a drop of tea tree oil on a c tip and put it on the bubble

Nov 15, 2013

Lexi V.

NEVER take a piercing out when it's infected!! If you do that, you run the risk of the infection getting in your blood, instead of just the 2 holes of your pierced cartilage! A piercer can help you, but only if you don't take it out. Trust me, been there, done that.

Nov 15, 2013

Shannon M.

It's called a "keloid" I get them alllll the time from a piercing getting infected somehow or just wearing a cheap earring. It's nbd just get this thing called "emu oil" put it on twice a day it will go away in a couple weeks http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001DKGJQU.

Nov 15, 2013

Kierstyn C.

@Taylor oh god I hope that doesn't happen to mine. ill find some peroxide asap.

Nov 15, 2013

Cassidy L.

Keloids don't hurt. I've had many of them. From what I know, if it hurts and it's bleeding... It's infected. Your best bet would be to take the ring out, let it heal, and pierce it again. I'm waiting to go get my tragus redone. Took it out on Saturday because the keloids just made it unattractive, and it's much easier to get rid of them when the ring is gone. I know you don't want to take it out, but it's what is best for you. Your body is giving you signals and you're not listening to them.

Nov 15, 2013

Taylor W.

It never burned me. Mine was infected for a long time because the back of my earring was stuck and nobody could get it off. Given this was years ago.