HELP! I have a bubble on my piercing! What now?!
First of all, bubbles around your piercing are quite normal. You'll live darling!
There are multiple types of bubbles and there is always a solution. A recognized piercer with a solid training can always identify exactly what the bubble is and what steps need to be taken.
I try to list them here.
keloid
Keloids or keloid scar is a benign tumor consisting of scar tissue.
A keloid is not a hypertrophic scar. The difference is that hypertrophic scar tissue is limited to the wound and the scar is slightly thicker and more superficial. Think of scarification or if you have ever had an operation and your scar is a bit thicker and not even with the skin.
Keloids are not limited to the wound and can continue to grow.
People with dark skin have a higher risk of this, it can also be hereditary.
The chance of a keloid from a piercing is minimal, but it does exist.
A keloid is hard, smooth and often has these erratic bumps and shapes. These are removed surgically or with corticosteroid injections.
Infection
If a piercing gets inflamed, this usually happens in the first few weeks, when the wound is still raw and/or open. This can be caused by, for example, poor hygiene by the piercer or by a fluff or cat hair that is on your pillow and thus gets into the open wound.
As soon as dirt or bacteria get into the open wound, you have a risk of inflammation. Even though we have a strong immune system, this can always happen.
This is one of the reasons that we as a piercer say that you should not touch or mess with your piercing and that you always wash your hands before cleaning your piercing.
As a piercer, we have no medical training in medicine and we cannot determine whether or not you have an infection. We do know when we can help you and when it is best to refer you to your doctor.
If there is doubt of an inflammation, we will never remove the jewel from your piercing. The outer layer of skin could then grow back and the inflammation trapped inside. Only if the doctor recommends this will we or the doctor himself do this.
Inflammation usually has yellow or green pus, is warm to the touch and can be very painful. The area around can also feel red, warm and painful.
The piercing bump or piercing bubble.
This is actually a normal irritation bubble and in most cases this is the bubble that is around your piercing.
Step 1, don't panic!
Every bubble has a cause! Remove the cause, and the bubble will disappear. Finding this cause on your own can be complicated and frustrating, so just go back to your piercer and figure it out together.
Causes can be:
- Crooked piercing. (To make a mistake is human)
- Low-quality jewel, stainless steel or surgical steel contains nickel. Many people respond to this. Titanium that is not polished can also have a scratch and sometimes this can be the cause. We only work with implant grade titanium from verified suppliers and so we exclude this cause.
- Sleeping on your piercing.
- Messing with your piercing.
- Wrong aftercare of your piercing.
- Tea tree oil, disinfection alcohol, strong soap, remnants of shampoo, toothpaste…
- Not coming back in time to shorten your piercing to the right size.
- Changing the type of jewel too early. For example from a rod to a ring.
- Trauma to the piercing from a knock or catching on something.
- Make up or other skin products.
- Too much cleaning and cleaning of the piercing.
- Wrong anatomy for that particular piercing.
- Being sick, the nose is very erratic when your immune system isn't cooperating.
- Swimming or submerging your piercing in puddles of water such as a bath, swimming pool… This can also lead to inflammation.
There are many more reasons but it is best to find out with your piercer. Just because you have a bubble doesn't mean you had a bad piercer. Any licensed piercer will be happy to help you heal your piercing in the correct way so that you can shine with it again. Do not wait and come by as soon as possible.
Above all, don't believe what Dr. Google is saying. 99% of those remedies will temporarily remove the bubble and it will eventually come back.
As I said, this is an irritation bubble, together we make sure it is no longer irritated and so the bubble can disappear for good.
Make your appointment now for a piercing check up, or start with the right Neilmed aftercare spray at home.
XO
Geraldine