Do you have a skin growth forming over your piercing? Is the growth becoming a cause of concern? Read on to learn more about skin healing over your piercing.
When the skin goes through trauma, it develops an overgrowth over the scar tissue. Skin overgrowths are most common after going through a piercing. They’re experienced on the earlobe or the cartilage after a piercing.
Skin growth can appear in different colors, from light pink to dark brown. Keep reading to learn the causes of growth on the skin and how to experience skin healing over your piercings.
What causes skin growth after piercing?
Getting a piercing will not appear like a severe injury if it’s something your body goes through. When getting ear piercings, the piercing on your cartilage has slower healing than getting them on your earlobe.
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You’ll also experience irritation on the skin around your cartilage. You’ll feel a lump around the piercing during the first few days. Your skin may also experience redness, bleeding, bruising, and minimal pain.
Skin healing over nose piercing will come with discoloration on the skin, itching, a whitish-yellow fluid oozing from the piercing, and a crust forming on your jewelry.
The skin growth around your ear piercing is also known as a cartilage piercing bump. The growth can form soon after your piercing has healed, and you can still feel it long after your piercings have healed.
How does the skin regenerate after you remove the growth?
Skin healing over piercing is an evolutionary process. After the growth removal, you will experience inflammation, blood clotting, cellular proliferation, and entire skin remodeling. The regeneration will differ from one patient to another.
The impact after the growth removal on your ear may have a negative effect, and your cosmetic surgeon may recommend an ear reshaping otoplasty to help with skin regeneration and recovery.
How the wound heals after growth removal to allow for skin regeneration depends on how significant the growth on the piercing is. The wound may take three weeks.
How do you remove the growth from a piercing?
The growth that forms on the skin from piercings is a challenge to get rid of. You may go through a successful treatment that eliminates them, but they still find their way back around the same area. Some forms of treatment to help with skin healing over piercing include;
1. Surgical removal
Qualified surgeons will recommend different treatments, depending on the severity of the growth. If you had piercings done on your eyelids, your cosmetic surgeon would recommend eyelid surgery with laster as an ideal treatment.
The skin around the eyelids will change color and slowly resume to its usual color. Surgery alone will remove the growth; however, the growth will likely come back. Cosmetic surgeons recommend extra treatments to supplement the surgery.
Radiation
Radiation treatment will not remove the growth forming in the piercing area. The treatment will only reduce the size of the growth on your skin. You can use this treatment with an appropriate surgery to ease skin healing over the piercing after removing your growth.
Pressure earrings
Your doctor will recommend wearing pressure earrings once they’ve removed the growth from the skin’s piercing. The pressure earrings exert pressure on your skin’s affected area, preventing the growth from forming after the surgery.
Expect extreme discomfort when wearing pressure earrings for keloid ear removal as you should wear them for 16 hours a day for a year.
2. Non-surgical removal
When going through treatment options to help with skin healing over a piercing, cosmetic surgery and what to consider is one option you’ll come across.
However, if you’re uncomfortable undergoing surgery to remove any growth formed after a piercing on your skin, you can use non-surgical treatment options for growth removal. A few of these treatment options include.
Other injections
Your doctor injects medications into the growth forming on your piercing to facilitate your skin’s healing. The medication shrinks the growth and improves its feel, making it softer. The keloids treatment, a growth forming over your piercing, is given for one month until your doctor notes an improvement.
Laser treatment
Laser treatments reduce growth over your piercings and make them less visible on the skin. It would help if you did the laser therapy with another treatment to make it practical for your skin to heal over the piercing.
Ligature
For large growths, your doctor will tie a surgical thread. The thread will cut into the growth after making it fall off from the piercing area. Your doctor will tie the ligature after three to four weeks until the growth falls from the piercing on your skin.
Retinoid creams
Depending on the severity of the growth, your doctor may recommend a cream to help reduce its size. The cream also makes it less visible on your skin.
How do you prevent skin growth on your piercing?
| Action | Description | Frequency & Duration |
| Clean Piercing | Use saline solution to clean the area gently. | 2x daily for the initial weeks, then as needed. |
| Rotate Jewellery | Gently turn the jewellery to prevent it from embedding. | 1-2x daily for the first few weeks. |
| Avoid Touching | Minimise handling to prevent irritation and promote healing. | Always, unless cleaning. |
| Use Appropriate Jewellery | Wear hypoallergenic, non-porous materials like titanium. | Continuously, especially during the healing process. |
| Monitor for Infections | Watch for signs like redness, swelling, or unusual discharge. | Daily check during the initial healing phase. |
| Seek Professional Advice | Consult a piercer if the skin starts growing over the jewellery. | As soon as you notice any unwanted skin growth. |
The table outlines steps to prevent unwanted skin growth over a piercing. Proper piercing aftercare, including regular cleaning and minimising unnecessary touching, is crucial. Using appropriate jewellery materials and monitoring for any signs of complications are vital actions. If skin starts to grow over the jewellery, seeking professional advice promptly is essential to address the issue and ensure healthy healing.
Can you remove skin growth from piercing at home?
There are currently no clinically proven remedies to help reduce or eliminate the growth forming on your piercing. However, the few treatments below can help reduce their appearance on your skin.
- Silicone gels
Silicone gels improve the growth’s texture while making it less visible on your skin. They’re also effective in preventing growth after a piercing. Your cosmetic surgeon may thus recommend its use after going through surgery.
- Onion extract
The onion extract gel helps to reduce the scars formed after a growth removal. As your skin heals, there will be visible scars, especially on the area where you have the growth removed. The onion extract helps to reduce its visibility on your skin.
Conclusion
You would want to get a piercing as it helps to enhance your beauty and appearance. However, the growth that forms on these piercings is not something you’re ready for. In case of abnormal growth on your skin after a piercing, it’s essential to seek proper treatment from a qualified physician.
Dr. Tarek Bayazid is one of Dubai’s premier cosmetic surgeons known for his exemplary work, especially in facial rejuvenation and body contouring. He has Ten years of excellent reputation in Dubai and is a Certified Trainer for other physicians for facial aesthetic procedures.
The growth forming on your skin after getting piercings should not be a worry anymore. Book a free consultation with Dr. Tarek for the best treatment options to help your skin heal over the piercing.
See related: Best Herbs for Skin Regeneration
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