What should you know about cartilage piercing keloid?

A keloid is a firm, smooth scar that grows outside the boundaries of the original piercing wound. It can be skin-coloured, darker, red, itchy, tender, or tight. Not every bump is a keloid: an irritated piercing, infection, or hypertrophic scar may appear similar. A clinician compares the lump with the original piercing site and asks about its growth and symptoms. You can read more about [Skin Lumps](/symptoms/skin-lumps/) when the diagnosis is uncertain.

Ongoing pressure from headphones, helmets, hair, or jewellery can aggravate the area. A tendency to form keloids can also affect how the skin responds to future injuries, so mention previous raised scars before another procedure or piercing.

Avoid picking, cutting, piercing, or applying unprescribed acids to the lump. Reduce rubbing and pressure, and follow specific jewellery advice from a clinician. Treatment may include [Steroid Injection Into The Skin](/treatments/injectables/intralesional-steroid-injection/), [Pulsed Dye Laser Treatment](/treatments/laser-and-energy/pulsed-dye-laser-treatment/), or [Cryotherapy (Lesion Removal)](/treatments/surgical-dermatology/cryotherapy-lesion-removal/). [Keloid Removal Surgery](/treatments/surgical-dermatology/keloid-excision/) can be considered in selected cases, often with additional measures to help control regrowth. [Fractional Laser Treatment](/treatments/laser-and-energy/fractional-laser-treatment/) may help selected scar texture concerns rather than serving as a universal removal method.

A treatment plan depends on the lump’s size, location, symptoms, skin response, and whether it has changed after earlier treatment. Follow-up matters because a quiet scar can become active again.

Arrange prompt review if the lump grows quickly, becomes hot or increasingly painful, drains, bleeds, or develops an open sore. Fever or redness spreading beyond the piercing area needs urgent attention. Seek immediate help for severe pain, marked swelling, or feeling faint or unwell.

Ask how the lump differs from a hypertrophic scar or infection, whether the jewellery should be removed, and what treatment sequence is appropriate. Ask how often follow-up is needed, what regrowth may look like, and how to protect the ear from pressure during healing.