Keloid bump on an ear piercing

Keloids form when scar tissue grows beyond the original piercing wound. On the earlobe or cartilage, a keloid may feel smooth, dense, itchy, tight, or tender and can extend on either side of the hole. A bump confined to the channel may be irritation, a trapped fluid pocket, or a smaller scar. Jewellery pressure, repeated handling, poor fit, and friction can keep the area inflamed. Cartilage symptoms deserve attention because cartilage problems can progress more seriously than a simple surface irritation.

Clean your hands before care, avoid picking or rotating the jewellery, and keep pressure off the ear while it settles. Have a clinician assess a firm or enlarging lump before trying to remove it yourself. Treatment may involve medicine injected into the scar, laser or freezing treatment, or removal with a plan to reduce regrowth. See [Steroid Injection Into The Skin](/treatments/injectables/intralesional-steroid-injection/) and [Keloid Removal Surgery](/treatments/surgical-dermatology/keloid-excision/) for treatment context. Avoid home cutting and caustic products.

Seek prompt care if the ear becomes hot, increasingly painful, very swollen, or starts draining pus, or if you feel feverish. Arrange review for a lump that crosses the original piercing area, bleeds, restricts movement, or continues enlarging. A clinician can distinguish a keloid from other [Skin Lumps](/symptoms/skin-lumps/) and identify whether cartilage is involved.

Ask whether the lump is on the earlobe or cartilage, whether jewellery should remain, which treatment suits its size and position, how tenderness or colour may change, and how recurrence will be monitored. Tell the clinician about earlier keloids, surgery, or piercings that healed with raised scars.