What should you know about keloid ear?

Keloid tissue is firm, raised, and sometimes shiny or darker than nearby skin. It can grow beyond the edges of the original wound, unlike a scar that stays within the injured area. Ear keloids may feel itchy, tender, tight, or sensitive when touched, and their shape can change gradually.

A clinician may examine the surface, firmness, colour, and borders. A lump after trauma can have other explanations, so a diagnosis should not be made from appearance alone. See the overview on [Skin Lumps](/symptoms/skin-lumps/) for broader context.

Avoid picking, squeezing, or repeatedly rubbing the area, and protect it from snagging on clothing or jewellery. Arrange a dermatology review before trying a home remedy or getting another piercing nearby. Options can include steroid medicine placed into the scar, pressure-based care, laser treatment, freezing, or surgery; the choice depends on size, activity, location, and previous treatment.

A clinician may discuss [Steroid Injection Into The Skin](/treatments/injectables/intralesional-steroid-injection/) or [Keloid Removal Surgery](/treatments/surgical-dermatology/keloid-excision/). Removal alone can be followed by renewed growth, so ask how recurrence prevention would be planned.

Book an assessment if the ear lump is enlarging, newly painful, itchy, bleeding, or interfering with sleep, headphones, or jewellery. Seek prompt medical attention if redness spreads, the area becomes hot, drainage develops, or you feel unwell, because those features can point to infection rather than scar activity.

Ask whether the lesion fits a keloid, whether the original piercing or wound should remain undisturbed, which treatment suits its thickness, and how the ear will be monitored after treatment.