What should you know about keloid growing over piercing?

Piercing creates a skin injury, and some people respond by building scar tissue that rises above and spreads beyond the hole. A keloid may be smooth, firm, itchy, tender, or darker than nearby skin. Irritation from jewellery can make the area sore, but redness, warmth, discharge, or fever raises concern for infection. A clinician can tell these causes apart and check whether the jewellery is pressing into the skin.

Do not twist, squeeze, pierce through, or cut the lump. Avoid replacing jewellery repeatedly and keep pressure and snagging to a minimum. Have a dermatologist examine it before considering another piercing, particularly if you have formed raised scars before. Possible care includes steroid injection, laser treatment, freezing, or surgery; removing the visible tissue alone may not address the tendency to form more scar.

Get prompt medical advice if the ear or surrounding skin becomes hot, rapidly red, very swollen, increasingly painful, or begins draining pus. Seek urgent help for fever or feeling unwell. A routine dermatology visit is appropriate for a lump that steadily enlarges, bleeds, ulcerates, or affects hearing, sleep, or movement.

Ask whether the jewellery should stay in place, whether the lump is a keloid or infection, and which treatment is safest for this location. Discuss how to reduce recurrence before any future piercing.