Keloid on Daith Piercing: What to Know

A keloid is firm, smooth or shiny scar tissue that keeps growing past the small wound made by the jewellery. It can feel itchy, tender or tight, and its colour may differ from nearby skin. A piercing bump can also be irritation, an infection, or a hypertrophic scar that stays within the wound edges, so appearance alone cannot confirm the diagnosis. Because a daith piercing sits in cartilage, rubbing from headphones, earbuds or sleeping on that side can prolong irritation. A photo and examination can help distinguish a keloid from other causes of a skin lump; see Skin Lumps for broader information.

Avoid squeezing, cutting, twisting or repeatedly removing the jewellery without advice. Clean gently as directed for a healing piercing, keep hair products away, and reduce pressure from headphones. Arrange a dermatology review if the tissue is enlarging, repeatedly catching, or affecting comfort. Treatment may include Steroid Injection Into The Skin, pressure-based care, or selected laser treatment. Cryotherapy (Lesion Removal) and Keloid Removal Surgery are options a clinician may discuss when the lesion is suitable; recurrence prevention is part of the plan.

Seek prompt medical care for spreading redness, warmth, pus, fever, worsening throbbing pain, or jewellery becoming embedded. These features can signal infection or pressure injury rather than a simple scar. Seek urgent help if swelling affects the ear canal or you feel generally unwell. A steadily enlarging, bleeding, ulcerated or unexpectedly changing lump also deserves assessment, even without pain.

Ask whether the tissue is a keloid, hypertrophic scar, irritation or infection; whether the daith jewellery should stay in place; which treatment fits the cartilage location; and how recurrence will be reduced after treatment.