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Piercing problems and complicationsThere are several complications which can occur following a new piercings. The majority of these are usually a result of bacteria entering the piercing site or insufficient aftercare and some are simply biological complications which cause your body to reject the piercing. The good news is that the vast majority of complications are easily dealt with if caught at an early stage.
IF YOU ARE UNSURE WHAT TO DO, ALWATYS CONTACT YOUR PIERCER FIRST |
Skin Infections and Irritations
Skin infections and irritations are usually the result of a small amount of dirt entering your new piercing. Even if you are cleaning it well, this can still happen because piercings pick up dirt from your hands, hair and clothes to name a few things! It is important to learn the difference between irritation and infection because they are treated differently.
In some cases, the piercing will need to be removed in order to stop the infection but this is not always advised as removing the jewellery can cause infection to become trapped which can lead to abscesses. Please contact us to discuss if you feel that you have developed a serious infection.
In some cases, the piercing will need to be removed in order to stop the infection but this is not always advised as removing the jewellery can cause infection to become trapped which can lead to abscesses. Please contact us to discuss if you feel that you have developed a serious infection.
Infected Piercing
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Infections usually start with swelling and redness around the site of the piercing which will then be accompanied by heat and possibly oozing or smelly discharge. If this starts to happen, do not take the piercing out and contact your piercer to discuss. In general terms, small infections can be dealt with by cleaning with topical antiseptic liquids such as Savlon or TCP. In the event of a serious infection, you will need to see a doctor who will usually provide antibiotics.
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Irritations will have similar symptoms to start with but are usually caused by things such as incorrectly mixed sea salt solution, using alcohol based cleaning solutions, clothes rubbing on the piercing or perhaps sleeping or leaning on the piercing which puts it under pressure. Irritations do not usually require antiseptic or antibiotics as they are not an infection. If your piercing is irritated as opposed to infected, you need to identify and remove the source of the irritation or it will not stop. Contact your piercer to get some help!
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Irritated Piercing
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Lumps AND BUMPS
Keloid Lumps
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If there is no infection present, lumps and bumps around or next to a piercing site are usually caused by an irritation. Lumps such as Keloids, Atrophic or Hypertrophic scars form within Collagen which is the substance which your skin uses to repair itself following any kind of injury. They can occur in anyone and are usually completely benign and non-contagious. If they occur as a result of piercings, they usually remain small and will disappear quickly as the piercing settles. If you begin to develop a lump it can usually be managed at home, but contact your piercer to get some help identifying the cause if the lump and follow their advice as a change in your aftercare regime may be needed. Care must be taken to ensure thast the lump does not become infected thus preventing the tissue from healing safely.
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Embedding and Rejection
Whatever way you look at it, piercing is not a natural process and your body will instantly see your new piercing as a threat and try to defend you. Your body defends you by trying to push the piercing out. In most people, this is a very minor reaction which won't even be noticed, but some people encounter very strong physical reactions which ultimately result in the need to remove the piercing.
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Basic Rejection simply means that your body will force out the jewellery. The jewellery will be pushed upwards through the skin. Before this takes place, the piercing will become sore and irritated and will not settle no matter how well you clean it. Rejection is sometimes a reaction to the metal in the jewellery so contact your piercer to see if we can help to save your piercing before you give up on it. The earlier you spot these signs and come back in to see your piercer, the easier it will be to avoid losing the piercing.
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Rejecting Piercing
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Embedded Piercing
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Embedding occurs as a result of your body allowing the skin to grow over the top of a piercing. In simple cases, it can be caused by swelling from an initial piercing occurring to a degree which means that the jewellery you were pierced with is now "too short" to accommodate the swelling. Go and see your piercer urgently and they will usually be able to change your jewellery for something longer until the swelling subsides. Unless your piercer has used incorrectly sized jewellery or you have somehow allowed bacteria to enter your piercing, embedding is not easy to foresee or prevent. Even if your piercer has used the correct size of jewellery, some people can experience different swelling reactions to others. Embedding is a small but unpredicatable risk and can cause serious complications, it usually starts with aggressive swelling and a build up of fluid around the site of the piercing. A completely embedded piece of jewellery usually requires a trip to A&E but if caught early, speak to your piercer first.
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