The cause of piercing “bumps”could be due to a number of sources of irritation or infection that can result in overgrowth of scar tissue when the healing process is disrupted. There may be a single, simple solution though it commonly may take a combination of protective measures to help this turn out well.

Often a piercing done at an angle to the tissue other than perpendicular, or with a slightly irritating shape or material like steel or an alloy of gold (usually including copper, silver and trace metals) can cause irritation and prevent complete healing. You can  stop by and have me switch it to a sterilized piece of anodized titanium jewelry made of certified implant material for better success.

Other notable co-factors the irritation could be related to:

• cleaning products you use; chemical or particulate irritation
• the shape and size of the jewelry; a piece out of proportion to your body
• mechanical friction/motion of the jewelry; moving it around too much
• sleeping on the piercing; putting pressure on the jewelry
• tap water/moisture not dried off completely; fluid causing ulceration of the wound bed

>> The shape, friction, and your sleeping habits could be the big issues. For these reasons I avoid overly loose fitted or ring shaped jewelry for healing most piercings.

Stop by for a free consultation if you are in near my studio located at 4818 Lee Highway in Arlington, Virginia. I can provide you with an appropriate, attractive piece of implant grade jewelry.

In the meantime, try to follow simple sensible care described on my aftercare pages here:

https://craigpokesu.com/aftercare/aftercare-for-body-piercings/ …and here… https://craigpokesu.com/aftercare/aftercare-for-oral-piercings/

What seems to help the most and harm the least is gentle care as mentioned above and to apply a dry hot compress such as a heat pad set to medium or a hot washcloth in a Ziploc bag for a period of ten to fifteen minutes as frequently as once an hour up to bedtime, to increase circulation and build immune response. Make sure to put something absorbent such as sterile gauze in between you and the compress for a clean barrier.

It may disappear as quickly as overnight if the irritation is dealt with, or it could take a few days.

See your physician or dermatologist if symptoms get worse or do not clear up in the following few days after taking all the measures listed above. This could be an infection from streptococcus pyogenes or other germs.

See You On The Sharp End!

~ Craig