Keloid or piercing bump? What's the difference?
What is a keloid?
It’s a type of scar. The body responds to an injury (piercing) by producing too much collagen, leading to an overgrowth of fibrous tissue.
Can appear 3-6 months after piercing
Color of the scar can vary widely depending on skin tonegrowth rate can vary from slow to very fast, and they can become very large
They may itch or hurt, which is part of why people might confuse them with an irritation bump
What is a piercing bump?
small bump, most frequently found on cartilage piercingscan be caused by a direct injury
snagging piercing, pierced at wrong angle causing the jewelry to press down harder on one side of the tissuecrusty appearance or ooze fluid
They may also itch or, if the bump was caused by an injury, hurt.
How to tell the difference?
Irritation bump will be directly around the area of the piercing vs. keloid may extend past the immediate area around the piercing
Irritation bump will generally show up during the healing period (unless there is an injury to the piercing) vs. keloid can take three months to a year to show up
Irritation bumps will stay roughly the same size vs. keloid will increase in size
Irritation bump will tend to ooze and create crusties on the jewelry vs. keloid will do neither.
What to do?
Irritation bump - If you believe you have an irritation bump, your best bet is to pay a visit to your piercer. If you did snag your jewelry on something, they can help you heal the piercing. If the bump showed up for no apparent reason, you may have an issue with your piercing, and they can help you with that as well. If you have a keloid, it requires a doctor’s treatment. There are multiple treatment options for keloids, so you have a few choices for getting rid of it.
Keloids - Unfortunately, once you develop keloids, you are more prone to developing them in the future. This shouldn’t put you off piercings entirely, but it is a risk that must be taken into consideration.
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