An industrial piercing connects two separate cartilage punctures with a single straight barbell. This popular modification carries a high risk of irritation and abnormal scarring during the healing process. These piercings are prone to developing raised tissue growths, which can be frustrating. This guide will help you determine the nature of the bump on your industrial piercing and provide effective strategies for management and resolution.
Differentiating Between Piercing Bumps and True Keloids
A common mistake is labeling any raised tissue near a piercing as a keloid, but most growths are actually hypertrophic scars or simple irritation bumps. Hypertrophic scars are a localized overproduction of collagen confined to the original injury site, appearing as a red or pink lump next to the piercing hole. These bumps typically develop within the first few months of the piercing and can be slightly tender or itchy. They are soft to the touch and often resolve with consistent aftercare and irritation removal.
A true keloid is a much rarer, more aggressive type of scar resulting from a genetic predisposition to excessive collagen production. The defining feature of a keloid is that it grows beyond the boundary of the original wound, spreading into the surrounding healthy tissue. Keloids may take months to a year to appear after the initial injury. They are often firm, rubbery, dark in color, and can cause pain or significant itching. If the growth matches the description of a true keloid, professional medical intervention is required.
Safe At-Home Treatments for Piercing Bumps
Addressing an industrial piercing bump, which is most likely a hypertrophic scar, begins with identifying and eliminating the source of irritation. Common culprits include movement, snagging the jewelry, sleeping on the piercing, or using harsh cleaning solutions. The long barbell makes the industrial piercing vulnerable to trauma, so protecting the area from physical impact is necessary for healing.
Consistent application of sterile saline solution is the foundation of proper aftercare. Use a pre-mixed, sterile saline wound wash spray to gently clean the area twice a day, ensuring the jewelry does not move. Saline flushes away debris and maintains a clean environment without disrupting the body’s natural healing process. This calms the irritated tissue and allows the body to reabsorb the excess collagen.
Warm compresses are effective in reducing the size of hypertrophic scars by increasing blood flow. A soothing option is a chamomile compress, which utilizes the herb’s anti-inflammatory properties. To create this compress, steep a chamomile tea bag in hot water. Allow it to cool until comfortably warm, then hold the damp bag against the bump for five to ten minutes, one to two times daily.
Silicone compression products, such as small disks or patches, are another effective home treatment recommended by dermatologists for scar management. Silicone works by hydrating the scar tissue and regulating collagen production, helping to soften and flatten the raised area over time. For an industrial piercing, a small, flat silicone disk can be placed between the bump and the jewelry end cap, applying gentle, continuous pressure to compress the tissue.
Avoid irritating home remedies that can worsen the scar and delay healing. Harsh substances like tea tree oil, hydrogen peroxide, rubbing alcohol, or aspirin paste should never be applied to a healing piercing or hypertrophic scar. These chemicals damage healthy skin cells, dry out the tissue, and create inflammation, which can exacerbate the bump.
Medical and Professional Intervention
If a piercing bump fails to shrink after four to six weeks of diligent home care, or if it exhibits signs of infection (such as excessive pain, pus, or warmth), professional help is necessary. Consult a reputable professional piercer first to assess the fit, material, and placement of the jewelry. Switching to a shorter bar to reduce movement or changing the material to implant-grade titanium can often resolve the irritation and encourage the bump to subside.
If growths continue to enlarge, match the characteristics of a true keloid, or are unresponsive to conservative measures, consult a dermatologist. The standard first-line medical treatment for keloids and stubborn hypertrophic scars is a series of corticosteroid injections directly into the scar tissue. These anti-inflammatory injections, typically administered every few weeks, break down excess collagen and shrink the scar.
Other treatments include cryotherapy, which involves freezing the growth with liquid nitrogen to destroy the scar cells, often used for smaller lesions. Surgical excision, the physical removal of the keloid, is generally considered a last resort due to the high rate of recurrence. Surgical removal is almost always combined with other therapies, such as corticosteroid injections or pressure therapy, to minimize the chance of the scar returning.