Piercing Bump vs Keloid: Differences & Similarities

Piercing bump vs keloid has a lot of differences and similarities. How to tell the difference between keloid and piercing bump treatment is what we shall be examining in this article.

Changes in the skin do occurs due it’s piercing effect and these changes always concentrate on a particular region of the skin.

For example, piercing bumps are seen to be harmless and may go away on time. However, keloid scars can continue to get bigger and get infectious to the victim.
Although piercing bumps and keloid scars always look  similar at the initial stage, there are ways to differentiate  them and that is why you need to read this post piercing bump vs keloid.

I will explain what piercing bumps and keloids are and how to tell the difference between the two. And  also I will discuss the treatment options for both, as well as the other conditions that may cause skin issues after getting a piercing.

First of all “Piercing bump” isn’t a medical term. It’s an informal description of what might develop after you get a piercing. That being said, there are multiple possible causes of a piercing bump.

Most commonly, a bump is a natural response to physical trauma. After all, a piercing literally injures the skin, which triggers the body’s healing response. It’s similar to what happens if you accidentally cut yourself with a kitchen tool, says board-certified dermatologist. This subject matter of piercing and bump should be treated with utmost important.

READ ALSO: BLACKHEADS IN EAR: CAUSES AND HOW TO REMOVE IT

What are Piercing Bump

Piercing bumps are small lumps that do  appear after in  a piercing. They often occur following cartilage piercings, such as upper ear piercings or nose.

Piercing bumps happened when the body’s immune system is compromised. Also, Piercing bumps are small lumps that can appear after a piercing.

They basically occur following cartilage piercings, such as nose or upper ear piercings. However, piercing bumps occur when the body’s immune system responds to the wound and initiates the healing response.

This response leads to inflammation, which is what causes the bumping.
Someone may notice  bruising, bleeding and some swelling during the time of the piercing in the first few weeks.

These symptoms are all normal. In the cause of reading this article Piercing bump vs keloid, we are going to examine other symptoms that are not typically connected to piercing. Some of these symptoms are:
(a) Itching which results to whitish fluid coming from the site of the wound.

(2) Crusting around the piercing jewelry.

What are Keloids

In the subject of discussion “Piercing bump vs keloid” we shall distinctively explain what constitutes keloids.

Keloid is a scared rare that occurs as a result of injury to the skin or trauma. Sometimes, this type of scar do appear after piercing.

When skin is injured, fibrous tissue called scar tissue forms over the wound to repair and protect the injury. In some cases, extra scar tissue grows, forming smooth, hard growths called keloids.

Keloids can be much larger than the original wound. A keloid is always due to an overgrowth of fibrous tissue. In response to  cells in the skin injury popularly known as fibroblasts which always produce excessive collagen.

This leads to the development of a keloid. Keloids can always take 3–12 months to develop after the original injury might have occurred.

Keloids scars can be red, purple, pink or brown and typically become dark over the time.

This  appearance always depend on the location of the keloid, as well as the person’s skin.

Earlobe keloid scars are likely to be  oval or round. They do  continue to grow over time either quickly or slowly . They can also can become very large.
This texture of keloids can differ. They can be   doughy and soft or hard and rubbery.

The difference between Piercing Bump Vs Keloid

In this section of the article piercing bump vs keloid, we shall be looking at the differences existing between keloids and bumps.

At initial stage, piercing bump vs keloid do look similar and hard to differentiate. However, over the time, differences do emerge.

Piercing bumps tend to appear more quickly and do not grow in size, while keloids take time to form and can continue to grow over time

Treatment of Piercing Bumps

Piercing bumps is known to be  part of the body’s natural response to injury, and they do not typically required treatment.

However, Someone can take steps to keep the area clean, prevent infection, and allow the piercing to heal. These include:
(1) keeping piercing jewelry in, without changing or removing it, for at least 6 weeks.

(2)Washing the piercing with a saline solution or gentle soap and water once a day.

(3)Washing the hand’s before touching the piercing

(4)Patting the area dry with a clean cotton pad after bathing or showering and avoiding using a towel, which can introduce bacteria. 

American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) suggests the application of rubbing alcohol to the piercing. Also, the general motive  guidance is to avoid doing this as it can slow healing.

Treatment of Keloids

As part of the subject of discussion to this topic “Piercing bump vs keloid” we are going to consider

various treatment options which are  available for keloids. The appropriate treatment option do  depend on several factors, including the type and size of the keloid. Treatment options include:

(1) Corticosteroids
 This type of medicine which always help in shrinking the keloid. The AAD notice that people require about four injections on average, having one every 3–4 weeks. It has also been reported that
   about 50–80% of keloids shrinks after corticosteroid injection.

(2) Surgery
 Surgery is also recommended for the removal of keloids. However, keloids may return, even after surgical operation. The more efficient treatment is by the use of LASER (Light Amplification by stimulated emission of radiation) removal.

LASER is highly recommended since it will involved directing a high frequency, coherent an collimated beam of rays to Keloid for surgery and subsequent removal.

(3) Cryotherapy:

For “Piercing bump vs keloid” we have also recommend cryotherapy as one of the treatments of keloids.
 This kind of treatment is always appropriate to use on small keloids. During cryotherapy, a doctor is advisable to freezed  the keloid inorder to soften it and reduced its   size.

Cryotherapy is not suitable and good for people who have darker skin, due to the possibility of changes in skin pigmentation. The AAD recommended thhat people who know that they are prone to keloids should stop getting etting piercings.

Other health condition that can lead to bumps and keloids are:

(1) Infection: Infections in piercings are quite common, and they may occur if the needle was not sterilized or a person is unable to keep the piercing completely clean. The symptoms of an infected piercing include: (a)Swelling and puffiness (b)Soreness (c) Yellow pus coming out of the piercing (d)Nausea and vomiting.

(2) Contact Dermatitis: Contact dermatitis is a type of skin rash that can occurs when an irritating substance that is toxic or corrosive comes in contact with the skin. This results into rashes and allergic effect.

In piercings, the possible symptoms of contact dermatitis include:
(1) Dryness: Fluid-filled blisters which constitutes burning or stinging sensation

(2) Hives.

(3) Inflammation

(4) Tenderness

(5) Itching.

(6) Discoloration.

Nickel is responsible for most jewelry allergies. Nickel are  present in more  expensive jewelry, but gold or silver jewelry may contain small amounts of it, which could also cause a reaction.
The best way to fight a jewelry allergy is to replace the metal with a hypoallergenic one, such as titanium, stainless steel.

When To See A Medical Professional For Piercing Bump vs Keloid

If someone suspects that they have a keloid, they should speak with a doctor or dermatologist. Without treatment, the keloid may continue to grow and caused discomfort.
A person should also seek the advice of a doctor if they are experiencing symptoms of an infection.

Summary

Piercing bumps and keloids are different skin conditions that do occur  following a piercing. Piercing bumps tends to appear more quickly and do not grow in size, while keloids take time to form and can continue to grow over time.
A doctor or dermatologist will advise on the best way to treat keloids.

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