Industrial bar - infection, keloid? help.?

it's about... two months old. it was fine. no infections or anything during the healing process. two days ago, i noticed a lump form and i've tried soaking it in sea salt and the H20cean I have from the healing process.





Is there more I can do to reduce this? what is the best way to go about making it go away? =[ i refuse to take my industial out. i went through too much to get it.





http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/4235/no...

Industrial bar - infection, keloid? help.?
It looks more like hypertrophic scarring based on the location and the fact that most people aren't as prone to keloids as they think. Trish posted the links I would have given you about keloids and hypertrophic scarring.





My first suggestion to you is to have your piercer put in two separate pieces of jewelry. The barbell is probably putting pressure on the area which can make this situation worse.





Once you have different jewelry in place, I suggest doing sea salt soaks twice daily as well as massaging vitamin e oil or tea tree oil on the area as well. Tea tree oil can be effective but with newer piercings it can irritate the area, so dilute the solution slightly (I would say one part water, one part oil). If the oils irritate the area, use the oils every other day or every two days.





With time the bump should go down. However, if you notice an increase in size, if the area becomes painful or discolored I would high suggest seeing your piercer and they will be able to tell you if its something you can take care of on your own or something that you need to see a doctor for.





Good luck
Reply:i have the same problem, except i have a smallish lump on each side of both holes ! so im going to see my piercer asap to ask advice !! i really dont want to take my industrial out !! i luv it tons !! =] Report It

Reply:It doesn't look like a keloid.


Bumps are very common in cartilage piercings.


Bumps also don't mean it is infected. It looks like it is healing great.





I'll give ya a link about bumps.


One reason the bump could have formed could be because the barbell looks to be a bit short.





I have had one in a tragus piercing that never went away. I took it out and the bump went away with it, and eventually got it repierced. But it sounds like that's not what you want to do which is cool.
Reply:hey..... i got an industrial about two months ago as well and i have exactely the same thing.....looks pretty much the same as the picture. however i got one on the top of the piercing first and it just went away over night.. but the a lump came up on the otherside of the piercing.....


think im going to go back in to the piercer and see what they can do....