DD 5 has huge purple/grey soft lump behind newly pierced earring

[peppersneezes000]

Freaking out, discovered a huge purply grey soft lump behind dds ear, it's beside her earring, she got her ears pierced in September...
As it's Sunday our nearest doctor in doesn't open until 11, please put my mind at rest. I'm assuming it's an infection & she'll be put on an antibiotic & the doctor will remove the piercing... She's not complaining & is is good form but I'm freaking out...

Sounds like a keloid scar - common with piercings.

Actually, removing the jewellery is the worst thing you can do, as you need to keep the hole open to allow any pus to drain out.

Take her to a reputable piercing studio for advice, they will be able to tell you whether it is infected or simply aggravated. In the meantime, make up a saline solution with cooled boiled water and soak your daughter's piercing.

Was the piercing done with a gun? I think that is more likely to cause damage.

Just Google keloid scar & it looks exactly like that, it's awful looking & so big. I washed her hair last night & it definitely wasn't there ..
Yes piercing was done with a gun in Claire's the start of September, older DD got hers done & she's fine

A kleloid scar wouldn't come up over night I wouldn't have thought.

Don't remove the earring,if it's an infection it needs to stay in.have you tried bathing with salt water to see if it weeps?

It’s not an emergency. No harm will come to your daughter.

Keep it clean (bathe with salt water) and have it looked at in the next few days. Don’t take the earring out.

Stop freaking out, that isn't going to help anyone. If it is a keloid scar, it is just a scar. Unfortunate but not a medical emergency or anything to be worried about. Try not to make a big deal out of it to your DD either. I would crack on with your plans for the day and give it no further thought.

And there’s another reason you shouldn’t get your ears pierced with a gun.

Can you post a picture, it might put your mind at rest. Bath with cooled boiled water and salt and don't mess with it.

And there’s another reason you shouldn’t get your ears pierced with a gun.

Piercings aren’t meant to be done with a gun. All they do is cause trauma to the skin. All piercings should be done in a studio by a professional with a hollow needle.

How is arguing about piercing methods helpful to the op?

It’s not an argument it’s factual information and will educate anyone reading this ☺️.

Perhaps you need to read some 'factual information' about keloid scars...

@changeforprivacy, You seem angry. I’m guessing you work for Claire’s

Not angry. Don't work for Claire's. Never had a gun piercing in my life, neither have DC. Have medical background and awareness of scarring.

HTH

That’s great because I have knowledge of piercings. Isn’t it nice when people can just share information and not be arseholes?

Isn’t it nice when people can just share information and not be arseholes?

Says the person who jumped on the thread with no advice for the OP other than a dig about why she should not have got a gun piercing.

Yep. Great stuff.

I remember my DD having one behind each ear when she had her ears pierced. I panicked as well. We took her to a walk-in centre on a Sunday and they just told us to bathe with salt water and they would eventually go away on their own. They did go but it took quite a while. Don't worry too much.

I had one of these after having my helix pierced. She needs to soak her ear in a cup of cooled boiled water with salt in it - it should still be warm (as hot as she can manage). Every morning and evening if possible for a week or whatever it takes to go down.

There's not a small earring back that's stuck in there is there?

I had this as a child, it was an abscess after a piercing (when gun piercing was normal). It needed to be drained.

Another thing to consider is whether she's allergic to whatever metal is in her ears currently. A decent piercing place will be able to change the earring to implant grade titanium if it is an allergic reaction.

It's probably hypertrophic scarring rather than a keloid. Clean regularly with saline solution rather than making salt water as this can be very drying. If you have some tea tree oil pop a drop or two into some warm water to do a soak.

If there is a piece near you open tomorrow it will be worth going to get the jewellery checked. With the traditional earrings it may be there is irritation from the jewellery. It's best to get pierced with implant grade titanium as there are fewer impurities with in the metal.

Clean regularly with saline solution rather than making salt water as this can be very drying.

What do you think saline solution is?