tragus bump

bluedolphin

I got my tragus pierced in July and I did look after it as instructed. But for quite some time (maybe from about a month or so after I got it done), there has been a small reddish bump right beside the piercing, right at the entry on the front. It's not oozing anything, nor is it particularly sore, but it isn't exactly the most sightly thing on my piercing. I'm just wondering what it could be and what I could do about it? I've tried pressing cotton buds soaked in (boiled) warm water + salt against it, but this actually only seems to increase its size! Presently, it's only a couple of millimetres in size, but is raised from the surface (a bump!), and appears to be soft to press (as if there was fluid or something inside??) I don't think it's an infection - other than this the piercing itself isn't red/oozing/sore......Any info would be appreciated, thanks

It wasn't me!

Try tea-tree oil, applied with a Q-tip.

I read on other piercing forums that tea tree oil should never be applied neat - have you experience with that It wasn't me? I've had this big annoying bump on my helix piercing for months - the piercers keep telling me to just do sea salt compresses or diluted tree tree oil but it isn't helping. Might try it neat, but I don't want to burn my ear off.

Shiminay

It can be strong stuff neat and is likely to burn (as I understand these things). Did you try to give the studio a call and see what they say?

Phenobarbidoll

Keep up the soaks, and contact your piercer asap.
I wouldn't bother with cotton buds, except to clean off crusties. Let the water get cool enough that you can stick your finger in it comfortably, then pour to the brim of a mug, tilt your head and stick your ear in it. Leave to soak for 10 minutes. Have a clean towel and some tissues handy.

Don't use tea tree oil - it will only p*ss it off even more. Keep your hair tied up and off of it, and no fiddling!

Gauge

Sometimes it happens even if you do take care of it... cartilage piercings are bitchy like that.

Phenobarbidoll is right. Just keep soaking it, and don't touch it, don't sleep on it, don't let it get irritated at all. The bump should eventually shrink down.

It wasn't me!

I have first-hand experience, had a lot of hypertrophic scarring on return from a festival in Germany, I mean big ****ers, about the size of my little fingernail, and neat tea-tree oil cleared it up in under two weeks, on all three piercings. It should be fine to be honest. I added a little to my salt soaks, then applied some neat after cleaning off the crusties and never suffered any irritation, and I have skin prone to it, so you should be fine. It most certainly will not do it more harm, and is excellent for cartilage piercings in particular.

bluedolphin

Cheers, thanks for all the replies, I'll take your advice on board. Glad it's nothing to be too worked up over anyway!

sarahn11

i had the same problem with mine too, got this done maybe 5-6 years ago, and took nearly 18months for it to heal properly. i dont think ide get it done again if i ever had to.....it was very painful, and required alot alo alot of aftercare! much more than any of my other piercings!

Karona_Marona

is it really the case with tragus piercings that they are a bitch to look after, its just that my boyfriend is buying me one for christmas...