Downsize your Post
You were pierced with a longer bar to accommodate swelling
Please stop in the studio for fitted post when this stage of healing is done. (Usually 4-6 weeks depending on piercing location and other healing factors)
Downsizing refers to switching jewelry in a piercing to a shorter post, once initial swelling has subsided.
Once the initial stages of swelling have passed, the initial jewelry is too long. Jewelry that is too long can snag easily and move around excessively, leading to irritation and renewed swelling.
Please walk-in for a shorter post when your swelling has subsided. Usually 2-6 weeks depending on the piercing location and other factors.
If this window for downsizing is missed for piercings such as the helix, the excessive length may lead to migration or a change of angle of piercing, especially if the piercing gets slept on.
Piercing Bumps
Piercing bumps can be the body's immune system responding to the wound from the piercing, causing some localized inflammation which, in turn, causes the bump. Some specific types and causes of piercing bumps include:
Granulomas: The body's immune system can wall off a foreign body (the piercing) or infection with inflammatory cells, forming a granuloma.
Keloids: A keloid is a kind of raised scar. Keloids can be challenging to treat, but there are treatment options that can make them smaller.
Allergic reaction or infection: In some cases, piercing bumps may be related to a cyst or an allergy. If treated, these will resolve over time, but the piercing may need to be removed to treat them.
Tissue damage: Damaged tissue can become inflamed and swollen, creating a bump.
Genetics: Forming any piercing bump might just come down to the (un)luck of the draw. Importantly, it can be hard to predict if a bump will occur, and there may be a genetic component to it as well.
Many things can lead to the formation of a piercing bump. Common irritants include bumping, snagging, or sleeping on new piercings; touching the piercing with dirty hands; skincare and beauty products, changing jewelry too soon or with bad quality metal. Keep Your Piercing Clean: Cleaning your piercing daily with a mild antibacterial soap can be the key to eliminating abscesses or cysts. It is important to clean the area regularly with a gentle cleanser or sea salt solutions. These may work to draw out impurities, clean infected areas, and loosen dead skin cells and dried fluid.
At the end of the day, piercing bumps come from irritation. The body does not like the foreign object, so we need to gently convince the body to heal around it rather than fight it. I find most people don't take great care of their piercings until there is a problem, then they care a lot. My advice is to be proactive from the start. Keep it clean and be careful with it.
