PLEASE HELP! a red "pimples" beside my tragus

[kmok2]

I had my tragus pierced almost 3 months and it heels pretty good. I had no problem with cleansing and its doesnt hurt at all.. i was ready to buy a new ring for it.. Until last night.. this just happened after i took my shower.. when i rub my hair with the towel.. n my tragus pierced hurts.. i didn't look at the mirror and i didn't really care..
several hours later.. i look at the mirror.. there is a bloody bump like "pimples" next to my tragus!! (not inside.. but next to it.)
can someone tell me what is this??

Its not so hurt... n i thought i have some allegic reaction to the ring..(its a straight barbell), but i guess it wont happen to me because if its real.. it should be happened already.. ( i also had my belly pierced)
i tried to remove it out.. but i can't. n its starting to hurt.. i guess the professional piercer make it too hard for me to remove it..

can i do anything to cure it?? should i use neosporin or alcohol? I had been using saline water to clean it..

i noticed it wont let me to post link here.. so it will show on my profile picture/


thank so much!!

[insideout]

Neosporin and alcohol are both unsuitable for cleaning piercings with. By saline water, do you mean just spraying it on or do you actually mean hot sea salt soaks? The latter is much better! The heat + soaking do make a difference.

If you're wearing a ring, go to your piercer and get it changed to a barbell or labret stud. CBRs move around more and more pressure is put on the piercing, especially if you accidentally sleep on it/knock it - CBRs are a common cause of bumps and irritation.

[TheTempestSonata]

What is your jewelry made out of?

I had something like that on my lobe a few years ago, and it turned out to be an allergic reaction. Instead of using stainless steel, the piercer used sterling silver, and apparently, I had a reaction to it. I am allergic to silver.

[kmok2]

i think its from sterling silver.. the one commonly used for cartilage piercing? i ihad the same material for my belly pierced.. but i didn't get any reaction..

i used salt plus water.. but i usually keep it a day or two.. because i dont want to waste it.. and I also use my contact lens saline solution as well, i heard it similar to the salt water..

actually mine is not a ring.. its a straight barbell. ( i should correct this at the post.)

[TheTempestSonata]

we can see what it is from the picture.


if you go up and edit your post, you can put the link in for a better picture.

as far as the stuff you're using... i'd change it every use. Don't save it... warm water helps it.

If you think you're allergic to the jewelry, I recommend carefully taking it out, take your time with it, and put in something else that you know you're not allergic to. I've seen piercings with sterling silver, surgical steel, and stainless steel, so I don't think there's a default except maybe amongst pros.

It doesn't look like an infection, it looks like some sort of reaction...

[xwhateverx92]

A little "pimple like" bump next to the opening of a tragus piercing is totally normal while it is healing. For a few months, something like that may come and go. It happens when you bump it somehow, even slightly. Don't worry about it too much and just keep cleaning it twice a day. You shouldn't use alcohol on a piercing. Try doing a sea salt soak instead.

Good luck with the piercing,

[insideout]

I doubt it's sterling silver (and I really hope it isn't! no piercer should be using that). Phone your piercer if you don't know and see what they use - it should be steel or titanium. If its steel, it's possible that you're reacting to the nickel (although if you had no problem with your navel piercing then it's unlikely, but still possible).

Make a new salt solution each time, or keep it in a clean bottle in a fridge and just pour a little out whenever you need into a shot glass or something and heat it up. Don't re-use the same solution, if you were =/ Just use proper sea salt solution, your contact lens stuff probably has preservatives and whatnot added. Are you actually doing hot soaks with it, or just dabbing a bit on?

Don't sleep on it, be careful with hair spray, make sure you rinse it carefully after a bath/shower to ensure that shampoo/shower gel isn't irritating it, don't mess with it.

If you think you're allergic to the jewelry, I recommend carefully taking it out, take your time with it, and put in something else that you know you're not allergic to. I've seen piercings with sterling silver, surgical steel, and stainless steel, so I don't think there's a default except maybe amongst pros.

No professional piercers should ever be using sterling silver in an initial piercing. Titanium is best, but steel is also fairly commonly used in the US.

[TheTempestSonata]

that's what I said it the way that I did.

For example, the Piercing Pagoda in the mall where I live will use sterling silver as a starter...

a pro wouldn't.

EDIT:
and I asked the girl at Piercing Pagoda... They do lobe, helix, auricle, tragus... with a freakin' piercing gun!