Do I have a keloid? Or hypertrophic scar? Or infection?

[Sources]

It's scaring me, my ear started bleeding about 5 months ago and when it healed up, a bubble showed up. Red. It never recovered. I have this tiny bubble of skin next to my ear piercing and it never went away. I started googling it today after finally getting tired of it not healing and I found out it might be a keloid scar. I popped it today though, and blood came out. So I'm confused if it is a keloid scar or not because scars don't necessarily have blood do they?

It never got bigger. It's just a tiny little bubble. No pus when I popped it. Just blood. Could keloids or hypertrophic scars bleed?

How long until a keloid scar gets bigger anyway? It never got bigger since I got it months and months ago, but I'm scared it will, if it is a keloid.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Shaff]

Don't try and pop it :| Just leave it alone and keep cleaning your piercing with sss and maybe do some chamomile tea compresses.
All this touching the bump and the piercing now that is already aggravated is just going to piss it off more.
I'm not quite sure what it is without a picture, but these bumps are common among cartilage piercings, but you don't state where the piercing is exactly. So I'm just going to assume it's your lobe.

[Sources]

Oh yeah, it's my lobe. Sorry about that! If its that common, hopefully it's not a keloid? Even though it's been on my ear for months :(

Even if it is a hypertrophic scar, that'll make my day as long as it isn't a keloid. But hopefully I can get rid of this thing.

By the way, what is SSS? Edit: Sea Salt Soaks... I got it.

Thank you.

[insideout]

I very much doubt it's a keloid, especially if it's small. Keloids are very rare and chances are if you were prone to them you'd know by now - you'd have keloids from other injuries in childhood or something. They tend to be large and extend beyond the site of injury - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keloid

A picture would help. What jewellery do you have in it? How was it pierced?

[Shaff]

It is unlikely it is a keloid because they are usually hard and cannot be popped (in my experience anyway).
Sounds more like the bump that is common on scaffold piercings.
Probably is hypertrophic scarring.

[Sources]

I don't have any form of camera on me, but I'll try to get a picture up as soon as possible with a friends help or something. I had a stud in it when it bled initially, then I went back to the original stud I got. I think the other stud was what the problem was. Now I'm using another current stud that is big enough to cover over the bump. I got the piercing from a stun gun. I was so stupid to not clean like I was supposed to though. I don't know if that had anything to do with this bump. I learned my lesson.

And if it is hypertrophic scarring, am I screwed [with getting rid of it]? Why are such scars able to bleed?

Serious thanks for your help, guys.

[insideout]

Getting it done with a gun was probably your first mistake - it causes more trauma than a needle piercing, and the jewellery is crap (both in quality and in style). I'd definitely get some good jewellery in there - a titanium labret or barbell would be first choice.

How are you taking care of it at the moment? Have you tried anything at all to get rid of it? Change the jewellery and do 1 or 2 sea salt soaks a day (or maybe 1 sea salt soak & 1 chamomile tea bag compress) and see if that helps.

[Shaff]

Do you know what the jewellery is made of? I suggest you go to an experienced piercer, where they don't use guns to do piercings. The process of a gun is forcing a blunt earring through your ear with unsterilized equipment, which should be sterilized with an autoclave. The jewellery should be titanium as it is a product used for replacements in surgery and is very unlikely you will have a reaction to it. It is light weight and also very strong to support the piercing.

[Sources]

Getting it done with a gun was probably your first mistake - it causes more trauma than a needle piercing, and the jewellery is crap (both in quality and in style). I'd definitely get some good jewellery in there - a titanium labret or barbell would be first choice.

How are you taking care of it at the moment? Have you tried anything at all to get rid of it? Change the jewellery and do 1 or 2 sea salt soaks a day (or maybe 1 sea salt soak & 1 chamomile tea bag compress) and see if that helps.

I'm not taking care of it at all actually... I didn't even know about the SSS and chamomile tea bag compression (amongst other things) until today. I will do what you said though, hopefully I'll come out of this okay.

Do you know what the jewellery is made of? I suggest you go to an experienced piercer, where they don't use guns to do piercings. The process of a gun is forcing a blunt earring through your ear with unsterilized equipment, which should be sterilized with an autoclave. The jewellery should be titanium as it is a product used for replacements in surgery and is very unlikely you will have a reaction to it. It is light weight and also very strong to support the piercing.

The material in my ear right now says 100% Metallic fibre. If that's bad, I'll get the one both you and katexx mentioned.

Thanks a lot, I appreciate both of your help immensely.

[insideout]

I have no idea what 100% metallic fibre is meant to be but it really doesn't sound a good idea, haha. I'd definitely get a titanium barbell/labret. At least you know what it is then! They sell 1mm labrets on here (or BodyArtForms would be easier if you're in the US).

For the sea salt soaks, put 1/4teaspoon salt in a mug of hot water (but not so hot it'll burn you, obviously!) and soak your ear in it - literally just lean with your ear in the mug, heh. For the chamomile, ge 100% chamomile tea bags, brew the cup of tea and then when the tea bag is still hot hold it against the side of the piercing with the bump on. Or soak like with the SSS in the mug of brewed tea. Some people even combine the two and add the sea salt to the chamomile tea, haha. No need to turn or mess with the jewellery, just leave it alone.