Posts tagged cartilage
SAFE PIERCING
THE ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL PIERCERS
Q: I had my helix piercing done for at least 2 years form now and it has not yet completely healed. The front looks fine but the back side is still sore and painful sometimes. What should I do?
It could be an issue with the jewelry you have in it. A cartilage piercing should not consistently be feeling sore after two years.
Find a reputable studio near you to have a piercer determine if the jewelry you’re wearing is properly sized for your anatomy and of an acceptable quality.
Q: I love the look of a tragus piercing, but I am afraid of the healing process. I am actually more comfortable with the concept of surface anchors, than I am cartilage piercings. This might sounds silly, but could I get a surface anchor on the outer skin of my tragus? Similar to a sideburn piercing, but on top of my actual tragus. Is this a ridiculous question? Haha
That isn’t a ridiculous question at all.
Cartilage piercings do take quite a bit of time to heal, so I can understand you may not feel up for the process. Kudos to you for being practical about what you’re ready to commit to.
A surface anchor wouldn’t work directly over the tragus as there isn’t enough tissue for the jewelry to be placed in. Moving away from your ear and towards the skin of your face (like a side burn surface piercing) would work for an anchor.
If you like the idea of having just one end showing, cool. But if you just like the placement of a side burn surface piercing, I’d push you towards a proper surface bar as it’ll likely last longer than a surface anchor.
If you’re weary of the long healing process with cartilage, keep in mind that surface anchors can be picky from time to time too.
Cody Vaughn - APP Outreach Committee
Q: I had my ears stretched to 1.5” a couple years ago. i left em out and i’m stretching again. i was wondering about that little flap of cartilage on the inside of lobes (where the top of your plug lies). when i stretched before it would get sensitive even though i stretched properly. is that normal?
Depending on the placement of your lobe piercings, and coupled with stretching to a large size, your jewelry can sometimes place pressure on that piece of cartilage (usually referred to as your anti-tragus).
Ideally, we want our stretched lobes to be initially pierced high enough that we have plenty of tissue all the way around our piercing to use throughout the stretching process, ensuring that the bottom portion doesn’t become too thin, but not placed so high that our jewelry is putting excessive pressure on the cartilage.
Cody Vaughn - APP Outreach Committee
Q: Hi :) I got an industrial bar and a helix piercing last summer, and the industrial bar has healed perfectly :D However, the piercer made a measurement mistake so my helix piercing is right on the edge, as if it is an industrial piercing. Because of this, it is always crusty and bleeds sometimes, and hurts A LOT whenever change it to a ring. Have you got any advice for me? Thanks!
I would suggest having a piercer look at it in person, or you can email me or Ryan a picture of your ear.
Chances are you can either switch it out to a different size or style of jewelry to better fit your ear, or if the angle is that off, you may simply want to retire it and have it redone later.
Cody Vaughn - APP Outreach Committee
Q: Hi, I just got my tragus pierced like its literally been a week. I was wondering how I can wear headphones in that ear without hurting it. And I was stupid and got my tragus pierced on the side that I sleep on and I literally can’t fall asleep on my other side so how go I sleep without hurting it.
Because of swelling, tragus piercings usually require a post with extra length initially.
This can be pretty annoying if you like to wear ear-bud style headphones. You would want to avoid pushing the jewelry forward to allow room for the headphones, at least when the piercing is still so fresh as moving it back and forth can be irritating.
Headphones that wrap around your ear would be a good alternative for the time being. Once you have more healing time under your belt, you should visit your piercer to have them downsize the length. Ear-buds will be much easier at that point.
You want to do your best to avoid sleeping on your tragus piercing. This is a common source of irritation in fresh cartilage piercings. Curling your arm under your head so your ear isn’t coming into direct contact with anything is one option. You can also buy a circular donut pillow so your ear can rest inside the opening of the pillow.
Cody Vaughn - APP Outreach Committee
Why shouldn’t septum piercings go through cartilage?
Other than the initial piercing hurting more, and slower healing there isn’t much of a reason to not place a septum through cartilage. If that’s where you want it there is no reason you can’t. Most piercers place a piercing under the cartilage because there is a fleshy “sweet spot” near the front of the nose. Placing it in that sweet spot allows for quick healing, comfortable wearing of multiple styles of jewelry, and easy stretching.
Alternative piercings like the Nasallang pass through the septum cartilage. It is a viable placement option, just not very common.
Q: my industrial is getting pretty irritated which i was told is probably down to sleeping on it. i move a lot in my sleep and im not really sure how im supposed to make sure i dont sleep on it? i usually wake up to find out im sleeping on the side my piercings on, even if i didnt go to sleep like that. is there anything i can do? im trying not to irritate my piercing any other way.
Try sleeping with your ear rested in an airplane neck pillow. It helps to keep the pressure off a new or irrtated cartilage piercing and lets you sleep comfortably on your side.
Hi! I have a question about large-gauge nostril piercings: if they’re pierced at a large size and you eventually decide to take them out, would they ever shrink back, or would you be stuck with large holes? Would it then be possible to get them surgically closed, like ear lobes, or is it impossible because of the cartilage? Thanks!
Large gauge nostrils and other large gauge cartilage piercings pose a unique problem compared to earlobes. Cartilage never regrows so once it’s gone it’s gone. The skin may tighten and eventually close in some larger gauge cartilage piercings, but very large cartilage piercings may require a surgical graft to be fully closed. It will vary on size, procedure (especially with punch vs. needle), and the individual.
Q: Hello! I have my septum pierced for the second time after the first was too low. My goal size is 6g yet Im only at 14g and have not been able to stretch yet. I wanted to take it out, let it heal, and get it repierced at 6g at Nomad up in SF, CA. Is there any risk to this? How long should I let it heal first? Also, do you have to have certain anatomy to be pierced at a larger gauge? Thank you guys, I really love your blog so much!!
A:
Septum’s are typically quite easy to stretch for the most part. Though if pierced through the cartilage (which they should not be), then you would certainly have a difficult time.
So long as you have the anatomy to accommodate a 6g piercing initially, there is no risk. The fine folks at Nomad would be able to determine how large you can safely start your septum piercing at.
Tell the crew at Nomad I say hello!
Cody Vaughn - APP Outreach Committee
Q: Hi! A few days ago I got 2 helix piercings. One is the typical “cartilage” and the other is the cartilage that starts right after the lobe. I’ve been doing sea salt soaks twice a day like my piercer told me, and my upper helix seems fine. But I was noticing that the lower one feels a little more tender than it was before. I cleaned it and I noticed blood, so i looked at the back of it and there’s some purple bruising around it. Is this normal? I don’t have much experience with ear piercings.
A:
The area just past the lobe (where the cartilage first appears) can be more picky in the healing process.
A little bit of bleeding and/or bruising isn’t terribly uncommon for a fresh piercing. You can read more about that here: http://www.safepiercing.org/piercing/troubleshooting/
Keep an eye on the piercing, primarily for the swelling. If at any time anything looks out of the ordinary, go visit your piercer to ensure everything is alright.
I’m sure your piercings will heal up just fine. Stay on top of your aftercare, and treat them well.
Cody Vaughn - APP Outreach Committee
Q: I had my rook pierced about 5 days ago (I know, not very long ago at all) and it’s still quite swollen and red. I know it hasn’t been long, but I’m following my aftercare regimen and haven’t slept on it, so I’m just not sure whether something’s wrong.About how long should I expect my ear to be swollen/when should I have my piercer check it and see if something’s wrong?
Swelling is to be expected the first couple weeks after a cartilage piercing.
Following you aftercare, as you already mentioned, is the best thing to do. You have no reason to worry unless your jewelry becomes too tight due to the swelling.
Whenever in doubt, never hesitate to go visit your piercer so they can have a look in person.
Cody Vaughn - APP Outreach Committee
Q: I have had my industrial piercing (double helix? im not sure the correct term) for a while now, about three months actually. I have blood blisters on both holes, facing the inside of my ear, right next to the bar. I keep getting mixed answers when I ask “how do i take care of it.” Ive been soaking my ear in salt water once a day and thats it. Do I clean off the crusties and do I twist it? Ive heard some people say no and others say yes. Thank you in advance :)
Suggested aftercare for your piercing can be found here:
http://www.safepiercing.org/piercing/body-aftercare/
For anybody reading this, especially those that run other blogs that offer piercing advice, please note:
You should not move, twist, spin or rotate your jewelry in a piercing that is still healing.
The “crusties” we see on our fresh piercings are essentially your body doing its job. Draining during the healing process is normal.
Spinning your jewelry or moving it back and forth would be counter-productive and irritating to the piercing (think of it as a little piece of sand paper being spun around the inside of a healing wound). You may hear some say to spin jewelry so your cleaning product can penetrate the inside of the piercing channel. That is incorrect and bad advice.
These irritation bumps can come and go during the healing of cartilage. They’re usually caused by some form of irritation, such as sleeping on the piercing at night.
Hot compresses and saline/sea salt cleanings help a lot to keep things calm and happy.
Cleaning and soaking your piercing 2-3 times a day would help a lot. Only cleaning once a day may not cut it. Under cleaning or over cleaning can cause irritation.
Cartilage takes some time to fully heal. Usually a minimum of four months if not longer.
Consulting with a reputable piercer would be a good option in figuring out if your ear is just a little ticked off, or if the angle/jewelry is the issue.
http://www.safepiercing.org/locate-a-member/
Cody Vaughn - APP Outreach Committee
Q: Hey guys, I’m having trouble understanding something.. I got the top of my ear pierced by a gun in a pharmacy about 10 years ago and that healed perfectly without any trouble. Since then, I’ve gotten a scaffold piercing (industrial) and an orbital piercing with needles, they have been giving me so much trouble. My scaffold had to be taken out due to infection and growths and now my newest ear piercing (orbital) is developing these lumps too. Any idea why?
When we rail against guns it’s because, typically, they’re very damaging to tissue. This is not to say that 100% of ear piercings done with guns will have problems, but the majority will. So if you have a healed gun piercing consider yourself one of the lucky ones. There aren’t really guarantees that a gun piercing will heal bad, just like there is no guarantee a needle piercing will heal well.
Cartilage piercings can be difficult to perform well without certain resources. High quality jewelry in a wide variety of sizes, high quality needles, and well developed techniques. Even when pierced well cartilage can be difficult to heal for some clients. Bumps on a cartilage piercing can be caused by a few different things.
- Chemical contact with things like shampoo, soap, and hair spray.
- Improper aftercare, using excessive (or sometimes any) chemicals on a piercing
- Incorrect placement or jewelry size. If the piercing or jewelry is placed in such a way as to put pressure on the cartilage then the body will oftentimes build up lumps of scar tissue to brace the pressure.
- Low quality jewelry. External threading, poor surface finish, nickel content. All these things can lead to allergic reactions or other complications.
It’s hard to say what’s really going on with your piercing without seeing it. My first suggestion would be to get a second opinion from another experienced piercer. Have them check it out. You might be able to stop or reverse your problems with a simple solution.
Q: hey! i just got my tragus pierced a few days ago. although my piercer gave me instructions on how to properly care for it, i was wondering if you had any tips/tricks to make sure it healed well. thanks!
Hey yourself! With any kind of ear piercing I always stress that you need to fully rinse the piercing anytime you shower or put chemicals near your ear. Shampoo, soap, and hairspray cause of a lot of the problems I see with new cartilage piercings. Other than that it’s just common sense stuff. Don’t pick at it or move the jewelry, avoid pressure and snagging, and keep it clean.
Here’s the APP’s body aftercare brochure if you’d like to give that a read as well.
Safe Piercing inbox: sore cartilage
- Is it normal for a couple-year-old conch to still get sore when i sleep on it the wrong way?
- I have 5 piercings (2 on each lobe and one cartilage, I think helix). I got the first two two years ago at Claire’s (which I know is bad now) but the other ones a year ago at a good piercing parlor. They’re healed, but every now and then, like if I sleep on my cartilage piercing 3 days in a row, they get irritated and swell a bit, and hurt, and have a bit of discharge. Is this normal, considering how long it’s been since I got them?
Two similar questions with essentially the same answer. Short answer, cartilage is fickle. Dense tissue like cartilage can have persistent problems related to pressure over the life of a piercing. Since cartilage doesn’t have it’s own blood vessel supply it uses the blood flow from the surrounding soft tissue. This means that if the cartilage is stressed or damaged it can take longer to recuperate. I’ve had large conch piercings for almost ten years and they still get a little sore if I put pressure on them from sleeping or wearing anything tight over my ears. Silicone eyelets are an option, flexible jewelry can help to take some of the strain off of the piercing itself. If the piercings are fully healed I don’t think you are at risk of anything more than occasional soreness though. Warm sea salt solution compresses or soaks can help quite a bit.
