My name’s Molly. I’m a professional piercer. When you get a new piercing, even if you take care of it properly, you can still have problems. So today, we’re going to talk about the top 5 piercing problems.
Piercing Rejection
Starting out at number five on the piercing problems list is the least common but the most serious problem and that is piercing rejection. That’s where the body pushes or rejects the jewelry all the way out of the body, and if it comes all the way out, it’s going to leave a huge scar.
The good news is, if you notice it’s rejecting, if it seems like the bar seems to be getting longer or the tissue is getting less in the middle, that means it’s probably rejecting.
And if you take it out, it’s not going to leave as big of a scar. If you’re nervous about your piercing being rejected, don’t worry; it doesn’t happen to everyone. Generally, this affects eyebrows, bridges, nipples, navels, and definitely surface piercings.
Piercing Migration
Coming in at number four on the piercing problems list, we have migration. Migration is really similar to rejection, except it’s just changing the angle or putting it in a different position than you initially had it pierced at.
When you first get piercings, a lot of times we give extra room for swelling and we tell you to downsize to a shorter post in the future. So if your piercer told you to downsize, I would highly suggest doing this. This is the number one reason why piercings change their angles.
If that bar is too long, it’s just going to shift and sit in an uncomfortable position. The second thing I want to say is if you’re sleeping on a piercing, even if it’s the right size, and that jewelry is being twisted and contorted, that can also cause the piercing to migrate. So try not to sleep on your piercings either.
Leaving Your Jewelry Out Way Too Long
Coming in right at the middle of the piercing problems list, number three is leaving your jewelry out way too long. Even by saying “way too long,” it could be a misconception because it could be minutes.
The reason this is such a misconception is we all have that friend or relative who leaves their piercing out and slides it right back in months or years later.
But honestly, for most of us, our piercings are going to close up really quickly, within minutes. If you have to take your piercing out to be hidden, I suggest maybe putting a retainer in there. But if you have to take this piercing in and out all the time for work, for sports, it’s going to get irritated, and it’s probably not going to eventually go in one day, and it’s not going to look good because you’re scarring it up. Leave your jewelry in, and if you need to, get a retainer.
Piercing Be Sore For Long
Coming in at number two on the piercing problems list is one where people call and ask if their piercing should still be sore for this long. A lot of people give up way too early, and piercings can take a long time to heal.
Generally, you’re looking at a couple of weeks to maybe several months for a piercing to be sore or tender. But sometimes, it does take longer.
Now, for instance, if you have a naval piercing and your pants are rubbing up against it, or if you wear helmets, or something presses up against a fresh ear piercing, yeah, it’s going to take longer to heal. So consider your lifestyle, and keep in mind the healthier you are, the faster you’re going to heal.
Dreaded Piercing Bump
And finally, coming in at the number one on the piercing problems list, you probably guessed it – it’s that dreaded piercing bump.
Piercing bumps can happen on almost every piercing. I’ve seen them on eyebrows, nostrils, cartilage, nipples, navels, genitals – it happens on them all.
Now, these piercing bumps typically are irritation bumps. If you sleep on it, if your piercing got hit, if your titanium earrings are way too long or way too short, these are all issues that can cause a bump. So take care of your piercing, downsize your piercing if you need to, and keep your hands off your piercing. Hopefully, you can avoid that dreaded piercing bump.
If you want to know more about piercing bumps, check here. I talk way more in-depth, and hopefully, this can help get rid of your piercing bump.
Conclusion On Top 5 Piercing Problems
These are the top 5 piercing problems that I’ve run into in my career. If you’ve had problems, let us know.