Irritation Bumps vs Keloids: Causes & Treatments
- Hannah Buck
- Jul 17
- 3 min read
99% of the time what you'll have is an irritation bump, NOT a keloid.
They are not the same thing and are often misdiagnosed. Allow me to explain...
What are irritation bumps and what causes them?
An irritation bump is a red or skin-coloured bump that appears on your piercing, caused by any source of irritation. They are more common than you think, so if you get one don't panic.
Trying to heal a wound with a foreign object inside of it (i.e. a piercing) is a big task for your body and takes quite a while, so it's fairly common for it to get irritated along the way.
Common causes of irritation bumps:
Knocking it or snagging it
Pressure - Sleeping on it, headphones, earphones, hats, helmets, etc
Cosmetics - Skincare products, lotions, make-up, hair products, strong toothpastes
Overcleaning or undercleaning
Touching too much / Playing with it
Moisture - Not drying it enough after cleaning it, showering, etc
Incorrect aftercare - using the wrong cleaning product (use sterile saline only)
Incorrect angle of piercing
Low quality jewellery
Incorrect jewellery (e.g. a ring too soon)
Not downsizing the jewellery once swelling has gone down
Swimming too soon after piercing
Internal factors - Getting sick, being stressed, hormonal or medication changes
Unsuitable anatomy for the piercing
...and honestly the list goes on!
Treatment of irritation bumps
The best way to properly treat an irritation bump is to find the source of irritation and remove it or prevent it from happening again. For example: Sleeping on it? Stop that, try a donut pillow. Haven't downsized and the jewellery is too long? Should probably book a downsize.
Dog jumped up and hit the piercing? Try to avoid that from happening again.
Constantly playing with it? I know it's basically a fidget toy in your face but stop that.
Not drying it properly? Use a hairdryer on a cold setting.
Etc etc etc
Bumps can be quick to come up and slow to go down, so patience is key. Sometimes it's hard to figure out the exact cause, and it just needs to be treated like new again and given some time for it to settle. Some factors can't be helped (e.g. hormones, medications) so then it's a case of being kind to it and hoping your body will accept it and stop fussing.
Always feel free to book in for a check-up if you want.
What are keloids and what causes them?
Keloids are a form of rasied scar tissue caused by the body producing too much collagen during the healing of a wound. They can be larger than irritation bumps and usually extend beyond the area of the piercing. They are much less common than irritation bumps; it's estimated around only 10% of the world population will develop keloid scarring, and they occur mostly in people with darker skin tones or people who have a family history of keloids.
Treatment of keloids
Keloids are harmless but can become quite large. They would require professional medical treatment to get rid of them if the individual wanted to. They can be treated/removed with steroid injections, gels, laser or cryotherapy, or surgery, but there is a risk of reoccurence in some people.
