Piercings; What They Are Not Telling You!

Are u addicted to piercing? Then this information is for you.

Getting your ears pierced for the first time or even the fifth time can be exciting, but let me warn you, I just discovered that it could cost you much more than a few envious glances.

A few days ago I was getting my ear piercings cleaned because it was starting to get rather itchy when I noticed a growth beneath my 3 rd piercing. I was shocked! I pulled out the earrings and to my greatest dismay, there was a small growth protruding from the hole. It didn't hurt, it just itched a lot. And this was a surprise because I got the piercing over a year ago. I had seen girls with large growths of this nature sticking out of their earlobes and it really put me off, so I couldn't imagine if this was a similar case waiting to enlarge! So I got to work, started doing a little research on the subject and this is what I found. Enjoy!!

Ear piercing is a long-standing tradition in many cultures. A fraction of those who pierce the ear develop infections, allergies to the inserted materials or keloids. Keloids result from the deposition of dense collagen bundles due to increased fibroblast activity. Up to 15-20% of all individuals are keloid-prone. Some races, notably Afro-Caribbean, Asian are more keloid-prone than others.

Complications due to ear piercing are well recognized and include local infection, septicaemia, hepatits, traumatic laceration, embedded studs, bleeding, nickel dermatitis, gold dermatitis, large scars, keloids, epidermal cysts, torn ear lobe syndrome, post-auricular pressure sores and frostbite due to ethyl chloride spray

Keloid Ear Lobe

Keloids are scars that don't know when to stop." The body's exaggerated response to a trivial injury. They are dense, thick nodules, typically found at areas of previously injured skin (burns, lacerations), or they may arise spontaneously on normal skin. They may be single or multiple. Over weeks to months, these nodules can become painful, tender, itchy (pruritic), and grow to become very large, up to about 30 cm. They can be unsightly, and patients often seek removal. It is sometimes referred to as a keloid scar; it's a tough heaped-up scar that rises quite abruptly above the rest of the skin. Unlike scars, they do not subside over time.

Keloids, usually start some time after the injury and extend beyond the wound site. It has a tendency to migrate into surrounding areas that weren't injured. Keloids typically appear following surgery or injury. They look shiny and dome-shaped, ranging in color from pink to red. Some keloids become quite large and unsightly. Aside from causing potential cosmetic problems, these exuberant scars tend to be itchy, tender, or even painful to the touch. Keloids develop most often on the chest, back, shoulders, and earlobes. They rarely develop on the face (with the exception of the jaw line).

Keloids are less common in children and the elderly. Although people with darker skin are more likely to develop them, keloids can occur in men and women of all skin types. In some cases, the tendency to form keloids seems to run in families. However doctors still can not explain why it forms in some people and not in others.

They can develop following minor injuries that occur with body piercing. Since doctors do not understand the precise reasons why some people are more prone to develop keloids, it is impossible to predict whether piercing will lead to keloid formation. Although there are some families which seem prone to form keloids, for the most part, it's impossible to tell who will develop a keloid. One person might, for instance, develop a keloid in one earlobe after piercing and not in the other. That is why you have to know when to stop, just because you were lucky the first time doesn't mean your luck can't run out!

Just like A. I. D.S and Cancer, the best way to deal with it is not to get one. But unlike them it's not fatal. A person who has had a keloid should not undergo elective skin surgeries or procedures such as piercing. When it comes to keloids, prevention is crucial, because current treatments are often not completely successful and may not work at all!

However, certain treatments are now available which can be explored, as they have proven successful in a few cases in the past:

Cortisone injections (intralesional steroids): This is safe and not very painful. Injections are usually given once per month until the maximum benefit is obtained. Injections are safe (very little steroid gets into the body) and usually help flatten keloids; however, steroid injections can also make the flattened keloid redder by stimulating the formation of more superficial blood vessels. (These can be treated using a laser; see below.) The keloid may look better after treatment than it looked to start with, but even the best results leave a mark that looks and feels quite different from surrounding skin.

Surgery: This is risky, because cutting a keloid can trigger the formation of a similar or even larger keloid. Some surgeons achieve success by injecting steroids or applying pressure dressings to the wound site after cutting away the keloid. Radiation after surgical excision has also been used.

Laser: The pulsed-dye laser can be effective at flattening keloids and making them look less red. Treatment is safe and not very painful, but several treatment sessions may be needed.

Silicone sheets: This involves wearing a sheet of silicone gel on the affected area for several hours a day for weeks or months, which is hard to sustain. Results are variable. Some doctors claim similar success with compression dressings made from materials other than silicone.

Cryotherapy: Freezing keloids with liquid nitrogen may flatten them, but often darkens the site of treatment.

Interferon: Interferons are proteins produced by our immune systems which help fight off viruses, bacteria, and other challenges. In recent studies, injections of interferon have shown promise in reducing the size of keloids, though it's not yet certain whether that effect will be lasting. Current research is underway using a variant of this method, applying topical imiquimod (Aldara) , which stimulates the body to produce interferon.

Fluorouracil: Injections of this chemotherapy agent, alone or together with steroids, have been used as well for treatment of keloids.

Apart from Keloids, Hypertrophic scars have been said to be a lot similar, but they do not grow as much as Keloids do, as they restrict growth to the area of the injury. Its treatment is similar to that of Keloids and easier. Therefore, its not safe to jump to conclusions once you see a scar on your ear lobe or any other part of your body, always consult a doctor- An Ear, Nose, and Throat ( ENT) specialist.

So as much as we all love to be just a little eccentric by having 2 to 100 piercings, it does have its down sides, so lets be careful people, as they say, 'Prevention is better than cure'! Especially in this case.