Nose piercings make us look sharp and confident, but sometimes, some things go astray in our journey to look the part we wish for ourselves. We may end up with infections in our piercings, or they might be so unprofessionally done that they begin to become tears on our noses rather than piercings.
In this article, we will show you how your nose piercing can become an unappealing bump or form one right next to it and what you can do to treat it with efficiency.
How And Why Do Nose Piercings Get Bumps?
For many reasons, your nose piercing can become a bump, or get one right next to it. Here is a list of some of the reasons this can happen:
- You can get a bump on your nose piercing when you are allergic to the metal of the jewelry you are using on your nose. When you are sensitive to the material that your nose pin or nose ring is made up of, you may face repercussions like getting a nose piercing bump. When contact dermatitis is triggered, you will notice the symptoms on the site of the piercing: redness, intense itchiness, the formation of blisters and bumps, the thickening of the skin around the piercing, and flakiness or dryness. Your allergies can also be set off by the tool that is being used for the procedure.
- The reason behind your piercing bump can be infections. If you have handled your nose piercing with improper care and hygiene or had it done unprofessionally and through unsanitary methods, you may become victim to infections. Infections can also occur if the jewelry you are using on your nose is infected or unclean. An open wound or tear in the skin is easily susceptible to invasive microorganisms that can make you feel feverish and give you intense discomfort — especially if you leave it untreated for far too long.
- Granuloma is another one of the many reasons you will notice a bump on or by your nose piercing. A granuloma forms when your immune cells clump together on a site to prevent bacteria or infections from spreading and to contain them in the area they are. You can say it is a defense mechanism of our body. A granuloma is an exaggerated immune system response when it detects a foreign object but cannot remove it. Granulomas look like pink bumps or skin-colored bumps, and they have the potential to expand in size. You may observe a crusty ring or a ring of dead skin around the bump if your granuloma is not of a mild nature.
- You will observe the appearance of a bump on your nose when there has been tissue damage. You can suffer from tissue damage if your piercing has been made in an unprofessional manner without the gentle method it requires and when it has been done in a questionable way and ill-treated. If your piercer is not experienced or a professional, you may have retained injury during the piercing procedure. It can also occur if you attempt to pierce your nose yourself at home, repeatedly plunging a needle (especially a used and unsterilized one) can harm the tissue in your nose. This behavior can also lead to scarring.
- If there is fluid trapped underneath your skin where your nose piercing is located, you may end up with a bump. Fluid can get trapped when there has been manhandling or improper hygiene and lack of sanitation of the nose piercing. If your piercing gets pulled on often and if you have a bad habit of prodding on it and maybe you keep twisting the pin or ring constantly, the piercing can become inflamed and excessively sensitive. When this happens, you will notice redness, swelling, and the presence of clear fluid under a thin layer of skin forming a bump on the piercing or around it.
- Keloids can be another reason a bump can appear on or around your nose piercing. Keloids are a type of scarring that occurs when there has been a lot of tissue production in an area where the skin is deeply wounded and torn. A piercing is essentially a wound inflicted upon the skin, so when it tries to heal, it may sometimes fall into overproduction of tissue during the process of it. If you have a keloid, you will find that it is a firm bump that seems to keep growing over the weeks that pass. Your piercing maybe not be huge, but if a keloid grows over it, it will be bigger than the former. You can say that a keloid could be more visible than the piercing you got to bring attention to your face or nose.
- Pustules can also form next to your nose piercing, and these often occur mostly when there is an infection of a mild nature. You will observe a bump filled with pus peeking out from next to the piercing. It resembles pimples and occurs when your piercing has been tugged on or has had rough handling.
How To Take Care Of Your Nose Piercing Bump
Taking care of your nose piercing and the bump that may have formed next to it or on it is pretty simple if you know what you are doing and are meticulous about the healing process.
- It is not, has never been, and never will be a shocker that hygiene is the way to a proper lifestyle free of most health issues and minor inconveniences. Similarly, if you keep in mind that hygiene is to be at the top of your list of priority, especially when you are getting a procedure as intrusive as a piercing, you can avoid the development of a bump on your nose. If the tool used for the piercing of your nose has not been the subject to proper hygiene and single-use regulations, you can become the object of infections or even tissue damage. So make sure you are getting your piercing done at the hands of a professional in a clean environment. You must also ensure that once you have got your piercing, cleaning it properly on a daily basis is your top priority. Avoid touching your nose with dirty hands and keep the area as clean as possible. Use gentle cleansers.
- In case of allergies:
- Contact your dermatologist if you cannot make heads or tails of what metal is the best type to use for your jewelry.
- Switching to metals like gold, silver, or titanium works the best for most people.
- Try to keep away from jewelry made of metals like nickel and cobalt since they tend to cause an adverse reaction in the majority of the people wearing jewelry.
- Hypoallergenic jewelry is on the rise these days, and it is the best option for anyone who enjoys adorning themselves but finds it difficult to do so because of allergies.
- One other thing you can do in regards to allergies is to find out beforehand what type of metals you are allergic to so that you may not have to risk suffering the symptoms and the possible formation of a piercing bump.
3. One rather important rule about getting piercings and the care they require afterward is that you should avoid picking on them. Try to avoid touching your piercing or playing with the jewelry you are wearing. Excessive movement can be deteriorating to the sensitive area and inflict tissue damage as well as spread an infection from bacterial invasion (your hands are dirtier than you think they are).
4. Another crucial thing to keep in mind when you have an infected or disturbed piercing, especially a nose piercing, is that you should prevent it from coming in contact with chemical products that could be irritating to the tender skin on your nose. It includes the usage of cosmetics that can build up around or inside your piercing and trap bacteria and making use of cleansers that can potentially strip your skin of its natural oils and cause it to become dry and irritated. These products and chemicals can aggravate your nose piercing bump, particularly if it has formed due to infections or has been given rise by damaged tissue.
5. When caring for and cleaning your piercing, try to avoid the use of rough fabric on it. You must also be mindful about rubbing the piercing with anything during this task, as it can be an abrasive method of hygiene.
6. In the event that you suspect your nose piercing bump to be the work of an infection, do not remove your jewelry. A problem with removing your jewelry when your piercing is infected is that your jewelry keeps the piercing open but removing it will start the healing process where the hole shuts and traps the infection inside.
7. If you think that the bump on your nose piercing is a keloid, then there is, unfortunately, not much that you can indulge in to have it removed. However, keloids can be treated through particular surgical methods that involve laser resurfacing and scar excisions.
8. The best that you can do for a granuloma formation on your nose piercing is to leave it alone and let your body do its duty of healing it. Avoid removing your nose jewelry as it can aggravate your bump and try to be as gentle as you can possibly be with the cleaning process.
9. While cleaning, you might need to move about your jewelry by rotating it. You must be mindful that doing so while your piercing is dry can create friction and be abrasive to sensitive skin. Ensure you wet your piercing a little so that it is lubricated enough to be safely handled.
10. If the bump on your nose is a granuloma, you can meet your piercer or a dermatologist to discuss methods that you can implement in your life to keep your bump clean while it heals. With treatment, it can take only a few days for a granuloma to head and fade away. Without treatment to heal by itself, a granuloma may take weeks or maybe even months to fade away.
11. A warm compress can help you bring up any fluid or pus in your bump and make it easier for you to drain them without resorting to pricking.
12. Another method of treating your piercing bump is the application of a salt solution. You will need to apply a warm compress to your nose piercing first, and it will soften any crusty formation and loose dead skin around your piercing. Once you have done this two to three times, you can soak a cotton pad or cotton bud into a salt solution and gently wipe your piercing to remove any discharge and layer of crust.
Prevention Of The Formation Of Nose Piercing Bumps
- As mentioned above, it is essential that you get your piercing done at a professional's place rather than at some shady and dingy place that seems to be run by equally shady and dubious people. Observe if the place where you are getting your piercing has accomplished, at the very least, the basic levels of sanitation. If not, make a beeline for the exit. Your scrutiny should also be directed towards the one who will be performing the procedure. They must wear clean gloves and use clean and sterile apparatus. On a side note, do not attempt to make a piercing at home either.
- Clean your piercing twice every day. Your piercer can provide instructions that can help you follow a safe way to clean your piercing every day without causing unnecessary damage to your skin and tissue and avoiding irritating your tender skin. This way, you can prevent bumps that can form from infections and tissue damage. Ensure your hands are clean anytime you have to touch your nose.
- The use of thick ointments and creams should not be attempted since your piercing needs to be exposed to fresh air for your nose piercing to heal better.
- The formation of a thin crusty layer or scab is normal. Avoid picking at it as constant prodding and scratching can lead to aggravation of the tender piercing. Loose dead skin around your piercing is also not out of the norm, so the urge to pull or peel it out should be resisted.
- You should also keep in mind the type of metal that the tool used for the procedure is made up of since it can also set off an adverse reaction in you. So make sure that it is made of surgical steel or an even better alternative to prevent allergies.
- Keloids are unpredictable unless you have a history of them, and thus, if you get a nose piercing, it is a matter of uncertainty whether or not you will face the repercussions of a keloid. If you do not fancy a keloid smack in the corner of your nose or inside your nose next to a septum piercing, it is best to avoid getting any piercings at all.
- How to prevent a granuloma? A granuloma is an immune system response: it is hard to predict and control unless you know of a way to suppress your immunity for this specific role. And so there is only so much you can do to prevent it from happening at all. Just stick to the basic guidelines of getting a nose piercing and hope for the best.
You must observe appropriate care and sanitation for six months at most after you get your piercing. During this time, you should give changing your nose jewelry a miss or get it done by your piercer.
Frequently Asked Questions About Nose Piercings, Bumps, And Matters of Similar Nature
What is hypoallergenic jewelry?
Hypoallergenic pieces of jewelry are made up of metals and other substances that have a low rate of sparking adverse reactions in people. Such items are often recommended by dermatologists to people who have problems using regular jewelry. Below is a small list of hypoallergenic metals that can be used for jewelry:
- titanium
- sterling silver
- platinum
- copper
- stainless steel, etc.
Why should you not remove or change your nose ring/pin until six months have passed since getting the piercing?
Not removing your nose ring/pin until after six months have passed is just a cautionary purpose you are recommended to take to prevent infections and bacterial invasions on your piercing before you are done healing.
What can you do to prevent keloids from forming on or next to your nose piercing?
Keloids are not easy to prevent, especially if you are prone to them. If the latter is the case, then you are better off not getting any piercings done.
What can happen if you remove your nose pin or ring when your nose piercing is infected?
As mentioned above, the piercing, once you have removed your jewelry begins to heal and closes up. When that happens to an infected nose piercing, the infection gets trapped inside. It can lead to a lot more complicated canseof infection that would require the assistance of a professional for treatment.
How should you treat an infected nose piercing at home?
To ease symptoms of an infected nose piercing, you can follow the tips given above in the article that shed light on the basic follow-up routine of care. You can apply anti-bacterial or anti-fungal essential oils to your piercings. A hot compress can help drain any fluid and pus trapped in your bump. Use gentle soap and water to clean out your piercing.
How long does it take for a nose piercing bump to heal?
Depending on the cause of your piercing bump, it can take a few days to a few months for your nose to be completely healed. Adequate treatment and care can escalate the process when observed routinely.
Can a nose piercing bump form inside your nose?
Yes, a bump can definitely form on the inside of your nose, particularly when your piercing is located in the septum.
How can you safely make a nose piercing at home?
There is no particular way you can make a piercing at home safely when you are untrained, inexperienced, and especially when you lack the right tools for the procedure. It is a highly disapproved activity to take on.
How long does it take for a nose piercing to close up once the nose pin or ring has been removed?
The precise duration for the closing of piercing can vary from person to person, and it can depend on how fast a person heals and how efficiently their immune system works, and how well they take care of themselves.
A look at the history of our civilizations reveals the importance of proper hygiene and sanitation. Those of our ancestors who failed to follow the most mundane manners of cleanliness faced repercussions so immense that entire towns and cities were felled by the most feeble of diseases and infections. Granted that science and technology of those times were next to non-existent, hygiene has always been ever-present and was religiously practiced by others of our ancestors. Despite the lack of their knowledge of advanced science and complex health issues, this very simple habit shielded them from many calamities.
As of today, cleanliness has proven again and again how crucial it is for us. When so much as a tiny piercing can become infected by the lack of hygiene, you really begin to wonder how deeply rooted it is in our welfare. This is the reason why you will always find yourself being warned to practice appropriate hygiene by your dermatologist or piercer, and you would do well to heed those words from the get-go.
Besides adequate sanitation, it is also essential to make sure you undergo such procedures under the care of a professional and not just your friend who made a piercing on themselves at home and managed to get away without any issues. Just because it worked for them doesn't mean it will work for you.
This article is not meant to replace the professional diagnosis and advice of healthcare providers and licensed piercers. If you suspect infections, tissue damage, and issues as such, check in with an expert.
References
Websites referred to for the production of this article:
- https://www.insider.com
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com
- https://www.healthline.com
- https://www.verywellhealth.com
- https://health.clevelandclinic.org
- https://www.essentialbeauty.com.au
- https://www.today.com
- https://authoritytattoo.com
