theres this little bump around my belly ring and i dont know if its a keloid or not. i just got it a few days ago. i dont know if i should just take the belly ring out or if its better to leave it in. someone please help cuz i dont know what to do and i hope its not a keloid because i really love my belly piercing and if its a keloid then i wont be able to have it pierced.

charlotte234s

Is it possible to post a picture of it? If you don't want to, I understand, but it'd be easier to tell what it is with a picture.

Is it pink and hard? That maybe a keloid. If it is very painful or warm to the touch, it may be an infection. You want to leave the jewelry in if it is an infection. I would suggest cleaning it with salt water, and perhaps investing in some H2Ocean, a cleaning product that is easier to use. Also, if it is a keloid, some tea tree oil may be able to soften it and help. The important thing is to keep it clean and dry, and not to bump or snag it on anything. If the jewelry has lots of dangles or crevices for decoration that infection may grow within, I would honestly cut off the dangles with a pair of wire snips so they don't snag on anything, and be sure to clean the jewelry thoroughly. I had a keloid on an ear project piercing that I had, and it was very small, but it was the result of bumping it on something. I cleaned it every day and put some tea tree oil on it before I went to sleep at night, and the keloid softened and went away. if it is very large, I would say to remove the jewelry and begin cleaning it like normal, and consult your doctor or talk to your piercer, as some keloids get very large and have to be removed surgically, but hopefully yours is not that bad. Good luck with your piercing, and post again if you need some more help!

mrdang

Ok, probably just irritation- Bbuttons are notorious for it.

Could be caused by a change in jewelry, got bumped/rubbed on or simply overhandling it with 'less-than-sterile fingers'.

(I work at a shop)we always recommend to wash it twice daily with antibacterial soap, and if you can mix a solution of 1 cup hot (not scalding)water and 1/4teaspoon non-iodized seasalt (at most grocery stores, near regular salt, but must be NON-iodized) soak your piecing with the solution 5-10min twice a day untill it goes away(if you can put it in a small glass/shotglass usually you can hold it against yourself without putting extra pressure on the piercing.) this draws out the irritation without causing trauma-don't pop it.

if you recently changed jewelry, the quality of the metal might not be as good. try putting the previous back in. You should see results within a week.

nauticalstar420

It does not sound like a keloid to me. Keloids develop over time, and from what you said it sounds like this appeared quite quickly. It sounds to me like what is called 'Hypertrophic Scarring'. This type of scarring is reversible (you can get rid of it). It is caused by excessive irritation to the piercing. This irritation can come from overcleaning, overusing salt water soaks, playing with the piercing, changing the jewelry too often, etc.

What you have to do to get rid of it is quite simple : take care of the piercing properly. Clean the piercing once a day with antibacterial (Dial) soap; not more than once a day. Overcleaning causes severe irritation which can include dryness, itchiness, flakiness, etc. Overcleaning also prolongs the healing process of the piercing, which you do not want to do since navel piercings take a year to fully heal.

Salt water soaks are a major problem especially since most people do not know how to use them. Overusing and abusing salt water can be detrimental to your piercing. I personally do not use, and do not recommend anyone else to use salt water. Overusing salt water can damage the tissues in your piercing and around it, causing dryness, cracking, peeling, etc. Also, overusing salt water does not allow the piercing to heal...period. It will never heal as long as salt water is abused. Salt water also does nothing for healing. It has absolutely no healing qualities for your piercing. In the best case scenario, it will do nothing for the piercing. Worst case scenario, it could damage your piercing so badly you will have to take it out, and you will have scarring. If you would still like to use salt water soaks (some people still do for peace of mind), you will find information on how to properly use the soaks in this sticky :

http://www.askmehelpdesk.com/body-ar...rt-195834.html

Remember, do not use the soaks more than once a day. It could damage your piercing.

Do not touch your piercing unless it is to clean it. Dont twist it, tug it...nothing like that. Piercings are meant to be ornamental for your body, they are not meant to be a toy to play with. Make sure that when you touch it to clean it, you always wash your hands first. Dirty hands spread bacteria.

Pick one piece of jewelry, and stick with it. Dont change the jewelry over and over again, because the piercing will get irritated. Dont use flashy or dangly jewelry, this kind of jewelry is quick to get caught on things and tear your piercing.

Wear long shirts and loose jeans, skirts and shorts. Any kind of pressure that is put on the area is only going to irritate it further. Avoid bending over for long periods of time as much as you can.

If you eliminate the irritation, the bump will go away. Just be sure to properly care for it and you will see results.

mrdang

Yes there are several schools of though on this, but the key is not to cure irritation by irritating it further (or overcleaning) and if you can, please have your piercer take a look at it. if they care about there rep/customers they would rather you see them than going strait to the doctor. Doctors are all about overall health and often very defensive against anything foreign to the body (a piercing)and will often just tell you to take it out. Piercers are used to seeing a 'controlled heal' and should be able to help you through it in a way that will be safe AND pretty. good luck with your B Button- hope we didn't scare ya-i'm sure you'll be fine.

charlotte234s

True, overcleaning is bad, and will cause it to hurt and get all red and flaky as the skin drys out. Not a good idea. Although you should clean, don't go crazy with it.