I`m 14 and I got my nose pierced about a month ago and there's this little bump that's red at the side. I've bin reading about keloids and I'm kind of scared that it is one and I'm not sure how to treat it yet. I also want to get my ear cartilage pierced but now I fear of getting a keloid. Will I styll get keloids by using needles? Or is keloids just when your skin is forced to be broken ?:(

Keloids are bulit up scar tissue caused by excessive irritation, and repetative infection. Picking at your piercing will also cause keloids.

It does not sound to me like you have a keloid, but it does sound like Hypertrophic scarring, which is caused by irritation to the piercing. The irritation can come from a number of things, such as :

-Overcleaning
-Overusing salt water
-Changing the jewelry too soon, or too often.
-Constantly playing with the piercing.

... among other things.

To get rid of the hypertrophic scarring, all you have to do is simply care for the piercing as you should. Since it is a month old, clean it no more than once a day with antibacterial soap. Be sure not to overclean! Do not touch the piercing unless it is to clean it, and even then make sure your hands are washed. Dirty hands spread bacteria. Pick one piece of jewelry, and stick with it for a while. Surgical steel, or hypoallergenic gold posts are best for nose piercings. If you are using salt water, it might be in your best interest to stop. Salt is very drying to the piercing and the skin around it, and it does not promote healing. If abused or overused, it does more harm than good.

If a piercing is not being taken care of properly, it does not matter whether you got it with a needle or a gun, keloids are still a possibility. You should be okay to get your Helix piercing as long as you commit to taking care of it.

Good luck! ;)

Hey there again! For my own reasons, I prefer not to give advice via PM. Here is your PM :

Quote:

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heyy
Thankz for the advicee
Really appreciate itt
Umm you seem to know a lot
So I was wondering if I could make sure of something..

Does a keloid occur because you don't take care of it right
Or can it just occur.. so if I get my helix pierced with a needle and take care of it properly I should be okay because I'm avoiding cartilage shattering , etc.
I thought keloids also occur because of the force being applied
Which is why I thought I would be safer with a needle
Is that tru?

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Keloids have nothing to do with whether you get your piercing done with a needle or a gun. Either method you use, there is a possibility of getting a keloid. A keloid is an overgrowth in scar tissue. Doctors to not actually have a scientific reason why keloids form (source -- Keloid Causes, Diagnosis, Information, Prevention, Symptoms, and Treatment at MedicneNet.com ), but here are the circumstances where I have seen them form on piercings :

-Some people are just prone to keloids. If you have had a keloid on any injury in the past, it may not be a good idea for you to get another piercing.

-Excessive picking or scratching at your piercing. The more you open up the piercing by picking at it, the more scar tissue your body has to build to fix the problem.

-Repetative infection. Every time your piercing gets infected, it opens itself back up and needs to re-heal itself. Like the excessive picking, excessive infections will cause more scar tissue to fix the problem.

In the long run, the best thing for you to do is get your Helix pierced with a needle. The needle is more sterile, causes less trauma to the cartilage, and removes a small part of your cartilage making room for the jewelry that is inserted. The gun is not sterile, can shatter your cartilage, can get caught on the jewelry during discharge causing a tear in your ear, and the "piercers" who use them are not trained properly, or for a very long period. If you care for your helix properly, and are not prone to keloids, it should do fine.

If your really scared go to your piercer because you can figure out all this stuff yourself but a piercer will be able to answer your question and if not your piercer ask a doc... thats what I would do I just go my nose pierced like 3 days ago