How to Get Rid of a Piercing Bump, According to Dermatologists

Identify and Remove the Irritant

The bad news: Many things can lead to the formation of a piercing bump. As such, it's important to investigate what actions and aspects of your day-to-day routine could be irritating.

"It can be helpful to eliminate any potentially irritating or aggravating factors, including excess trauma or pressure on the piercing," says Garshick. For example: "If the piercing is on the ear, avoid using headphones or other objects that may occlude the area."

Pro piercer Johnny Pearce tells us common irritants include bumping, snagging, or sleeping on new piercings; airplane travel and cabin pressure; touching the piercing with dirty hands; skincare and beauty products; and jewelry.

But the good news? Remove the irritant, and the rest will follow.

Check Your Jewelry

Smith recommends checking that your jewelry is a proper fit and allows enough room for swelling. You'll also want to investigate your materials: Are your studs, hoops, or CBRs (captive bead rings) made of surgical stainless steel, surgical titanium, niobium, or Tygon (a surgical plastic)? "Some people can develop an allergy to certain types of metals commonly found in piercings, such as nickel, so it may be important to avoid certain types of metals, particularly if you have sensitive skin," says Garshick.

If you're unsure about the state of your jewelry, visit your local trusted professional piercing studio. They can help you pick a more suitable piece of jewelry and may even change it out for you, too, so there's no reason to do it yourself. Once it's in, leave it there until your bump is completely healed. Rotate it occasionally if possible, but only after healing.

Keep Your Piercing Clean

Cleaning your piercing daily with a mild antibacterial soap can be the key to eliminating abscesses or cysts. "It is important to clean the area regularly with a gentle cleanser, like Dove's Irritation Care Body Wash ($7) or Andalou Naturals' 1000 Roses Gentle Cleansing Foam ($13), to minimize the potential for infection," says Garshick.

Additionally, King recommends salt solutions. These may work to draw out impurities, clean infected areas, and loosen dead skin cells and dried pus. Another popular solution for cleaning new piercings is H2Ocean's piercing aftercare line.

"At the end of the day, [piercing bumps] come from irritation," says Smith. "The body does not like the foreign object, so we need to gently convince the body to heal around it rather than fight it. I find most people don't take great care of their piercings until there is a problem—then they care a lot. My advice is to be proactive from the start. Keep it clean and be careful with it."

Try Home Remedies

Salt soaks usually treat pesky piercing irritations, but certain bumps may call for an herbal compress, like a chamomile tea bag soaked in hot water. Smith recommends applying a hot compress with a chamomile tea bag to the bump nightly. The heat helps draw out some of the irritation while chamomile helps reduce inflammation, he explains.

If that's not working, he suggests moving on to apple cider vinegar. Tape a small piece of cotton soaked in apple cider vinegar to the bump overnight. This will turn the bump white, then purple, then black, and, eventually, it will fall off like a scab in a few days.

Consider Compression Therapy

"We've also been successfully treating irritation bumps using what I call 'compression therapy,' which utilizes the gentle but constant compression of a larger titanium disk on the bump, encouraging it to dissipate even more quickly," Pearce says. Note: You'll definitely want to leave this route to the pros and pay a visit to your piercer.

Massage With Oil

Hypertrophic scarring, the most common piercing bump, is caused by increased collagen due to trauma in and around the piercing site. It usually occurs in a cartilage piercing (upper ear or nose). If this sounds like what you're dealing with, consult a professional and have them size down your jewelry gauge to avoid undue pressure on the wound. Then, perform a daily, gentle oil massage with rosehip seed oil, which is perfect for various skin types and gives you added hydration benefits to soften the scar tissue over time.

Try an Ointment and Some Ibuprofen

"While piercing bumps can be hard to prevent, they can be treated or addressed with different topical creams or ointments, such as Vaseline Healing Ointment ($4) or antibiotic ointments such as a prescription called mupirocin ointment, or topical steroid creams to reduce the inflammation," says Garshick. Moench also recommends NSAIDs like aspirin or ibuprofen to reduce inflammation.

Get a Shot of Cortisone

If the infection persists, "take a trip to the dermatologist for a shot of cortisone (I recommend this a lot to my actor or model clients as they need a quick fix before they get in front of the camera)," says Smith. Adds Garshick: "In-office treatments, such as cortisone injections, can also help to reduce swelling and inflammation associated with healing or scar tissue."

See a Doctor

Of course, sometimes, you just have to make an appointment with your dermatologist or GP. "If a piercing bump is persistent despite over-the-counter remedies, becomes painful, or is associated with worsening redness or systemic symptoms such as fever, it is important to check with a doctor," says Garshick.