Scarring on Vertical Lip piercing

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Friday October 12th, 2007 @ 5:48 AM

Filed under: Lip/Cheek, Piercing

For the past month and a half or so, I’ve been dealing with a rather large and painful lump on the top hole of my vertical lip piercing. I got it pierced in June and it was going fine until this thing showed up. It did get infected, but seemed to clear up. After the lump still didn’t go away, I went to the doctor and got put on antibiotics, which I still have 2 days left of. I’ve been doing sea salt soaks and have recently been using a small amount of tea tree oil.

Is there anything else I should be doing? I really don’t want to lose the piercing.

Finally, someone with a picture, thank you. As pictures definitely help us be able to analyze what’s going on better.

Its hard to say however from the picture what specifically is the problem. It could be placement or it could be the jewelry’s gauge size?

Do you play with this piercing a fair bit? ie: sucking on the top bead, etc? Have you caught it on things occasionally?

As for infection, define infection? What type of discharge was occurring? Infected piercings are usually very inflamed (red and swollen) as well as contains a thick greenish discharge.

It appears to me there has just been some sort of impact to the pierced location, perhaps if it was indeed an infection, this impact is what caused the infection. I’d personally suggest using the sea salt solution twice a day for 10 minutes each time. Also in terms of water to use the ideal type is distilled water, instead of regular tap water, filtered water or boiled water. The solution should be mixed 1/4 teaspoon to 8oz of distilled water which is either at room temp. or slightly above room temp.

To conclude: keep doing the sea salt soaks twice daily for 10 minutes each soak. Also is the jewelry 16ga or 14ga? You might require a 14ga to give it more stability, if it’s a 16ga piece of jewelry. Also consider placement as a possibility, the pathway of the piercing might be causing stress on the top hole. But without a in-person inspection of this, it’s really hard to say.

Also know that although some people can have success with tea tree oil, quite often it’s far too harsh a product to use on a piercing, it’s most commonly viewed as an Anti-Fungal essential oil. Something like 100% Pure Neem Oil might yield better results.

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19 Responses to “Scarring on Vertical Lip piercing”

When it was infected, it was swollen twice it’s size, it was hard, painful and it was oozing greenish stuff. I don’t know how likely it is, but I think the top hole of the piercing may have migrated forward a bit. The jewelry is a 14g and I’ve never had problems with the size of it (except when it was infected and changed out that barbell for a longer 14g barbell). I used to play with the piercing a lot, but I haven’t for the last month or so. The rest of the piercing feels fine, it’s just this lump that is annoying.

Molly MoFo on October 12th, 2007 at 9:22 am

my friend has the same thing, but hers looks more permanent than this. it used to be bigger so this one will probably go down if she treats it good

Kris on October 12th, 2007 at 3:29 pm

I think a good and pretty necessary addition to this answer would be “go see a qualified piercer in your area to get their opinion/’diagnosis’”

copper_wire on October 12th, 2007 at 6:32 pm

The impact caused an infection? Is that from someone “fighting dirty”

Cucuy on October 12th, 2007 at 9:08 pm

I’d be inclined to say then that this is a result from the infection you experienced coupled with the fact that you played with it a lot during the beginning.

You’ve only had the piercing now for roughly 3-4 months. I normally instruct my clients to tend to this type of piercing for 2 months and to stress very much so that constant playing with it will result in complications.

Warren Hiller on October 12th, 2007 at 11:28 pm

floss your friggin teeth. christ.

jo on October 13th, 2007 at 1:05 am

Cucuy: Impact can mean MANY things, not just physical violence. Impact can mean bumpings, catching, bangings, over playing with it(sucking it, hitting teeth with it,etc)

copper_wire: As I’m sure you know fully well, that is a good idea yes…But often people are unable to do so due to certain circumstances…Hence why the QOD is around, so people can get answers potentially faster then if they were to visit a reputable artist.

Remember there are not reputable artists in EVERY city in the world.

and honestly…I don’t think any reputable piercer would have much else to say other than what I stated…But yes its always worth a shot to visit someone in person to see what’s going on.

Warren on October 13th, 2007 at 5:21 am

Jo, I was coming in here to say the same thing!

laowai4life on October 13th, 2007 at 1:19 pm

I have been to my piercer and he just told me it would eventually go away on its own, but I figured I would get some other opinions. Jo and Iaowai3life, I DO brush my teeth and take good care of myself. I probably just took the picture before I brushed my teeth for the evening. I was a little more concerned about the lump on my lip than what you people thought of my teeth. I was asking for opinions on my PIERCING, not my teeth. Thanks.

Molly MoFo on October 13th, 2007 at 2:04 pm

I realize that impact can mean a lot of different things, just hinting that infections are caused by bacteria, not impacts. It might have created a pathway for bacteria, but they don’t just appear when your piercing is bumped. And I know that most every piercer out there would know what you mean, but the dumbasses won’t, and then we have a bunch of kids telling each other they need an antibiotic every time they get in a fender bender.

Cucuy on October 13th, 2007 at 8:55 pm

True Cucuy, I guess in that respect I wasn’t being in depth as I could have been.

The impact was the initial problem that enabled the bacteria to gain access and infect the location.

Warren on October 13th, 2007 at 9:33 pm

Also I didn’t think I’d need to say this so soon.

This is NOT a place to attack someone based on pictures they provided. Simply because they took one picture at one specific moment in time when food is in their teeth, you jump to stating they don’t brush their teeth?

Grow up kids…This is the QOD, it is here to HELP not for you to judge people.

Warren on October 13th, 2007 at 10:02 pm

This looks like a boil to me, but i could be wrong, If that’s the deal do hot soaks

Lucas Reichennek on October 15th, 2007 at 12:57 am

I had a bump like that just form on a 5 year old christina pierce. Out of the blue!
What caused it?
Shitty jewelry.

If your jewelry is some sort of externally threaded stuff and nothing else works, change it to something good (and probably downsize while you’re at it).

In most circumstances it’s a bad idea to switch out jewelry when you’re healing but if the problems are caused by the jewelry itself, then you need to (IMO).

superchar42 on October 15th, 2007 at 1:41 am

Just the thought of putting Neem Oil anywhere near my mouth makes me shudder… Have you smelled that stuff???

dannyt on October 15th, 2007 at 3:00 pm

As of late, the lump is getting A LOT smaller. I bought some Vitamin E oil and have been doing massages with it twice a day. The lump is turning white and seems to be “dying” and is feeling less sensitive. I’m going to start doing chamomile bag soaks too to see if that’ll get rid of the last of it.

Thanks (to most of you) for your help!

Molly MoFo on October 15th, 2007 at 4:32 pm

I had the exact same thing on the top hole of my vertical labret. it started out as an infection (don’t ever use someone else’s lipgloss! i’m pretty sure that’s what caused my infection) and i was also playing with it a lot. i started doing 2-3 salt soaks a day (with a little more salt than usual) and massaging it with vitamin E oil and it went away.

R on October 16th, 2007 at 11:46 pm

===> I had something that looked extremely similar to that. Upon removel of my vertical labret, I realized my lip had swollen up like a balloon and the top bead had dug about 3 mm into my lip, forcing the flesh up into a boil looking thing.

This may not be the case with yours, but I thought I’d put the info out there.

Becca on December 30th, 2007 at 10:56 pm

i just got snakebytes & kindakinda was in Becca’s case at first till’ i changed the jewlery to a bigger size. it seemed to be doing fine but now i have that “lumpy” thing on my left piercing && it seems as if i’m getting it on the right too, i was wodering if maybe the “lump” will go away with time…??…damn i proly’ should give up piercings lol…i always had bad luck with them, i’ve have this HUGE “lump” on my right ear since i was about 13 [i'm 18 now] anyways do u guys know if maybe i can get some kinda surgery done to stop being so damn self consious! lol [IHATEIT]

adriatoned on January 10th, 2008 at 2:52 am

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When it was infected, it was swollen twice it’s size, it was hard, painful and it was oozing greenish stuff. I don’t know how likely it is, but I think the top hole of the piercing may have migrated forward a bit. The jewelry is a 14g and I’ve never had problems with the size of it (except when it was infected and changed out that barbell for a longer 14g barbell). I used to play with the piercing a lot, but I haven’t for the last month or so. The rest of the piercing feels fine, it’s just this lump that is annoying.
Molly MoFo on October 12th, 2007 at 9:22 am
my friend has the same thing, but hers looks more permanent than this. it used to be bigger so this one will probably go down if she treats it good
Kris on October 12th, 2007 at 3:29 pm
I think a good and pretty necessary addition to this answer would be “go see a qualified piercer in your area to get their opinion/’diagnosis’”
copper_wire on October 12th, 2007 at 6:32 pm
The impact caused an infection? Is that from someone “fighting dirty”
Cucuy on October 12th, 2007 at 9:08 pm
I’d be inclined to say then that this is a result from the infection you experienced coupled with the fact that you played with it a lot during the beginning.

You’ve only had the piercing now for roughly 3-4 months. I normally instruct my clients to tend to this type of piercing for 2 months and to stress very much so that constant playing with it will result in complications.
Warren Hiller on October 12th, 2007 at 11:28 pm
floss your friggin teeth. christ.
jo on October 13th, 2007 at 1:05 am
Cucuy: Impact can mean MANY things, not just physical violence. Impact can mean bumpings, catching, bangings, over playing with it(sucking it, hitting teeth with it,etc)

copper_wire: As I’m sure you know fully well, that is a good idea yes…But often people are unable to do so due to certain circumstances…Hence why the QOD is around, so people can get answers potentially faster then if they were to visit a reputable artist.

Remember there are not reputable artists in EVERY city in the world.

and honestly…I don’t think any reputable piercer would have much else to say other than what I stated…But yes its always worth a shot to visit someone in person to see what’s going on.
Warren on October 13th, 2007 at 5:21 am
Jo, I was coming in here to say the same thing!
laowai4life on October 13th, 2007 at 1:19 pm
I have been to my piercer and he just told me it would eventually go away on its own, but I figured I would get some other opinions. Jo and Iaowai3life, I DO brush my teeth and take good care of myself. I probably just took the picture before I brushed my teeth for the evening. I was a little more concerned about the lump on my lip than what you people thought of my teeth. I was asking for opinions on my PIERCING, not my teeth. Thanks.
Molly MoFo on October 13th, 2007 at 2:04 pm
I realize that impact can mean a lot of different things, just hinting that infections are caused by bacteria, not impacts. It might have created a pathway for bacteria, but they don’t just appear when your piercing is bumped. And I know that most every piercer out there would know what you mean, but the dumbasses won’t, and then we have a bunch of kids telling each other they need an antibiotic every time they get in a fender bender.
Cucuy on October 13th, 2007 at 8:55 pm
True Cucuy, I guess in that respect I wasn’t being in depth as I could have been.

The impact was the initial problem that enabled the bacteria to gain access and infect the location.
Warren on October 13th, 2007 at 9:33 pm
Also I didn’t think I’d need to say this so soon.

This is NOT a place to attack someone based on pictures they provided. Simply because they took one picture at one specific moment in time when food is in their teeth, you jump to stating they don’t brush their teeth?

Grow up kids…This is the QOD, it is here to HELP not for you to judge people.
Warren on October 13th, 2007 at 10:02 pm
This looks like a boil to me, but i could be wrong, If that’s the deal do hot soaks
Lucas Reichennek on October 15th, 2007 at 12:57 am
I had a bump like that just form on a 5 year old christina pierce. Out of the blue!
What caused it?
Shitty jewelry.

If your jewelry is some sort of externally threaded stuff and nothing else works, change it to something good (and probably downsize while you’re at it).

In most circumstances it’s a bad idea to switch out jewelry when you’re healing but if the problems are caused by the jewelry itself, then you need to (IMO).
superchar42 on October 15th, 2007 at 1:41 am
Just the thought of putting Neem Oil anywhere near my mouth makes me shudder… Have you smelled that stuff???
dannyt on October 15th, 2007 at 3:00 pm
As of late, the lump is getting A LOT smaller. I bought some Vitamin E oil and have been doing massages with it twice a day. The lump is turning white and seems to be “dying” and is feeling less sensitive. I’m going to start doing chamomile bag soaks too to see if that’ll get rid of the last of it.

Thanks (to most of you) for your help!
Molly MoFo on October 15th, 2007 at 4:32 pm
I had the exact same thing on the top hole of my vertical labret. it started out as an infection (don’t ever use someone else’s lipgloss! i’m pretty sure that’s what caused my infection) and i was also playing with it a lot. i started doing 2-3 salt soaks a day (with a little more salt than usual) and massaging it with vitamin E oil and it went away.
R on October 16th, 2007 at 11:46 pm
===> I had something that looked extremely similar to that. Upon removel of my vertical labret, I realized my lip had swollen up like a balloon and the top bead had dug about 3 mm into my lip, forcing the flesh up into a boil looking thing.

This may not be the case with yours, but I thought I’d put the info out there.
Becca on December 30th, 2007 at 10:56 pm
i just got snakebytes & kindakinda was in Becca’s case at first till’ i changed the jewlery to a bigger size. it seemed to be doing fine but now i have that “lumpy” thing on my left piercing && it seems as if i’m getting it on the right too, i was wodering if maybe the “lump” will go away with time…??…damn i proly’ should give up piercings lol…i always had bad luck with them, i’ve have this HUGE “lump” on my right ear since i was about 13 [i'm 18 now] anyways do u guys know if maybe i can get some kinda surgery done to stop being so damn self consious! lol [IHATEIT]
adriatoned on January 10th, 2008 at 2:52 am

Scarring on Vertical Lip piercing

«« Small tattoos Headphones »»

Friday October 12th, 2007 @ 5:48 AM

Filed under: Lip/Cheek, Piercing

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19 Responses to “Scarring on Vertical Lip piercing”

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