Cheek piercings gone wrong!

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Wednesday February 6th, 2008 @ 1:15 AM

Filed under: Lip/Cheek

I had my cheeks pierced for 16 months, but around month 14 or so, I developed a some discoloration around my right cheek piercing, and the tissue surrounding it became hard. Over the next month, the area continued to become red and hard, and it appeared that there was a lot of trapped fluid underneath the skin. I came to the conclusion that it must be an abscess or a cyst, so I went to the doctor and she put me on antibiotics. The hard “lump” never went away, so I went to my body modification artist and he took a scalpel and cut the lump, which drained green & clear infectious fluid [yummy!] I also took both piercings out. Luckily, this seems to have done the trick.. the area has drained over the course of 3 days and is back down to its normal size. I am trying to heal the cut with neosporin, so the scarring will be minimal.

My question is, is it possible for me to get my cheeks re-pierced through the scar tissue? Will this pose an even greater risk/ complications? If I can get them re-pierced, how soon?

What steps can I take to ensure that I don’t develop another abscess/ cyst? Is his a rather common problem for cheek piercings?

Thank you for your time!

While there are many people out there with well-healed cheek piercings, they are somewhat notorious for being problematic and/or delicate. While more “extreme” issues like yours aren’t the norm, many people find their cheek piercings are prone to become irritated and swollen very easily, for a very long period of time.

Given the various anatomical structures in that part of your face, and the considerable movement cheek piercings are subjected to, abcesses, cysts and fluid build-up are a risk.

In my opinion, if you had this sort of problem once, and you have the piercings re-done in the same location…I think you will have an increased chance of the problem happening again. If you were my client, I would suggest waiting at least 6 months, and then would evaluate the scar tissue at that point.

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46 Responses to “Cheek piercings gone wrong!”

I just went to the doctor today out of despiration.I think I have the same problem as you had.My right cheek isnt that bad..it has a marble size lump under the skin and oozzes green (ew),but it doesnt hurt,smell and it isnt red.However,my left cheek is another story.Its red and swollen/hard I’d say about a half inch around the piercing.The other night when i was cleaning it it bled alot,alot of pus came out and what was even more horrifieing is that when I cleaned all this away I could see that a lille of the skin around the stud had died alowing a small piece of yellow flesh to pop out of my face!what could this be?do I need to have my piercer cut me open?(my doctor told me to take out the piercings and gave me anibiotics…today when i cleaned my left cheek the little piece of flesh was gone)

kim on February 19th, 2008 at 12:55 pm

I’m a piercer myself and cannot offer you much on the problems you are going through, Ive had my cheeks done for about 3 months now. This is the second time, im developing hardened scar tissue on the left side, im not swollen and it isnt oozing so to say, its only noticeable until I smile. Im on here now looking for answers. i’ll check back and let you know if i find anything. But was that the first step before the lumps you were noticing?

Tori on May 15th, 2008 at 2:53 am

I’m having the same stupid problem. No pain, very very little pus. but a small lump about the size of a marble =[. I have never had a professional piercing done before but as far as facial piercings i have a had great success. I guess it’s about time I get unlucky. I have My Monroe, a center labret, and a piercing on each side of my lip and one that goes straight through my lip. I Don’t ware them all together that would look silly =P but i really really love this piercing on my cheek. I just need to get rid of the bump! I never use antibiotics unless absolutely necessary but I decided that it was now necessary and just started applying tea tree oil (a very very light concentration) and Terramycin. If it helps I will let everyone here know since it seems to be happening to others. I am considering taking a syringe and just removing the fluid that way. If anyone else has luck post it. Because I don’t want to lose the piercing and I’m sure others feel this way was well.

Morpheus on October 13th, 2008 at 12:48 pm

I have the same problem but not as big, is your cheek piercing(s) really tight to your face? like the barbal is really short like it makes a dent in your face(dimple like it should? well when i changed it to a smaller barbel (to look like that) , it started that bump…but when i changed it back to a larger barbel(where the ball just sits on my face with a little tiny room) it went back to normal…maybe your piercing isnt ready yet, i hope this helped

Steph on November 18th, 2008 at 2:39 am

I just got mine done two days ago and im already getting greenish white fluid coming out. I dont want to have a messed up piercing or take it out. It has a small hard spot next to it too Whhaatt do i dooo. Should I drain it?

K on December 9th, 2008 at 9:46 pm

i’ve had my cheeks pierced for around 10 months now, the first 3-4 months i had no problems at all, since then ive had the notorious bump it appears a lot of others have had! however, they come and go, it must be due to the movement/irritation on the face. ive been using anti-bacterial soap however this made my skin around the piercing quite dry and also doesnt seem to prevent the bump. Im still wearing the barbells i was pierced with so always have plenty of room in the piercings. I have recently bought shorter bars in the vein this will restrict the movement through the piercing thus reducing dirt causing infection etc. I’m also going to try sea salt soaks instead of the soap. I found tea tree oil didnt really do anything. Im not sure if anti biotics work as im not convinced these lumps are infections as they dont seem to cause me any pain or swelling but there are lot of different types of antibiotics and to be honest i have been perscribed them for my cheek when it flared up but the doctors dont take much time to analyse the problem and are quick to perscribe you and send you on your way. if anyone has any tips for these strange little lumps please please post i love my cheek peircings and am determined to stick out the problems until they heal (do cheek peircings ever properly heal??!)

libby on January 3rd, 2009 at 4:57 pm

Hi. I had my cheeks pierced for about 2 months and begun to get the problems described above, a little lump beside the entry point of the piercing, about the size of a marble. It was very hard, and I didn’t want to squeeze it, as this woud probably cause more problems. I went to a piercer and he syrienged (excuse spelling) both of them. I then went on a weeks course of antibiotics. Neither of these solutions seemed to work. I have used sea salt soaks, cleaned them twice daily with a benzalkonium chloride solution, not smoked or drunk alcohol, gone on a course of zinc/magnesium/multivitamins/calcium and echinacea, used bread soda mixed with cooled boiled water as a paste on them, changed them to longer bars (1.6 x 16) and then after another month I went to my doctor (who is piercing friendly and very respectful). He gave me a ten day course of antibiotics and recommended me to continue as I was with saline soaks and good oral hygiene. I still have these two small lumps at the entry of either piercing and they are very very irritating. I wish to take my cheek piercings out, but fear that I will be left with not only piercing scars, but these two lumps will never go away… has anyone had this problem and taken them out? I love them and have taken out all my other facial piercings because theyre so pretty on their own, but I really cant continue with two lumps on my face Any advice/experiences would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you !

Spektator on January 8th, 2009 at 9:16 pm

Also, to add to my post above, I thouht that perhaps using a topical antibiotic would help clear it up (like Fucidin or something similar). I was advised by my doctor and my piercer that this wouldnt help, as it was a subdermal problem and such topical antibiotics would probably just clog up the piercing and not help very much as there was no external problem. I think the contents of the lump is very hard lymphatic fluid that just wont budge

Spektator on January 8th, 2009 at 9:19 pm

fuck the lumps! some people get them other lucky mother fuckers don’t
i got em
i took my left one out. lump went away
right never had it til about 2 weeks after i took my left out the right started bumping.
i was on accutane last year i don’t know if that has anything to do with it
did everyone else’s start out like a small white head?

abe on January 28th, 2009 at 3:44 pm

To help a little with your questions regarding these wonderful hard bumps due to the piercings, I believe it comes in combination of having short tight bars, and also goes with the piercing site being entirely too close the lymph glands, or in some cases the piercing puncturing it all together. I do not believe they are infectious but the gland becomes irritated and damaged and secretes fluid in attempt to heal itself. Hope this helps someone.

JennyBoBennie on April 24th, 2009 at 2:01 pm

I just got my dimples pierced and around the piercings it hard but not swollen or red but it hurts a little…What should i do?

Amiee' on May 4th, 2009 at 6:47 am

I have had cheek piercings for a year and 1/2 and I have had fluid pockets. To get rid of them you should go to a professional piercer have them take your jewelry out and drain the pocket. After draining the pocket you should do warm sea salt soaks.Even after draining the pocket, fluid will sometimes still build up, but after draining it and soaking it consistently I have not had this problem in about 6 months. This is why piercers are cautious about cheek piercings, they are a pain in the ass, and even after all the down sizing and thinking that they are healed you will still have problems.

poofpie on May 5th, 2009 at 12:50 pm

I think the problems are related to over cleaning your piercings. you should be cleaning them for more than the initial 2-3 weeks period and een then it should not be over done.

A lot of piercings decide to play up when over cleaned. let your body do the healing!!

As for those who have only just been pierced, yours is just healing and i really wouldnt stress at this point.

Cheek piercings are known to be a problematic area and most secrete lymph fluid over the course of their life due to the location of the piercings.

the_spine on May 13th, 2009 at 8:31 am

ok so i just got my cheeks done two days ago, i dont have any lumps or anything wrong with my cheeks. my cheeks are actually fine, a little sore but they should be. my problem is underneath my tongue. the part under my tongue is swollen and there are some white spots, and it feels raw. i have no idea what its from but im getting nervous. i cant get ahold of my piercer because today is sunday am im nervous to wait until tomorrow. does anyone have any idea what the freak is wrong with my tongue?

josh on May 17th, 2009 at 4:20 pm

I had my left cheek dne 4 about a week now dnt hurt not red just the little lump n the green draining wats up wit dat? Its suppose 2 do dat or should I go see my piercer?

mz. jay on May 22nd, 2009 at 9:40 pm

im going to get my dimples this weekend but readin all of this is making me have second thoughts. it seems like e problem for most dimple-pierced people. should i be worried this will happen to me?

ana on May 28th, 2009 at 6:05 am

hey, im really really interested in getting my cheeks done, but after reading all of these entries about the bumps and fluid, would it be a better idea to get two microdermals instead of a full piercing? it doesnt seem worth it from what you all say…..

Niomi on May 28th, 2009 at 1:37 pm

i just got my dimples pierced todays the 3rd day & my cheeks are swollen but im preety sure that happens to all of us in the beggining but i hope the swolleness goes away soon i feel like a hamster lol but other then that i clean it everyday i suggest you should eat alot of ice, ice pack your cheeks, they say neosporin is good from protecting it from infections, i also heard & tried already manzanilla tea helps the swolleness u boil the water then pour itin ur cup with ur tea bag then u let it sit till its preety cool & squeeze the tea bag over your piercing well im trying alot of things ive also been takinq ibuprofen i hope this has givin u some help well goodluck & yea piercing is always a risk u never kknow what might happen but hey if u notice something wrong then u can always take them out & take care of the problem but goodluck!

andria on June 4th, 2009 at 3:51 am

I had my cheeks pierced two days ago and so far, I’ve had no problems. Just the usual swelling and soreness. To avoid all of the problems if you’re interested in getting them done, go to a GOOD body piercer with a lot of experiance, especially at cheek piercings, and it helps if they have their cheeks done themself. I’ve just been cleaning it a few times a day with anti-bacterial solution, using mouthwash regularly, taking ibuprofen as this stops them being as sore and reduces the swelling, and generally leaving them well alone. Make sure that when you get them done you get very long bars as they WILL swell a lot. I got 1.6mm 18mm length bars put in, and that is the usual size for when they’re first done, as any smaller, they wouldn’t have enough room for swelling and problems would arise. I hope this has helped anyone considering getting them done.

Cat on June 8th, 2009 at 8:13 am

I got my left cheek done 5 days ago. And I am in the same boat you all are in. THE DAMN HARD BUMPS!!. I am on the sea salt soak on the outside and rinsing with salt water after I eat or drink anything. So if that helps I will let you all know. I refuse to give up on these piercings.

jss on June 11th, 2009 at 6:10 pm

I want to get them done as well but all of you are changing my mind. The peircier I am planning on going to uses high quality jewlery, has had experience peircing individuals for 13 years and has done quit a few cheek peircings. Should I still do this peircing considering his expertiece and knowing how to properly take care of the peircing?

Jasmine on June 13th, 2009 at 6:47 pm

wow haha i really wanted my cheeks pierced but after reading this, i’m afraid. I’ve never had much luck with piercings (ears, navel, etc) they seem to all become infected no matter what i clean them with, and eventually they close up and scab over and all that jazz. ughh :/

lauren on June 19th, 2009 at 6:33 pm

just to let you all know….i had my cheeks peirced and was left with horrible scarring those little bumps your referring to are keloids…a build up of scar tissue because your cheeks are a high traffic area with alot of muscle that is always moving…aswell its dripping out lymph and pus because its trying to heal an area that had a foreign object init but your mouth is such a moist place its harder to heal.
i was told to massage vitamin e into it and that really didnt help much i know have a scar on my left cheek and two on my right do to the keloid.

maxine on June 23rd, 2009 at 4:58 pm

Man i have my cheeks done as well, had them since april 19, 2009 so its been a lil more than 2 months since ive had them and i got a bump on my right piercing its only noticeable when i smile, it looks like a ring around my piercing. Hopefully this goes away cuz if not my mom is going to kill me!

mayra on June 28th, 2009 at 5:04 am

i know this isn’t much help to those who already are having complications, but i can say to those who are thinking about having dimple piercings that it is not only imperative to get long enough labret jewelry (3/4 inch at least) but also to think about placement. i work at a shop as an apprentice, and when the piercer agreed to pierce my cheeks, he asked me to place them. when placing the piercings, you should hold a flashlight to the outside of your cheek and look at it from the inside to see where all your little blood vessels and salivary glands are. otherwise you can puncture one and i’ve been told that is a common problem with cheek piercings. that said, i’ve had no significant problems besides a lot of swelling and some clear oozing. i’ve had them for a week.

justine on June 28th, 2009 at 9:22 pm

I’ve had my cheeks pierced for almost a year now, and it’s just been a love hate relationship. I am also a tattoo artist and have recently picked up piercing. I’m apprenticing for someone with 20+ years of expertise. Neither him or I have gotten to the bottom of these bumps/lumps which seem to be infamous among so many cheek piercees. I am certain that they are not keloids or serious infections and they seem to come and go regardless of aftercare or jewelry. I’d love a true answer to the reason for these and maybe a prevention measure one should take. I usually drain them when with a 18ga needle and then just keep the area clean.

Junior on June 29th, 2009 at 12:23 am

alrite so i got my cheeks pierced like 2 months ago and at first i hated them because the skina round them was hard and “lumpy”.
i thought it was something serious so i went to my piercer and i told him i needed longer bars so i got them and after that i just started doing the sea salt soaks like 3-4 times a day and the lumps went away. i personally just think the lumps are a phase of healing, like swelling. now my cheeks are nice and healthy, but im too scared to get them cut down to shorter bars.

ANth0Ny on July 22nd, 2009 at 1:46 pm

I have had my cheeks pierced for the last year and a half, and have been having the bump pus problem since 3 months. if anyone on here has taken out their cheek piercings, could you PLEAAASE maybe sent me a pic of what sort of scarring occured when you did.. if thats not too much to ask. I have had a horrible time with my cheek piercings and am contemplating taking them out but am so scared due to the fact that im not sure what they are going to look like when i take them out. It would be so much help.

Laura on July 24th, 2009 at 1:43 am

from above-my email address is zizozizzy89 at hotmail please just cheek piercings

Laura on July 24th, 2009 at 1:44 am

er, well i was wanting to get my cheeks done on tuesday, in like 3 days but, i dont want these bumps!
does it always happen?
like iv so far had 9 peircings, 3 on esr ear(2 catilage) and snakebites(i had to get my lip peirced 5 times ofr it=/) and my eyebrow,my face n body dont really seem to scar from metal inside? so d’you think it would happen?
is it due to the peircer or the person? and is there any way to prevent it?

zoe on July 25th, 2009 at 8:26 pm

i have had mine done since april (about 4 months??) and they both have lumps under them…
they dont hurt, they dont bleed, they dont smell….its fucked up and i want to get them sorted >< preferably i can still have them in and have my cheeks back to normal! they have been like it for about 2 weeks and im sick of it! also, they didnt fuck over when they were healing or anything…were fine from the day they healed to about 2 weeks ago! please help me!!!

Arron on August 5th, 2009 at 5:12 am

I got my cheeks pierced May 16. For my b-day on the 21st.
I had been wanting them since I was 16, but g-ma
wouldn’t let me. So I waited until my 19th to get
them because I had the extra money. =D

I have the same lump in one of my piercings.
Like others, it isn’t noticeable until I smile.

I went to 2 piercers, and 2 doctors. My first piercer
said it wasn’t infected, and so did the second piercer.

(They both worked at the same place I got them done, I just
happened to go different days)

They told me sometimes the lump happens because the muscle
in there gets irritated. But from doing some reading, it
seems like I may need to get mine drained.

My right cheek piercing had the same lump also, but
I caught it early and went to my piercer and she said
it was irritated and to take a shot glass of warm water
and a tsp of epsom salt and apply it once in the morning
and once at nite. Well, that cleared the right piercing
up in 3 days. But when my left cheek piercing started to get the hard lump everyone talked about, I started the epsom salt
treatment, and it never went away. It was at one point
so big I didn’t have to smile for it to be noticeable.

In other words, it was huge. And on top of that, this
time it hurt REALLY bad. So I went to one of my doctors,
and she said it was badly infected. So she put me on
antibiotics, and the bump went down dramatically, but not
completely away. Then the bump got a bit bigger
after I was done with the antibiotics. So I called
in to the office of my primary dr and they called in
more antiobiotics for me so I didn’t need to make an appt.
When the bump didn’t completely go away AGAIN, I scheduled
an appt with my primary doctor, and he said its not
infected AT ALL! So thats 3-1 who said its not infected
versus infected. So, my doctor told me to follow
up with a skin specialist, and SUGGESTED that I take
the piercing out, but that it wasn’t necessary if I
really wanted to keep it and deal with the irritated skin
And I told him I really didn’t
want to take them out. Like others on here, I don’t
want to give up on these piercings =(

But I’m kinda getting irritated with the irritated skin.
My doctor told me its because I mess with the piercings.
Which is true. I play with them rather than bite my nails.
I stopped messing with my right piercing, and the bump
went away COMPLETELY, but then came right back once
I started fiddling with it again. So I’m currently
doing the warm water and epsom salt treatment on the right
one, and trying not to irritate the left one with the hard
lump in it.

I think I will get some syringes and drain it myself.

But I just wanted to share my story here with you guys.
If anyone knows a remedy that will make the bump completely go away and KEEP it away, it would be greatly appreciated.

If anyone wants to e-mail me with questions, my e-mail
is d_bone_ay@yahoo.com

Debonee on August 6th, 2009 at 8:31 pm

HI READ MINE!! I HAVE POSITIVE NEWS!!!

THIS IS MY SECOND SET AND IVE VERY MUCH KEPT TRACK OF ALL THIS..
1ST OF WE ALL KNOW USE LONG ASS POST I PREFER TEFLON (I MIGHT OF MISS SPELLED IT)ITS MUCH MORE FLEXIBLE AND SOFT AND ITSNT PORIS ALSO YOU WANA CHANGE THEM OUT AFTER A WHILE I KINDA HEARD THEY BREAK DOWN AFTER A WHILE..BUT I HAVE REALLY HAD PROBLEMS WITH THAT..
I NEVER USED THE TITANIUM OR SURGICAL STEEL!!
THE FIRST SET WAS A NIGHT MARE..AFTER A YEAR AND A HALF HEALING WITH EMU OIL THATS RIGHT EMU OIL !! THEY WENT AWAY FAST!!
THIS TIME AGAIN I USED LLOOOOONG BARS I LOOK LIKE THE TIGER MAN BUT WHATEVER AND THERE FINE!!! I CUT THEM DOWN..I GOT POCKETS OF FLUID AND BLOOD I DRAIN THEM THEY SWELL AND I TAKE IBPRO. FOR SWELLING THERE OKAY I LET THEM GET CRUSTY WE ALL WANT WHITE BLOOD CELLS TO FORM ITS GOOD.. AND NOW THERE ALMOST HEALED!!
ALSO I NOTICED
NO SODA
NO STRAWS NO MEAT HELPED ALOT THREW ALL THIS!! I MOUTH WASH THEM WHEN I EAT OR DRINK ONLY JUICES NO SODA!! ONLY WATER!!!!!! IS THE BEST WAY I ALSO FOUND A AFTER CARE THAT WORKS!!! ITS CALLED PROVON ITS HAS A LOTION IN IT TO HELP WITH DRYING ON THE OUT SIDE AS WELL AS THE CHLOROXYLENOL IN IT!! ALSO I NEVER WENT TO A DOCTOR FOR THIS AND NEVER TRIED ANTIBIOTICS..GOOD LUCK

danikatattoos on August 20th, 2009 at 5:20 pm

Well I can’t say that I’ve had the same problems as everyone above me but I do have a problem..I got my cheeks pierced march 14th, and thing were fine nothing out of the ord but in the past few days I’ve developed a sore on the inside of my mouth.
I thought nothing of it.But it healed I guess and now I have this soft ring around the inside of my mouth. I know that it might not be anything but if anyone has any info to give me on how I can rid this problem I’d love to hear from you.

Ana on August 27th, 2009 at 9:58 pm

VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION VERIFIED!!!

Okaii so I have had my cheek piercings for a lil over a week now, and I haven’t had any problems at all, besides the usual swelling and soreness. And all I’ve been doing is taking ibuprofen, along with sea salt soaks and the usual brushing in the morning and at night. I rinse with crest pro health solution beacause it is alcohol-free, and I only use it after brushing. I use the sea salt to rinse after EVERYTHING I eat/drink even if its just a lil snack, And so far so good. But my sister had her cheeks pierced for about 4 months, and also had a lump right next to her piercing on the right side. So I took her with me to the tattoo shop and had my piercer take a look at it. Well it turned out to be a keloid, and the 2 most common reasons this happens so often is bkuz like most ppl, she didn’t wait the full 2 months ur supposed 2 2 down-size and this causes the threading from the barbell to grasp the loose skin and pull it thru the cheek, and as many of you may know, skin DOES NOT stop growing so what its doing is growing inside ur cheek, kinda like an ingrown hair, and making that lump. And the worst part of all, is the ONLY way to get rid of it is to take em out. The second reason is simple, its like the 1st but it happened the first time when the needle was replaced with the jewelry.. So knowing this im gonna keep my original barbells in for the full 2 months, I don’t care if I look like freakin shrek!!! Im gna do it kuz it will be worth it in the end!! So listen to your piercers, their telling you this stuff for a reason!!!!

Angel on September 1st, 2009 at 1:27 am

Shit, i didnt know that lump thing was so bad.
hmm the lump used to get pretty big, never as big as a freakin marble though… i used to just cut it, then drain the shit out and saok it in sea-salt. that made it go away fro a while, but it always comes back. i think most people who get thier cheeks pierced, dont know how much of a pain in the ass it is to have them. and they mostly take em out before the regular 6-8 month healing period is up. i’ve had mine for a year. i love them, and im not gonna remove them for some dumb lump thing…. When i went to my piercer.. he told me it was building scar tissue and to not fuck with it.. so idk. that was about three months ago. i didnt get the lump until about my 8th month of healing. i guess it pretty common.

Kayluhhh on September 8th, 2009 at 2:46 am

way to scare the shit out of me everyone! I’ve had my cheeks done for about 5 months now and have had 0 problems and wear titanium jewelry that allows movement, I’ve sort have taken the LITHA method of aftercare since the second month. I spray them with a saline spray I made whenever they get mad (which is rare!) No hard spots or anything.. we’ll see though! I hope they stay nice because I think they’re my favorite mod :c

Angie on September 27th, 2009 at 1:27 pm

and #35, If you’re pierced with internally threaded jewelry then there isn’t any threading to rip through your piercing. Also, if you were to leave in the long jewelry they use(around an inch) I would say you’d more than likely end up cracking a tooth. In the two weeks I had my long bars for I bit down on the ball AT LEAST twice.

Angie on September 27th, 2009 at 1:30 pm

I love mine. The fluid came during the first weeks but has since left. I have had them 2 months now with no problems at all. None. I take care of them every single day like it was the first day right down to the sea salt rinse and anitbacterial scrub. I also use Listerine after everything I eat- I don’t know if this info will help but I just love mine and they have caused me no trouble. My piercer went through my dimples so one is a bit lower, and it looks great. This is my favorite piercing hands down. Hope this helps and happy holes!

Stephanie on October 10th, 2009 at 4:03 pm

I got my cheeks done about a week ago they seem to be alright. Doing the sea salt spray and rinsing after every meal. No bread. No soda. The only thing is I think I need longer barbel because the ball on the inside is digging into my cheek. I have to go searching for the ball on the inside of my cheek. Or is it something else?

olga on October 10th, 2009 at 5:30 pm

I’ve had my cheek piercing for 4 years.
My puss like lump comes and goes. If i bump it BAM it goes silly But Ive been doing salt washes and use what my friends call a pressure bandage ( band-aid over the clean cheek piercing; real tight over night) and the cyst type thing reduces.
I get it drained when it’s like that(pussy like) then wash it and all that jazz. I just can’t bare too take it out as it’s the best piercing to have. usually it’s ok but once a month it stuffs up. I wish i knew how to stop it from stuffing up. All my piercers say is” if it pusses/ hurts take it out” but it’s not simple as that if you love the piercing and have had it for years

crystal on October 12th, 2009 at 7:22 am

I’m a piercer and I just pierced my own cheeks about a month ago. So far, so good. With the pus pockets, these do need to be drained often to prevent a huge build up like most of you guys are talking about. Also, the length of the jewelry makes a huge difference. If your jewelry is even a tad bit too tight, it could remain irrated and take virtually foreverrrr to heal. Don’t get too anxious to tighten your piercings if it’s not healed yet !!! or if you tighten them TOO much they can even start cutting into the inside of your mouth which means it’ll probably swell again and stay swelled until you lengthen the jewelry again until it’s comfortable. Also, just like any other piercing, it can have random flair ups every so often. If this happens you might have to make the jewelry longer AGAIN until the swelling and possible fluid build up goes away…. Yeah it sounds like a pain in the ass, and it REALLY is sometimes. but cheek piercings take A LOT of time and maintenance. I think those are probably the two main factors to consider, squeeze out extra drainage so it doesn’t build up, and be cautious about the length of your jewelry.

Bridget on October 22nd, 2009 at 9:13 pm

I had my cheek piercings for about six months before i got the all too common bumps.I tried absolutely everything from chamomile soaks(which helped alot,but didnt solve the problem) to sea salt soaks,to tea tree oil to antibiotics.eventually i had to take them out.They’ve been out for about a year now and no major scarring.When i first removed them i had deep purple-ish red bruising around the holes and the very large bumbs.I massaged baby lotion on them for a whole month after wards and they are now fine.No discoloration and minimal scarring which only make the dimples i already had more pronounced.I am considering getting them redone,because i love this piercing too much to go without.

Dana on October 23rd, 2009 at 6:49 pm

hey there im getting my dimples pierced soon and have been doing alot of research about them all the great and bad :). My partner is a blade piercer in yarmouth and he has said you shouldnt pierce cheeks passed the first mouler as it can cause salival glands to open up into the piercing causing leaking effects which can also cause problems with the piercing itself etc chapped skin and sore around actual piercing. He learnt this on the job and also from the book called “the piercing bible” by Elayne Angel a very very advanced and skilled piercer she had learnt this from her own mistake. Also use 1.6 mm by 22mm bell bars. Hope this info is useful to other people interested in unique dimple piercings. xx

Jessika B on October 29th, 2009 at 5:03 pm

had my piercing for about a month… first two weeks awesome… then the lump, then the puss… and a little pain when I smile. I rinsed my mouth with Listerine and rubbed the inside of the piercing with sea salt on a Q-tip two times a day. I wash my face with clear antibacterial soap and use Kleenex around the site instead of a rag. I made a paste of sea salt and water for the outside of the piercing and alternate nights with neosporin. Each night I massaged the lump. The lump is now gone, the skin is no longer dry and peeling, and the secretions are now white/clear instead of yellowish green. I think it’s always going to secrete… just a matter of cleaning properly. I smoke, drink, wear makeup, and refuse to rinse after each meal and drink… so I expected issues. Bottom line all piercings have issues. I love mine and if I am destined to keep sea salt and neosporin in the bathroom…and a nightly massage… so be it.

Michele on November 4th, 2009 at 2:36 am

Wow, I’ve been wanting my cheeks pierced for about 5 months now. It has honestly scared me to death with the lumps and puss. I still really want them done, maybe I’ll be lucky and not get the lumps and puss, but I’m still very scared. So do you think it was worth the piercing in the end or was it just one big pain and waist of money???

Kayla W. on November 10th, 2009 at 4:07 pm

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I just went to the doctor today out of despiration.I think I have the same problem as you had.My right cheek isnt that bad..it has a marble size lump under the skin and oozzes green (ew),but it doesnt hurt,smell and it isnt red.However,my left cheek is another story.Its red and swollen/hard I’d say about a half inch around the piercing.The other night when i was cleaning it it bled alot,alot of pus came out and what was even more horrifieing is that when I cleaned all this away I could see that a lille of the skin around the stud had died alowing a small piece of yellow flesh to pop out of my face!what could this be?do I need to have my piercer cut me open?(my doctor told me to take out the piercings and gave me anibiotics…today when i cleaned my left cheek the little piece of flesh was gone)
kim on February 19th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
I’m a piercer myself and cannot offer you much on the problems you are going through, Ive had my cheeks done for about 3 months now. This is the second time, im developing hardened scar tissue on the left side, im not swollen and it isnt oozing so to say, its only noticeable until I smile. Im on here now looking for answers. i’ll check back and let you know if i find anything. But was that the first step before the lumps you were noticing?
Tori on May 15th, 2008 at 2:53 am
I’m having the same stupid problem. No pain, very very little pus. but a small lump about the size of a marble =[. I have never had a professional piercing done before but as far as facial piercings i have a had great success. I guess it’s about time I get unlucky. I have My Monroe, a center labret, and a piercing on each side of my lip and one that goes straight through my lip. I Don’t ware them all together that would look silly =P but i really really love this piercing on my cheek. I just need to get rid of the bump! I never use antibiotics unless absolutely necessary but I decided that it was now necessary and just started applying tea tree oil (a very very light concentration) and Terramycin. If it helps I will let everyone here know since it seems to be happening to others. I am considering taking a syringe and just removing the fluid that way. If anyone else has luck post it. Because I don’t want to lose the piercing and I’m sure others feel this way was well.
Morpheus on October 13th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
I have the same problem but not as big, is your cheek piercing(s) really tight to your face? like the barbal is really short like it makes a dent in your face(dimple like it should? well when i changed it to a smaller barbel (to look like that) , it started that bump…but when i changed it back to a larger barbel(where the ball just sits on my face with a little tiny room) it went back to normal…maybe your piercing isnt ready yet, i hope this helped
Steph on November 18th, 2008 at 2:39 am
I just got mine done two days ago and im already getting greenish white fluid coming out. I dont want to have a messed up piercing or take it out. It has a small hard spot next to it too Whhaatt do i dooo. Should I drain it?
K on December 9th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
i’ve had my cheeks pierced for around 10 months now, the first 3-4 months i had no problems at all, since then ive had the notorious bump it appears a lot of others have had! however, they come and go, it must be due to the movement/irritation on the face. ive been using anti-bacterial soap however this made my skin around the piercing quite dry and also doesnt seem to prevent the bump. Im still wearing the barbells i was pierced with so always have plenty of room in the piercings. I have recently bought shorter bars in the vein this will restrict the movement through the piercing thus reducing dirt causing infection etc. I’m also going to try sea salt soaks instead of the soap. I found tea tree oil didnt really do anything. Im not sure if anti biotics work as im not convinced these lumps are infections as they dont seem to cause me any pain or swelling but there are lot of different types of antibiotics and to be honest i have been perscribed them for my cheek when it flared up but the doctors dont take much time to analyse the problem and are quick to perscribe you and send you on your way. if anyone has any tips for these strange little lumps please please post i love my cheek peircings and am determined to stick out the problems until they heal (do cheek peircings ever properly heal??!)
libby on January 3rd, 2009 at 4:57 pm
Hi. I had my cheeks pierced for about 2 months and begun to get the problems described above, a little lump beside the entry point of the piercing, about the size of a marble. It was very hard, and I didn’t want to squeeze it, as this woud probably cause more problems. I went to a piercer and he syrienged (excuse spelling) both of them. I then went on a weeks course of antibiotics. Neither of these solutions seemed to work. I have used sea salt soaks, cleaned them twice daily with a benzalkonium chloride solution, not smoked or drunk alcohol, gone on a course of zinc/magnesium/multivitamins/calcium and echinacea, used bread soda mixed with cooled boiled water as a paste on them, changed them to longer bars (1.6 x 16) and then after another month I went to my doctor (who is piercing friendly and very respectful). He gave me a ten day course of antibiotics and recommended me to continue as I was with saline soaks and good oral hygiene. I still have these two small lumps at the entry of either piercing and they are very very irritating. I wish to take my cheek piercings out, but fear that I will be left with not only piercing scars, but these two lumps will never go away… has anyone had this problem and taken them out? I love them and have taken out all my other facial piercings because theyre so pretty on their own, but I really cant continue with two lumps on my face Any advice/experiences would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you !
Spektator on January 8th, 2009 at 9:16 pm
Also, to add to my post above, I thouht that perhaps using a topical antibiotic would help clear it up (like Fucidin or something similar). I was advised by my doctor and my piercer that this wouldnt help, as it was a subdermal problem and such topical antibiotics would probably just clog up the piercing and not help very much as there was no external problem. I think the contents of the lump is very hard lymphatic fluid that just wont budge
Spektator on January 8th, 2009 at 9:19 pm
fuck the lumps! some people get them other lucky mother fuckers don’t
i got em
i took my left one out. lump went away
right never had it til about 2 weeks after i took my left out the right started bumping.
i was on accutane last year i don’t know if that has anything to do with it
did everyone else’s start out like a small white head?
abe on January 28th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
To help a little with your questions regarding these wonderful hard bumps due to the piercings, I believe it comes in combination of having short tight bars, and also goes with the piercing site being entirely too close the lymph glands, or in some cases the piercing puncturing it all together. I do not believe they are infectious but the gland becomes irritated and damaged and secretes fluid in attempt to heal itself. Hope this helps someone.
JennyBoBennie on April 24th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
I just got my dimples pierced and around the piercings it hard but not swollen or red but it hurts a little…What should i do?
Amiee' on May 4th, 2009 at 6:47 am
I have had cheek piercings for a year and 1/2 and I have had fluid pockets. To get rid of them you should go to a professional piercer have them take your jewelry out and drain the pocket. After draining the pocket you should do warm sea salt soaks.Even after draining the pocket, fluid will sometimes still build up, but after draining it and soaking it consistently I have not had this problem in about 6 months. This is why piercers are cautious about cheek piercings, they are a pain in the ass, and even after all the down sizing and thinking that they are healed you will still have problems.
poofpie on May 5th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
I think the problems are related to over cleaning your piercings. you should be cleaning them for more than the initial 2-3 weeks period and een then it should not be over done.

A lot of piercings decide to play up when over cleaned. let your body do the healing!!

As for those who have only just been pierced, yours is just healing and i really wouldnt stress at this point.

Cheek piercings are known to be a problematic area and most secrete lymph fluid over the course of their life due to the location of the piercings.
the_spine on May 13th, 2009 at 8:31 am
ok so i just got my cheeks done two days ago, i dont have any lumps or anything wrong with my cheeks. my cheeks are actually fine, a little sore but they should be. my problem is underneath my tongue. the part under my tongue is swollen and there are some white spots, and it feels raw. i have no idea what its from but im getting nervous. i cant get ahold of my piercer because today is sunday am im nervous to wait until tomorrow. does anyone have any idea what the freak is wrong with my tongue?
josh on May 17th, 2009 at 4:20 pm
I had my left cheek dne 4 about a week now dnt hurt not red just the little lump n the green draining wats up wit dat? Its suppose 2 do dat or should I go see my piercer?
mz. jay on May 22nd, 2009 at 9:40 pm
im going to get my dimples this weekend but readin all of this is making me have second thoughts. it seems like e problem for most dimple-pierced people. should i be worried this will happen to me?
ana on May 28th, 2009 at 6:05 am
hey, im really really interested in getting my cheeks done, but after reading all of these entries about the bumps and fluid, would it be a better idea to get two microdermals instead of a full piercing? it doesnt seem worth it from what you all say…..
Niomi on May 28th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
i just got my dimples pierced todays the 3rd day & my cheeks are swollen but im preety sure that happens to all of us in the beggining but i hope the swolleness goes away soon i feel like a hamster lol but other then that i clean it everyday i suggest you should eat alot of ice, ice pack your cheeks, they say neosporin is good from protecting it from infections, i also heard & tried already manzanilla tea helps the swolleness u boil the water then pour itin ur cup with ur tea bag then u let it sit till its preety cool & squeeze the tea bag over your piercing well im trying alot of things ive also been takinq ibuprofen i hope this has givin u some help well goodluck & yea piercing is always a risk u never kknow what might happen but hey if u notice something wrong then u can always take them out & take care of the problem but goodluck!
andria on June 4th, 2009 at 3:51 am
I had my cheeks pierced two days ago and so far, I’ve had no problems. Just the usual swelling and soreness. To avoid all of the problems if you’re interested in getting them done, go to a GOOD body piercer with a lot of experiance, especially at cheek piercings, and it helps if they have their cheeks done themself. I’ve just been cleaning it a few times a day with anti-bacterial solution, using mouthwash regularly, taking ibuprofen as this stops them being as sore and reduces the swelling, and generally leaving them well alone. Make sure that when you get them done you get very long bars as they WILL swell a lot. I got 1.6mm 18mm length bars put in, and that is the usual size for when they’re first done, as any smaller, they wouldn’t have enough room for swelling and problems would arise. I hope this has helped anyone considering getting them done.
Cat on June 8th, 2009 at 8:13 am
I got my left cheek done 5 days ago. And I am in the same boat you all are in. THE DAMN HARD BUMPS!!. I am on the sea salt soak on the outside and rinsing with salt water after I eat or drink anything. So if that helps I will let you all know. I refuse to give up on these piercings.
jss on June 11th, 2009 at 6:10 pm
I want to get them done as well but all of you are changing my mind. The peircier I am planning on going to uses high quality jewlery, has had experience peircing individuals for 13 years and has done quit a few cheek peircings. Should I still do this peircing considering his expertiece and knowing how to properly take care of the peircing?
Jasmine on June 13th, 2009 at 6:47 pm
wow haha i really wanted my cheeks pierced but after reading this, i’m afraid. I’ve never had much luck with piercings (ears, navel, etc) they seem to all become infected no matter what i clean them with, and eventually they close up and scab over and all that jazz. ughh :/
lauren on June 19th, 2009 at 6:33 pm
just to let you all know….i had my cheeks peirced and was left with horrible scarring those little bumps your referring to are keloids…a build up of scar tissue because your cheeks are a high traffic area with alot of muscle that is always moving…aswell its dripping out lymph and pus because its trying to heal an area that had a foreign object init but your mouth is such a moist place its harder to heal.
i was told to massage vitamin e into it and that really didnt help much i know have a scar on my left cheek and two on my right do to the keloid.
maxine on June 23rd, 2009 at 4:58 pm
Man i have my cheeks done as well, had them since april 19, 2009 so its been a lil more than 2 months since ive had them and i got a bump on my right piercing its only noticeable when i smile, it looks like a ring around my piercing. Hopefully this goes away cuz if not my mom is going to kill me!
mayra on June 28th, 2009 at 5:04 am
i know this isn’t much help to those who already are having complications, but i can say to those who are thinking about having dimple piercings that it is not only imperative to get long enough labret jewelry (3/4 inch at least) but also to think about placement. i work at a shop as an apprentice, and when the piercer agreed to pierce my cheeks, he asked me to place them. when placing the piercings, you should hold a flashlight to the outside of your cheek and look at it from the inside to see where all your little blood vessels and salivary glands are. otherwise you can puncture one and i’ve been told that is a common problem with cheek piercings. that said, i’ve had no significant problems besides a lot of swelling and some clear oozing. i’ve had them for a week.
justine on June 28th, 2009 at 9:22 pm
I’ve had my cheeks pierced for almost a year now, and it’s just been a love hate relationship. I am also a tattoo artist and have recently picked up piercing. I’m apprenticing for someone with 20+ years of expertise. Neither him or I have gotten to the bottom of these bumps/lumps which seem to be infamous among so many cheek piercees. I am certain that they are not keloids or serious infections and they seem to come and go regardless of aftercare or jewelry. I’d love a true answer to the reason for these and maybe a prevention measure one should take. I usually drain them when with a 18ga needle and then just keep the area clean.
Junior on June 29th, 2009 at 12:23 am
alrite so i got my cheeks pierced like 2 months ago and at first i hated them because the skina round them was hard and “lumpy”.
i thought it was something serious so i went to my piercer and i told him i needed longer bars so i got them and after that i just started doing the sea salt soaks like 3-4 times a day and the lumps went away. i personally just think the lumps are a phase of healing, like swelling. now my cheeks are nice and healthy, but im too scared to get them cut down to shorter bars.
ANth0Ny on July 22nd, 2009 at 1:46 pm
I have had my cheeks pierced for the last year and a half, and have been having the bump pus problem since 3 months. if anyone on here has taken out their cheek piercings, could you PLEAAASE maybe sent me a pic of what sort of scarring occured when you did.. if thats not too much to ask. I have had a horrible time with my cheek piercings and am contemplating taking them out but am so scared due to the fact that im not sure what they are going to look like when i take them out. It would be so much help.
Laura on July 24th, 2009 at 1:43 am
from above-my email address is zizozizzy89 at hotmail please just cheek piercings
Laura on July 24th, 2009 at 1:44 am
er, well i was wanting to get my cheeks done on tuesday, in like 3 days but, i dont want these bumps!
does it always happen?
like iv so far had 9 peircings, 3 on esr ear(2 catilage) and snakebites(i had to get my lip peirced 5 times ofr it=/) and my eyebrow,my face n body dont really seem to scar from metal inside? so d’you think it would happen?
is it due to the peircer or the person? and is there any way to prevent it?
zoe on July 25th, 2009 at 8:26 pm
i have had mine done since april (about 4 months??) and they both have lumps under them…
they dont hurt, they dont bleed, they dont smell….its fucked up and i want to get them sorted >< preferably i can still have them in and have my cheeks back to normal! they have been like it for about 2 weeks and im sick of it! also, they didnt fuck over when they were healing or anything…were fine from the day they healed to about 2 weeks ago! please help me!!!
Arron on August 5th, 2009 at 5:12 am
I got my cheeks pierced May 16. For my b-day on the 21st.
I had been wanting them since I was 16, but g-ma
wouldn’t let me. So I waited until my 19th to get
them because I had the extra money. =D

I have the same lump in one of my piercings.
Like others, it isn’t noticeable until I smile.

I went to 2 piercers, and 2 doctors. My first piercer
said it wasn’t infected, and so did the second piercer.

(They both worked at the same place I got them done, I just
happened to go different days)

They told me sometimes the lump happens because the muscle
in there gets irritated. But from doing some reading, it
seems like I may need to get mine drained.

My right cheek piercing had the same lump also, but
I caught it early and went to my piercer and she said
it was irritated and to take a shot glass of warm water
and a tsp of epsom salt and apply it once in the morning
and once at nite. Well, that cleared the right piercing
up in 3 days. But when my left cheek piercing started to get the hard lump everyone talked about, I started the epsom salt
treatment, and it never went away. It was at one point
so big I didn’t have to smile for it to be noticeable.

In other words, it was huge. And on top of that, this
time it hurt REALLY bad. So I went to one of my doctors,
and she said it was badly infected. So she put me on
antibiotics, and the bump went down dramatically, but not
completely away. Then the bump got a bit bigger
after I was done with the antibiotics. So I called
in to the office of my primary dr and they called in
more antiobiotics for me so I didn’t need to make an appt.
When the bump didn’t completely go away AGAIN, I scheduled
an appt with my primary doctor, and he said its not
infected AT ALL! So thats 3-1 who said its not infected
versus infected. So, my doctor told me to follow
up with a skin specialist, and SUGGESTED that I take
the piercing out, but that it wasn’t necessary if I
really wanted to keep it and deal with the irritated skin
And I told him I really didn’t
want to take them out. Like others on here, I don’t
want to give up on these piercings =(

But I’m kinda getting irritated with the irritated skin.
My doctor told me its because I mess with the piercings.
Which is true. I play with them rather than bite my nails.
I stopped messing with my right piercing, and the bump
went away COMPLETELY, but then came right back once
I started fiddling with it again. So I’m currently
doing the warm water and epsom salt treatment on the right
one, and trying not to irritate the left one with the hard
lump in it.

I think I will get some syringes and drain it myself.

But I just wanted to share my story here with you guys.
If anyone knows a remedy that will make the bump completely go away and KEEP it away, it would be greatly appreciated.

If anyone wants to e-mail me with questions, my e-mail
is d_bone_ay@yahoo.com
Debonee on August 6th, 2009 at 8:31 pm
HI READ MINE!! I HAVE POSITIVE NEWS!!!

THIS IS MY SECOND SET AND IVE VERY MUCH KEPT TRACK OF ALL THIS..
1ST OF WE ALL KNOW USE LONG ASS POST I PREFER TEFLON (I MIGHT OF MISS SPELLED IT)ITS MUCH MORE FLEXIBLE AND SOFT AND ITSNT PORIS ALSO YOU WANA CHANGE THEM OUT AFTER A WHILE I KINDA HEARD THEY BREAK DOWN AFTER A WHILE..BUT I HAVE REALLY HAD PROBLEMS WITH THAT..
I NEVER USED THE TITANIUM OR SURGICAL STEEL!!
THE FIRST SET WAS A NIGHT MARE..AFTER A YEAR AND A HALF HEALING WITH EMU OIL THATS RIGHT EMU OIL !! THEY WENT AWAY FAST!!
THIS TIME AGAIN I USED LLOOOOONG BARS I LOOK LIKE THE TIGER MAN BUT WHATEVER AND THERE FINE!!! I CUT THEM DOWN..I GOT POCKETS OF FLUID AND BLOOD I DRAIN THEM THEY SWELL AND I TAKE IBPRO. FOR SWELLING THERE OKAY I LET THEM GET CRUSTY WE ALL WANT WHITE BLOOD CELLS TO FORM ITS GOOD.. AND NOW THERE ALMOST HEALED!!
ALSO I NOTICED
NO SODA
NO STRAWS NO MEAT HELPED ALOT THREW ALL THIS!! I MOUTH WASH THEM WHEN I EAT OR DRINK ONLY JUICES NO SODA!! ONLY WATER!!!!!! IS THE BEST WAY I ALSO FOUND A AFTER CARE THAT WORKS!!! ITS CALLED PROVON ITS HAS A LOTION IN IT TO HELP WITH DRYING ON THE OUT SIDE AS WELL AS THE CHLOROXYLENOL IN IT!! ALSO I NEVER WENT TO A DOCTOR FOR THIS AND NEVER TRIED ANTIBIOTICS..GOOD LUCK
danikatattoos on August 20th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
Well I can’t say that I’ve had the same problems as everyone above me but I do have a problem..I got my cheeks pierced march 14th, and thing were fine nothing out of the ord but in the past few days I’ve developed a sore on the inside of my mouth.
I thought nothing of it.But it healed I guess and now I have this soft ring around the inside of my mouth. I know that it might not be anything but if anyone has any info to give me on how I can rid this problem I’d love to hear from you.
Ana on August 27th, 2009 at 9:58 pm
VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION VERIFIED!!!

Okaii so I have had my cheek piercings for a lil over a week now, and I haven’t had any problems at all, besides the usual swelling and soreness. And all I’ve been doing is taking ibuprofen, along with sea salt soaks and the usual brushing in the morning and at night. I rinse with crest pro health solution beacause it is alcohol-free, and I only use it after brushing. I use the sea salt to rinse after EVERYTHING I eat/drink even if its just a lil snack, And so far so good. But my sister had her cheeks pierced for about 4 months, and also had a lump right next to her piercing on the right side. So I took her with me to the tattoo shop and had my piercer take a look at it. Well it turned out to be a keloid, and the 2 most common reasons this happens so often is bkuz like most ppl, she didn’t wait the full 2 months ur supposed 2 2 down-size and this causes the threading from the barbell to grasp the loose skin and pull it thru the cheek, and as many of you may know, skin DOES NOT stop growing so what its doing is growing inside ur cheek, kinda like an ingrown hair, and making that lump. And the worst part of all, is the ONLY way to get rid of it is to take em out. The second reason is simple, its like the 1st but it happened the first time when the needle was replaced with the jewelry.. So knowing this im gonna keep my original barbells in for the full 2 months, I don’t care if I look like freakin shrek!!! Im gna do it kuz it will be worth it in the end!! So listen to your piercers, their telling you this stuff for a reason!!!!
Angel on September 1st, 2009 at 1:27 am
Shit, i didnt know that lump thing was so bad.
hmm the lump used to get pretty big, never as big as a freakin marble though… i used to just cut it, then drain the shit out and saok it in sea-salt. that made it go away fro a while, but it always comes back. i think most people who get thier cheeks pierced, dont know how much of a pain in the ass it is to have them. and they mostly take em out before the regular 6-8 month healing period is up. i’ve had mine for a year. i love them, and im not gonna remove them for some dumb lump thing…. When i went to my piercer.. he told me it was building scar tissue and to not fuck with it.. so idk. that was about three months ago. i didnt get the lump until about my 8th month of healing. i guess it pretty common.
Kayluhhh on September 8th, 2009 at 2:46 am
way to scare the shit out of me everyone! I’ve had my cheeks done for about 5 months now and have had 0 problems and wear titanium jewelry that allows movement, I’ve sort have taken the LITHA method of aftercare since the second month. I spray them with a saline spray I made whenever they get mad (which is rare!) No hard spots or anything.. we’ll see though! I hope they stay nice because I think they’re my favorite mod :c
Angie on September 27th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
and #35, If you’re pierced with internally threaded jewelry then there isn’t any threading to rip through your piercing. Also, if you were to leave in the long jewelry they use(around an inch) I would say you’d more than likely end up cracking a tooth. In the two weeks I had my long bars for I bit down on the ball AT LEAST twice.
Angie on September 27th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
I love mine. The fluid came during the first weeks but has since left. I have had them 2 months now with no problems at all. None. I take care of them every single day like it was the first day right down to the sea salt rinse and anitbacterial scrub. I also use Listerine after everything I eat- I don’t know if this info will help but I just love mine and they have caused me no trouble. My piercer went through my dimples so one is a bit lower, and it looks great. This is my favorite piercing hands down. Hope this helps and happy holes!
Stephanie on October 10th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
I got my cheeks done about a week ago they seem to be alright. Doing the sea salt spray and rinsing after every meal. No bread. No soda. The only thing is I think I need longer barbel because the ball on the inside is digging into my cheek. I have to go searching for the ball on the inside of my cheek. Or is it something else?
olga on October 10th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
I’ve had my cheek piercing for 4 years.
My puss like lump comes and goes. If i bump it BAM it goes silly But Ive been doing salt washes and use what my friends call a pressure bandage ( band-aid over the clean cheek piercing; real tight over night) and the cyst type thing reduces.
I get it drained when it’s like that(pussy like) then wash it and all that jazz. I just can’t bare too take it out as it’s the best piercing to have. usually it’s ok but once a month it stuffs up. I wish i knew how to stop it from stuffing up. All my piercers say is” if it pusses/ hurts take it out” but it’s not simple as that if you love the piercing and have had it for years
crystal on October 12th, 2009 at 7:22 am
I’m a piercer and I just pierced my own cheeks about a month ago. So far, so good. With the pus pockets, these do need to be drained often to prevent a huge build up like most of you guys are talking about. Also, the length of the jewelry makes a huge difference. If your jewelry is even a tad bit too tight, it could remain irrated and take virtually foreverrrr to heal. Don’t get too anxious to tighten your piercings if it’s not healed yet !!! or if you tighten them TOO much they can even start cutting into the inside of your mouth which means it’ll probably swell again and stay swelled until you lengthen the jewelry again until it’s comfortable. Also, just like any other piercing, it can have random flair ups every so often. If this happens you might have to make the jewelry longer AGAIN until the swelling and possible fluid build up goes away…. Yeah it sounds like a pain in the ass, and it REALLY is sometimes. but cheek piercings take A LOT of time and maintenance. I think those are probably the two main factors to consider, squeeze out extra drainage so it doesn’t build up, and be cautious about the length of your jewelry.
Bridget on October 22nd, 2009 at 9:13 pm
I had my cheek piercings for about six months before i got the all too common bumps.I tried absolutely everything from chamomile soaks(which helped alot,but didnt solve the problem) to sea salt soaks,to tea tree oil to antibiotics.eventually i had to take them out.They’ve been out for about a year now and no major scarring.When i first removed them i had deep purple-ish red bruising around the holes and the very large bumbs.I massaged baby lotion on them for a whole month after wards and they are now fine.No discoloration and minimal scarring which only make the dimples i already had more pronounced.I am considering getting them redone,because i love this piercing too much to go without.
Dana on October 23rd, 2009 at 6:49 pm
hey there im getting my dimples pierced soon and have been doing alot of research about them all the great and bad :). My partner is a blade piercer in yarmouth and he has said you shouldnt pierce cheeks passed the first mouler as it can cause salival glands to open up into the piercing causing leaking effects which can also cause problems with the piercing itself etc chapped skin and sore around actual piercing. He learnt this on the job and also from the book called “the piercing bible” by Elayne Angel a very very advanced and skilled piercer she had learnt this from her own mistake. Also use 1.6 mm by 22mm bell bars. Hope this info is useful to other people interested in unique dimple piercings. xx
Jessika B on October 29th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
had my piercing for about a month… first two weeks awesome… then the lump, then the puss… and a little pain when I smile. I rinsed my mouth with Listerine and rubbed the inside of the piercing with sea salt on a Q-tip two times a day. I wash my face with clear antibacterial soap and use Kleenex around the site instead of a rag. I made a paste of sea salt and water for the outside of the piercing and alternate nights with neosporin. Each night I massaged the lump. The lump is now gone, the skin is no longer dry and peeling, and the secretions are now white/clear instead of yellowish green. I think it’s always going to secrete… just a matter of cleaning properly. I smoke, drink, wear makeup, and refuse to rinse after each meal and drink… so I expected issues. Bottom line all piercings have issues. I love mine and if I am destined to keep sea salt and neosporin in the bathroom…and a nightly massage… so be it.
Michele on November 4th, 2009 at 2:36 am
Wow, I’ve been wanting my cheeks pierced for about 5 months now. It has honestly scared me to death with the lumps and puss. I still really want them done, maybe I’ll be lucky and not get the lumps and puss, but I’m still very scared. So do you think it was worth the piercing in the end or was it just one big pain and waist of money???
Kayla W. on November 10th, 2009 at 4:07 pm

Cheek piercings gone wrong!

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Wednesday February 6th, 2008 @ 1:15 AM

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