Angry Conch?

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Friday November 7th, 2008 @ 10:02 AM

Filed under: Ear

I got my inner conch pierced about 4 weeks ago. Prior to this I’ve only had my earlobes pierced (3 times). I know that I have issues with nickel.

The piercing process was fine and I had no issues (I was pierced with a regular needle and got a 14g barbell put in because I heard barbells are better for healing), but for the past week or so my piercing has begun to act up. There is a reddish bump on the back of the piercing and whenever I go to clean it, it bleeds slightly.

I’ve been cleaning it thoroughly using Bactine twice a day and Spectro Gel once a day in the shower. I have also done a few sea salt soaks which helped greatly with getting rid of the minor pain I experienced in the beginning.

Is there an issue I should be aware of? I don’t think it is infected because I clean it regularly, so I was worried it may be rejecting. I heard that bleeding piercings is a bad sign. Is there anything I should do?

Thanks in advance.

You made a good choice with the barbell. They definitely heal faster than rings. I prefer to do conch piercings at a minimum of 12ga, as I find they are a bit more durable and seem to heal a little better, but a 14ga conch piercing is definitely “healable”.

I would suggest changing your aftercare routine. Stop the Bactine for sure and it’s probably best to stop the Spectro Gel as well. Neither of those products are going to help your piercing heal…your body has to do the healing. In most cases, chemical cleansers will actually interfere with your body’s ability to heal. At this point it sounds like you are using too many things, too often, on the piercing. In addition, the action of moving the jewelry around in the piercing (which I’m assuming you’re doing to rinse the cleaners off/out) will serve to irritate your piercing.

The bump you have, and the bleeding you are getting, is an indication that your piercing is irritated.

I would suggest doing warm sea salt soaks on the piercing twice a day. Try to soak the piercing for about 5 minutes AFTER you shower. I think you’ll find that fewer products, less often…and a reduction in irritation from moving the jewelry…will make a big difference.

Good luck!

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