Cartilage is the term used for connective tissue located in many parts of the body like bones and joints. It is a vital component of the body and is not that much strong as bone. Cartilage is made of chondrocytes (special kind of cells) which produces collagen fibers and elastin fibers. Cartilage piercing carries the same risk as that of body piercing but in some areas of the body it takes longer time to heal.
Many women are fond of piercing on the upper portion of the cartilage on the ear instead of ear lobe. This carries equal risk of contamination and development of keloid or bumps. There are several types of cartilage piercing on the ear like helix piercing, conch piercing, scaffold piercing, ragus and tragus piercing and much more. The same person can get piercing done on many parts of the ear.
Bumps :
Bumps or keloids are nothing but raised skin structure. Piercing on any part of the body may lead to infection if post-care methods are not followed properly. Bumps are indicative of allergic reactions or infections on the piercing site. Bumps can develop on any part of piercing including earlobes, nose piercing and navel piercing.
Symptoms :
- Formation of bumps on the site of cartilage piercing indicates an infection.
- It is quite normal to have mild discomfort on the piercing site (ear, nose or navel) for the first few days.
- Allergic reaction can occur if you are using metals that comes free with the package.
- Often the formation of bumps or keloids is accompanied with swelling and redness of the skin.
Causes :
Touching the cartilage piercing with dirty hands and using non-sterilized instruments for piercing are the major causes for infection. Nowadays many piercing studios use autoclave for cleaning and sterilizing the instruments. Find a suitable place in your area after you have decided to go on piercing. Rejection is possible in some cases which can lead to formation of bumps in the cartilage piercing. The body may fail to accept the piercing resulting in infection and bump formation.