Swelling & pain during piercing healing

What IS swelling?

To put it simply, it is fluid that becomes trapped in the tissues surrounding a new or damaged healing piercing. It is a normal result of the activation of the immune system following the puncture of the skin and the implantation of a foreign object into the body. Literally, your body is saying, “What the HECK is that thing?!” And then a ton of specialized cells and other materials are rushed into the area to attempt to resolve the “invasion”.

Why does it hurt?

The excess fluid that builds up in the site, we call it “fluid congestion”, exerts pressure on the nerve endings present there. And, when things hurt, we humans tend to touch the area inadvertently causing MORE fluid to fill the site. 🤦‍♀️

The pain experienced can be either steady or throbbing. And can increase with an increase fluid. Simply put: more fluid = more pressure on nerves = more pain.

How do we resolve this?

The best method is through regularly repeated hot water compressing. The repetition is necessary to keep fluid from collecting again - even if it feels “better”, keep doing them!

We do NOT recommend removing the jewelry. While this may resolve the swelling, it can trap bacteria inside the piercing channel and result in a nasty infection. Retaining the jewelry allows the skin to utilize the piercing channel to get rid of excess fluid - like the little tunnel that it is!

Which piercings are most susceptible to swelling & pain?

Hard-tissue piercings are the most susceptible to fluid accumulation due to the limited space present between the very thin layers of skin and cartilage. Piercings such as helix, industrial helix, rook, conch, outer conch, forward helix, and daith are considered hard-tissue, or cartilage piercings.

Any healing piercings can be affected by swelling following damage, whether one-time or repetitive. It can also be seen following a first-time jewelry changeout. We always recommend the hot water compressing regimen for these piercing, as well. And we prefer compresses to other options, most of which are either overly invasive or just downright ineffective (saline sprays, topical products, etc.).