An infection That little bump could be a pustule, which looks like a little pimple or blister — and just like with a pimple or blister, you shouldn't try to pop it. Pustules are a sign of an infection, and they can be filled with blood and even pus.
While it can vary depending on many factors (like the piercing location and cleanliness of the studio), most piercing bumps will start to diminish after a few days.
Apply a warm compress
Trapped fluid under the skin can cause a bump, but heat and pressure will help gradually drain it. A simple warm water compress can be made by soaking a clean washcloth in hot water, applying it to the piercing, and holding it there with gentle pressure for a few minutes.
Hot compresses are always the "go-to" for any accidental bump which might result in swelling. Anytime there is swelling, there is a fluid build up inside the piercing. It is crucial at this point to hot compress and flush the fluids out. Not doing so can lead to rejection.
Saline/Salt Water Soaks:
The best thing you can do for your piercing is a saline soak 2-4 times a day, completely submerging your piercing in the solution for 7-10 minutes. There are many packaged sterile saline solutions available, including Wound Wash and Blairex.
Keloids don't go away on their own, either. If you're developing a keloid around your piercing, remove the jewelry right away and talk to a dermatologist about next steps. They may be able to reduce the keloid with corticosteroid injections.
I recommend you using a sea salt soak two times a day for the first few weeks to help remove the crusties around the piercing area. The salt water will pull the extra fluids out of the piercing and help to remove all the debris.
Avoid touching, pushing, popping, or squeezing the abscess because that can spread the infection to other parts of the skin, making things worse.
It's best to leave it in unless a doctor says otherwise because the hole can close up and trap bacteria or pus inside. Don't try to squeeze the pus out either because you may introduce more bacteria into the piercing site.
Your piercing might be infected if: the area around it is swollen, painful, hot, very red or dark (depending on your skin colour) there's blood or pus coming out of it – pus can be white, green or yellow. you feel hot or shivery or generally unwell.
If the piercing is removed, the lump will almost always disappear. They can be sore, itchy and bleed easily. While it is possible that you have a keloid, they are incredibly rare.
As it heals, it may look swollen, lumpy, or like a bump. In the days immediately following a cartilage piercing, the body's immune system triggers inflammation and swelling to heal the wound, sometimes leading to a cartilage bump. Over time, cartilage piercings may develop other bumps due to infections or scarring.
A cold compress and/or ice will help reduce swelling and slow bleeding. Secrete a whiteish-yellow fluid which may dry on the piercing. This is normal and will stop when the piercing is healed. Do not pick this with your fingers!
Once the white blood cells have stabilized the piercing site new skin cells begin to encase your piercing, closing the wound and blocking access to your body. As you can see, pus is most often an indication that your piercing is healing, not that it is infected.
Pus is a substance that is produced by a battle between our immune cells and bacteria. “A wound that's oozing pus definitely means you have a bacterial infection,” said Dr. Brady Didion, a Marshfield Clinic Health System family medicine physician.
Basically, what happens if you don't pop a whitehead is that it goes away on its own, usually in 3 to 7 days.
If you don't get a skin abscess drained, it can continue to grow and fill with pus until it bursts. A burst abscess can be very painful and cause the infection to spread. Treatment for tooth and other mouth abscesses is especially important. Untreated tooth abscesses can kill you.
These often are what we refer to as a cartilage bump or nose piercing bump. If untreated they may be prone to infection. They may occur from allergies, genetics, poor aftercare, irritation, trauma, or sometimes just bad luck. With treatment, they may disappear completely.
Irritation bumps are small bumps that form at the entrance or exit of a piercing. They can be caused by a wide array of issues. The main causes being poorly placed piercing, bad piercing angle, incorrect fitting jewellery, low quality jewellery, poor aftercare regime or lifestyle.