Sea salt soaks (saline rinses) are great for preventing and managing general irritation bumps or hypertrophic scarring on new piercings, helping to keep them clean and reduce debris, but they don't treat established keloids, which are a specific type of raised scar that requires medical intervention like injections, silicone gels, or surgery, as keloids are more than just bumps and need professional care for removal or flattening.
The sea salt is so important because it rinses out the inside of the piercing and pulls out the trapped drainage that started the healing bump in the first place. You want to soak it a minimum of three times a day with a maximum of ten times. You can also purchase Tea Tree Oil to help eliminate a healing bump.
If you see increasing redness, swelling, persistent pain, discharge with odor, or other signs of infection, seek professional medical or piercing-studio advice. Summary: Don't use coarse sea salt directly. Use a dissolved, non-iodized fine salt or, preferably, a sterile saline solution for safe piercing aftercare.
There are no proven methods of removing keloid scars naturally. Some clinical studies have shown that onion extract used orally or on the skin might possibly be effective in improving the appearance of keloid scars and reducing itchiness and discomfort.
Your doctor may treat small keloids with silicone gel sheets, medicines put on the keloid or injected into the keloid, or by freezing them (cryotherapy). Large keloids may need other treatments, such as surgery. After surgery, you may have more treatment, such as radiation or injected medicine.
It is known that keloids do not transform into cancer or any other disease. However, if left untreated, they do not regress or disappear. Keloids can be mistaken for skin cancers. To rule this out, a tissue sample may need to be taken, followed by a pathological examination.
To support keloid therapy, it is advisable to limit or avoid pro-inflammatory foods such as processed meats, sugary snacks, refined grains and alcohol in excess. These foods can contribute to systemic inflammation and may impede the healing process.
Certain herbal remedies are often promoted for keloid treatment, such as aloe vera, tea tree oil and lavender oil. These natural ingredients are believed to have anti-inflammatory and wound healing properties.
Recent studies have investigated the potential therapeutic role of Curcumin, a natural polyphenolic compound derived from turmeric, in keloid treatment [6]. Curcumin has demonstrated anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-tumor properties [7, 8], making it an attractive candidate for keloid therapy.
Use a silicone gel bandage. Keep even pressure on the area. Use the bandage on the skin for 12 to 24 hours a day for 2 to 3 months. This may prevent keloid growth.
The "3-2 piercing rule" is a popular guideline for creating a balanced ear piercing arrangement, suggesting three piercings on the lobe and two on the upper cartilage for a harmonious, curated look, or applying a 2:3 ratio of piercings to space for overall balance, often pairing small studs with statement pieces for a chic, "undone" style that avoids overcrowding and emphasizes personal anatomy.
Let your piercing soak for a few minutes, though we recommend no more than 5. Afterwards, you may gently rinse the piercing, if you wish to remove some of the salt residue. Then, simply let it air dry.
Your healthcare provider may suggest one or more of the following to help you get rid of a keloid on your ear:
If you get keloids, you may want to avoid body piercings, tattoos, or any surgery you do not need. Keloid scarring can happen after these procedures.
Saline solutions are essentially sterile, commercially packaged salt solutions, but you can easily concoct your own at home. Mix 1/8 teaspoon of sea salt with water, and soak your piercing blister three times a day until it is completely gone. This can also help to remove discharge from your piercings.
When applied to a wound, salt draws water out of bacterial cells through osmosis, effectively dehydrating and killing them. This process not only helps to clean the wound but also prevents further infection.
Ayurvedic remedies such as Agnijith cream, herbal pastes, dietary changes, and detoxification therapies like Panchakarma can help manage and reduce keloid scars. While complete cure depends on individual cases, many patients experience significant improvement and relief through Ayurvedic treatment.
Recent in vitro studies on novel therapeutic approaches for treating keloids suggest that Vitamin D3 and quercetin may prove to play a significant role in managing them.
Keloids may continue to grow slowly for weeks, months or years. They eventually stop growing but do not disappear on their own. Once a keloid develops, it is permanent unless removed or treated successfully. It is common for keloids that have been removed or treated to return.
Collagen — a protein found throughout the body — is useful to wound healing, but when the body produces too much, keloids can form. Keloid growth might be triggered by any sort of skin injury — an insect bite, acne, an injection, body piercing, burns, hair removal, and even minor scratches and bumps.
Keloids can be relatively uncomfortable and restrict movement, especially if occurring at joints. Try Vaseline's skin-care products enriched with ingredients like aloe and nourishing argan oil, to help soften and soothe the skin at the scar. Read up on how you can heal your scars with the help of Vaseline.
Sun Protection: Protect healing scars from sun exposure, as UV rays can worsen scarring. Use sunscreen with a high SPF on the healing area when exposed to sunlight. Avoidance of Body Piercings: If you are prone to keloids, consider avoiding body piercings or tattoos, as they can trigger excessive scar tissue formation.
Studies have found that caffeine can impede wound healing and epithelialization,23 inhibit collagen synthesis,8 and disturb early stages of bone healing.
Accordingly, low serum and tissue 25-Hydroxyvitamin D and deficient tissue vitamin D receptors contribute to the pathogenesis of keloids. This can be partly mediated by dysregulation of the antimicrobial peptide; koebnerisin.