swollen tragus (part of ear)

[carolineryanne_xo]

About three weeks ago, I had my tragus pierced. Everything went fine, I watched the piercer put on new gloves, used a new needle, etc. but a few days later I noticed swelling. The swelling is not painful, there is no discoloration and minimal bleeding, none the less the swelling is still there. I am beginning to become concerned, I understand that a piercing is a wound so consequently I should expect this but for three weeks? Is it possible that I am overreacting? I just want to be on the safe side and I know the healing time is up to two months but Im extremely cautious. I would greatly appreciate any response to calm my nerves about this. thanks very much, caroline-ryanne

[Wear/a/Jimmy]

If the tissue seperates from the cartiledge, you can possibly have some big issues.

google cauliflower ear (sp) boxers get this all the time. What happens is they have trauma on the ear,  due to the punch, swelling occurs, and the tissue seperates from the catledge...   the damage is pretty much forever.

Sure one would expect swelling from a piercing, but it is the damage that the swelling causes that is the key. "Swelling" is not always a benign issue....  just ask head trauma victims....  if they can respond.

Also, if you are a diabetic, this type of piercing is really a bad idea.

[carolineryanne_xo]

wow are you positive ? it is a piercing which is a wound so swelling should be normal ...

[Wear/a/Jimmy]

Not good, not good at all. There are three layers of tissue in that area of the ear.

If you can imagine a piece of cardbord with cloth glued to each side of the cardboard.  This represents the ear, and actually most of the ear is desined in this fashion.

OK now back to the cardboard.  If the cloth in a particular area becomes "unglued" now the cloth sags and does not look normal.... correct.

That is the deal with the ear, and that is what is going on.  You pierced the ear, in the middle of that tissue is cartiledge. The tissue surround the cartiledge has sperated from the cartiledge. Fluid has filled in the void between the tissue and cartiledge.....  and it may never go back to being normal.

My advice, is to see medical assistance ASAP. I have no way to really judge how bad this is, so really all I can say is go to see an ENT doc soon. Don't wait for a 2 week apt etc. call around and get some help.

Essentially the ear lobe is the safest area of the ear to peirce, and even then I don't really agree with doing that.