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May 09, 2005
BehindTheMedspeak: Early ear piercing prevents keloid formation
A keloid (above) is a lump of firm, flesh–colored skin made of fibrous tissue, more common in African–Americans than those of other races.
Keloids develop in response to trauma and are considered to be a kind of "overshoot" by the body's healing mechanisms.
A report in the May 2 issue of the journal Pediatrics indicates that keloids are nearly four times as likely to form after ear piercing when the piercing was done after age 11 (80%) than in those who had piercings before 11 (23.5%).
The authors, from the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, concluded that "piercing during early childhood, rather than later, may be advisable."
Now that's interesting.
Considering the hue and cry about kids growing up to fast and all, it might be prudent to make an exception when it comes to ear piercing.
Just a thought.
Here's the abstract of the article.
- Relationship Between Age of Ear Piercing and Keloid Formation
Objective. Keloids occur commonly after trauma to the skin, with ear piercing being a well-known inciting event.
We surveyed 32 patients with keloids resulting from ear piercing, to examine a potential relationship between age of piercing and keloid formation.
Methods. A total of 32 consecutive patients completed a survey about ear-piercing and keloid formation.
Fisher's exact test was used for data analysis.
Results. Fifty percent (n = 16) of surveyed patients developed a keloid after their first piercing.
Twenty surveyed patients developed keloids with subsequent piercings.
Those who had piercings at 11 years of age were more likely to develop keloids (80%) than were those who had piercings at <11 years of age (23.5%).
Conclusions. Keloids are more likely to develop when ears are pierced after age 11 than before age 11.
This observation holds true for patients with a family history of keloids.
Given the difficulty and cost of treating keloids, prevention remains the best approach.
Patients with a family history of keloids should consider not having their ears pierced.
If this is not an option, then piercing during early childhood, rather than later childhood, may be advisable.
Primary care physicians and pediatricians should educate children and their parents about the risk of keloid formation.
May 9, 2005 at 10:01 AM | Permalink
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Comments
i had a keloid on my right ear 2 years ago.I had it removed from surgery and i was wondering what are the chances if i pierce it again will the keloid grow back?
Posted by: David | Aug 26, 2009 12:25:00 AM
pray for us iam going to get my baby girl ears pierce in 30 minutes ..she has ecema.
Posted by: ks | Mar 6, 2009 2:01:34 PM
I am 18yrs old and got my belly button peirced for the first time about 2 months ago. I developed a small keloid around the bottom hole in the belly button. I'm just wondering what I should do now, should I take my piercing out? Is the keloid going to get bigger?
Posted by: Brittany | Feb 3, 2009 6:33:09 PM
im 18 yrs old and i have a large keloid behind my left ear that looks very similar to the picture and i have another keloid about the size of a pea behind my right ear. I HATE the way they look and feel!. The one on my left ear has stinging pains from time to time and it itches sometimes too!. I was wondering if surgery is the way to go since most of these people say that they grow back?...i want them to just cut them off!....any opinions on how or what's the best way to get rid of them??
Posted by: | Jan 7, 2009 1:50:45 AM
I have keloid skin. I first developed keloids when I was in my early teens and came down with chicken pox. I had one keloid removed from my back, which was successful. Later in my teens I had a problem with acne and developed two small keloids on my chest. They didn't bother me, but being vain I chose to get them removed thinking i would get the same results as i did with my back. That proved to be a HUGE mistake. They came back about 3 times bigger then they originally were. Which was devastating. Because of these keloids I have to always wear a necklace to cover them, which has worked very well for me. Then a few years later, Keloids developed on my ear lobes, which i had pierced for years without any problems. I suspect they developed because of heavy earrings. All in All every one is different when it comes to keloids. My suggestion is to NOT cut them. especially if you are older. I have found good results with the steroid injections! I had smaller keloids on my chest that flattened right out. the two bigger ones are almost completely gone, Their middles have flattened our completely while i still need to work on the edges. The one on my ear still needs work. My suggestion to any one is to be patient! Sometimes the injections take a while to work, but they do work eventually. Also avoid any unnecessary trauma to your chest, back,shoulders, upper arms, Jawline and ears.
Posted by: jane | Dec 14, 2008 2:17:28 PM
i had keloids on my ears and i had the surgery and steroid shots and pressure earrings (all in one treatment) the surgery and earrings worked but i dnt want ear piercings. i want my eyebrow done but what are the odds that i will get a keloid on my eyebrow. i need answers im horrified to do it because of the ear keloids. plz help!
Posted by: jamahra | Dec 13, 2008 5:28:11 PM
Joe, you might be able to say whether this is old wives tale or not. Prior to the first big surgery I underwent at the age of 28, both my mother had me take vitamin K supplements everyday for about 2 months. I never asked the why of that beyond knowing that it was supposed to help me avoid scarring. Since then, I've gone on a vitamin K treatment before 3 other surgeries (and for a few weeks after) and my scars are absolutely minimal. No bumps, no stretched skin over the incision areas - just an incredibly tidy (for lack of a better word) heal. Is it that I'm just lucky or did the vitamin K have anything to do with it? Strangely enough, I had a friend of Asian descent who underwent a cesarean that left her with terrible keloidal scarring. For her second child she was afraid it would be worse. Like a parrot I told her what I had done for my own cesarean and she tried the K vitamin plan with great results. What do you think?
Posted by: Milena | Nov 7, 2008 10:32:06 AM
Hey dale honey, boy or gril?
Look honey Ill tell you rihgt up front I am NOT a skin diseese doctor {dermitolagest] BUT i did date one for a good long whil and he wadden the sharpist knive in the draw but he shure did get the job done if you know what i mean, oooo-eeee! {plus i got free wrankle creem and itchey skalp shampo} so i piked up a few things --haha- but youre too yung i guess to know about that kinds of things, No wait youre 19? 30? something like it? so i guess you do probly more then me to. haha
I dont know what you gotbut when you go back to a doctor? Be sure to look for leters after his [and girl ones to) name, they are a M. and a D. It will look just liek that, M.D. That dont relly mean nothin but that they can act like they know all about what their talkin about even if they dont know jackshit and stil get payd lots for it. Annyway try putting some Vassalen on it or egg whiets or maybey a littlr bit of that cheese stuff from a Macdonlds fishburger, it can help. Are you alergict to any things? Hey you could allways have tatooes put ontop of the itchey lumps if their real ugly.
Hope i helped with it, then!!!
Posted by: Flo Flautwart | Nov 6, 2008 10:41:11 PM
when I was, I guess 18-19, I had a keloid on my shoulder then it appeared on my other. I went to the dermitologist to see what it was. He told me it was... ... KELOID. He also said that it's like a acne. I've had it for many years after that. My mom got me some seabreese cream. It was working. Well, it stopped from itching and more didn't come back. Then I stopped using it and now I have 4 on my right shoulder, 4 on my left, and 5 on my chest. It drives me crazy, cause it itch so bad at times. So what I started doing was buying some cotton balls and alcohol then rub it on it. It will stop for about 3 days then back to scratchin. I don't know why these things getting on me. A local doctor told me that I must have scratch yourself or rubbed across something to break the skin. It don't make since for me to rubb across something and scratch when there is nothing is wrong. I don't do drugs.
What is going on and how can I get this thing to stop having babies on me?
Posted by: dale | Nov 6, 2008 4:29:40 PM
Hi, i'm twelve and i'm thnking of getting my ear pierced, no one in my family has had keloids but do you still recommend that i don't get my ear peirced, because i would like to be sure that it isn't risky before i get it done.
Posted by: Andrew | Oct 20, 2008 1:14:58 PM
i got my ear pierced befor i was one year old but that is the case in my country girls get there ears pierced in there first week since birth
Posted by: | Sep 9, 2008 9:02:40 PM
HI..I have a family history of keloids especially on ears. my mom me and my bro had it. Now i have a 6 year old daughter who really wants ears pierced. Any suggestions. Any one who had the ears pierced at early age and got keloids. Let me know . tks
Posted by: bhav | Aug 12, 2008 11:20:32 PM
I am 14 ...2 year ago i pierced my hair in 2 places on the same ear and took it out immediately..and i am about to get it again in one spot soon..is there any way i can get a keyloid?
Posted by: Ibbz | Jul 30, 2008 9:07:39 PM
im 15 im getting my ears peired today, i was adopted and i really dont know anything about my family history so do you realy need to know your history if get your ears pierced i havent gotten them pierced before so i dont know what to expect, but if you keep on cleaning your ears really well will you get them , and what if you dont get your ears pierced with a gun but with a needle then theres like no pressure right?
Posted by: Sarah | Jul 26, 2008 3:42:35 PM
HOW CAN YOU GET RID OF KEYLOIDS?
Posted by: Angel | Jul 23, 2008 12:33:33 AM
i am 15 and i have a small keyloid if i get rid of it and dont get my ear pierced again will it stay gone
Posted by: d | Jul 15, 2008 11:50:06 AM
Im 16 n I have a small keloid on ma right ear. I got it peirce when I was in da 7 grade making me 12 at the time. The keloid hurt n its itchy. I want 2 kno should I keep da earring in or not. I need help. Any1 who get any advise mail at przdreamz61@aim.com
Posted by: crissy | Jun 5, 2008 1:31:54 AM
my aunt got my ears pierced when i was only 8 wks old..they were find until my babysitter took my gold studs out my ears and replace them with old cheap ear rings. that infected my ears. my mother tried everything to get these ugly things off my ears. I have had them cut off three times. i have do injections for one year and still they are there, why are these things so hard to get off. i am so tryed of people looking at me and pointing, i have to hide my ears all the time. each time i get them off the grow back bigger. this is so unfair to have to live life with these ugly things i only 13 teen and i want to be able to show my feel beauty some day. my mother tells me all the time i petty and don't worrie about them. i know she is being my loving mother. make me feel better, she two had keloids for years..she had her removed will in California-about 20 yrs ago and hers has never came back, why can't some here remove these UGLY UGLY THINGS FROM MY EARS. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE !!!!!!!!
THANKS Brianna 13 and wanting to be total petty!
Posted by: brianna | May 27, 2008 7:42:54 PM
the picture you are using looks very simucilar to my daughter who had keloid removal at Georgetown about three years ago, How did you get this picture it was to be use for study for the med-student at Georgetown. Please advise me who, how, and why you are using this picture without my consist...OH AND BY THE WAY THE KELOIDS ARE BACK BIGGER THAN THEY ARE IN HER PICTURE YOU HAVE ALL OVER THE INTERNET. SO I GUESS YOUR METHOD IS NOT A PROVEN METHOD AND YOU SHOULD NOT BE USING PEOPLE TO DO TESTING ON...... AWAITING YOUR REPLY AND HOPE YOU CAN GIVE ME A GOOD AND REASONABLE EXPLAINATION FOR YOUR ACTIONS P. TOLSON
Posted by: PATRICIA D TOLSON | May 27, 2008 7:25:15 PM
I have been dealing with this keloid for over 10 years. I went to a dermatologist and they hit it with steroids and even cut it off, but
here it is again.
what else can I do to rid myself if this pest that rides my ear.
Posted by: jeffrey | May 16, 2008 8:43:47 AM
The rest of my body does not develop any keloid when i get a cut. However, when i pierce my ear a bump came up. I dont think it is keloid but instead bacteria or some kind of infection. Is this posible and if so what can i do to get rid of it.
Posted by: kerry | May 1, 2008 3:20:43 PM
i accindentally pulled my 3 week old cartilage with acomb and now it has like aswelling behind it i am afraid it may turn to akeloid by the time my keloid heals please help me to prevent it from be coming a keloid.
Posted by: kelly | Apr 24, 2008 11:07:28 PM
im 13 years old and ive had a ear keloid for about a year i never thought about it until it got about the size of a blueberry and i really cant stand the itchy,and hurting feeling i have and im tired of people staring at my ear can u tell me how can iget help removing it
Posted by: terrance | Apr 24, 2008 10:50:40 PM
i had a small keloid behind my left ear and had surgery on it to remove it. its now gone but will it grow back?
Posted by: andrea | Apr 14, 2008 8:11:14 PM
hi im an 18 year-old african american female. I have a keloid on my right ear that has been removed 4 times but keeps growing back. I also have keloids on my breast because of a breast reduction i had 2 years ago. Ive had reconstruction on my breast to remove the keloids but they came back. Help! What should i do. Im going off to college next year and i dont want people staring at my ear because my keloid has come back.
Posted by: Toni Marie | Mar 9, 2008 10:14:11 PM
I am 36 years of age, I got an additional ear piercing about 4 years ago, and I have 4 holes already, I really did not need another. Well I formed some keloids on each ear. I put off going to Dr, afraid of surgery. Well this year I went, oh my goodness, it was nothing to get rid of. Two shots in each keloid and cordran tape applied at night for 12hours, and on the right ear, you can't even tell it was there. The left one will take a little more time. My advice to all, go to Dr and get rid of the those things. I wear short hair, and it looks so much better. People don't stare anymore.
Posted by: Nikki | Feb 26, 2008 12:25:08 AM
I am 22 I just recently had my keloid removed Feb 2008. Before they removed it I had been getting it injected once a month by a dermotologist for november 2007-Feb 2008 the past 4 months. Before they removed the skittle sized lump behond my earlobe, they asked three surgeons to come in and approve it to make sure it was safe enough. Well they said ok. They used something to numb my ear and inside the lil bottle of numb stuf they added steroids. They ended up getting a razor and removing most of the keloid. I got it removed its been 4 days now. I've seen what It looks like it looks a lil better then having that big chunk of skin behind my ear. BUT this is only the begining, I still have a few more days weeks months to go to see if it'll grow back. The reason my keloid formed was due to the fact that I had gauges 0's in my ears and I took that out before my daughter was born. And since then for 2yrs she has been yanking out my earings banging her head hard against my right ear, which caused this keloid outgrowth. My other ear started to form a lil keloid after I started switching sides and she began banging that ear, but ever since they started injecting my ear with steroids the itchy, pain has gone away and the swelling stopped... now I no longer have insurance and 800$ a month to pay a dermotologist for steroid injections monthly so the possibilty of it coming back could be a yes. But the way to prevent it from growing is steroid injections once a month which cost a lot but some medical insurance might cover half.....at least this worked for me for the last 4 months. Best thing to do is stop wearing earings, and be careful that you don't hit the keloid at all....and its not good to keep peircing your same earlobe constantly.. Try a pressure earing if the keloid is small that'll really help.. Its actually ok I was told by a dermotologist to keep pressure on it...meaning something that will stay on there like clip earings...
Hopefully my info helps a bit. And in 1 month ill write again to tell you if ny keloid grew back or whether its better. And what I've been doing and using to keep it clean and from swelling
Posted by: Viviana | Feb 9, 2008 10:50:55 AM
i have had 2 keloids on my left ear lobe for about 4 years now... one is bigger then the other...is it possible for them to just disapear or is surgery needed? is there anything i can do to prevent them from growing further?..
Posted by: anonamous | Feb 7, 2008 8:48:00 AM
my dads side of the family had kiloids and i'm only 11 well i turned 11 about 5 moths ago and i want to get my ear pirced will i get keloids if i do please let me know before i turn 12
Posted by: josh | Jan 14, 2008 3:30:35 PM
Iam a victim of keloids. they started on the ears and now they r on ma chest and shoulders. really need somebody to talk to coz I hardly expose my chest and shoulders. any advice? they got me bad.
Posted by: Hilda | Jan 3, 2008 12:18:17 PM
"the pus that came out like a pimple means that it is probably slightly infected"
-Wrong. It is quite normal for a piercing to have a secretion of pus or plasma around it during the healing stage.This should be of a white/yellow colour. This is fine as long as it is softened and removed away during cleaning (which should be once or twice daily with an antibacterial or saline (sea salt) solution.The 'pimple' that was described sounds like a small abscess. These are formed when a bit of bacteria is trapped inside the piercing entry, and your body reacts by shielding it in tissue so that the bacteria does not spread to your body. you will find that these will gradually disappear over time with cleaning, or that it might need to be drained to get the pus out. you might want to try sea salt soaks around the area (1/4 teaspoon of sea salt into a mug of boiling water, stir and allow to cool to lukewarm and use cotton wool tips to clean). try this for one week and if it doesn't improve slightly then add a chamomile teabag to the solution and use it as a compress around the piercing.
It is important to note that keloid scarring is from trauma, and that piercing guns should be avoided. Firstly, they are not suitable for sterilization which makes them unsafe, and you are at risk from AIDS or Hepatitis B.Secondly, they use the jewelry in the form of a blunt object.Meaning that when they fire the gun, the blunt piece of jewelry is forced into your skin by intense pressure.Pressure=trauma. Due to their design a piercing gun is never accurate, and you find the piercings arent straight and never symmetrical.Also due to this pressure you will get more swelling and guess what? the typical butterfly backed studs you get are only 6mm in length, which often enough,isnt big enough to compensate for swelling.Plus,the gun was only made for lobe piercings and should never be used to do cartilage piercings or otherwise, as the pressure can collapse the area.
For the safest experience with piercings, go to a professional body piercer, check how clean and informative they are, and that they use EU compliant jewelry- preferably Titanium as this is the best and safest metal for body piercing, as less likely to cause allergic reactions than the likes of surgical steel,and gold.Also, if you are very young wait awhile, as your body is still growing, especially the ears, and the piercing has the potential to migrate (move) from where it was originally pierced.
I'm a professional piercer myself, and I just want you kids to be informed and make safe choices.
Posted by: Becky | Jan 1, 2008 6:19:30 PM
Beverly -- the pus that came out like a pimple means that it is probably slightly infected. Make certain that you keep this clean and disinfected especially if you are doing it in the cartilage. Soap and water every chance you get and use alcohol on it at least once a say.
I had several cartilage piercings when I was younger and a little more crazy (7 piercings in one ear! Yikes!) and if you don't keep it clean and disinfected it will do this. And sometimes, even if you do all of this, it will STILL get infected. I had one spot on my ears that no matter how many times I tried to pierce it or what metal I used (surgical titanium if you can...gold is the worst because it is reactive to the skin), but no matter what I used, it got infected.
As for arneisha -- there isn't much you can do about keloids except learn to live with them. You can get surgery, but it really isn't worth it. I have several in my ear and keep them around to show the kids at my school that I wasn't always an old boring guy :-) Keep it around so that you can remember it when you have kids and they want to do something stupid so that you don't get upset (because trust me, 15/20 years later, you will think the things you do now are stupid).
Posted by: clifyt | Dec 28, 2007 11:26:56 PM
I am an 17 yeah old african american and i got my cartilage pierced about a week ago.About an Inch away from my pieircing, i got a pimple-like bump....i popped it like a pimple and pus came out like a pimple. Do any of you think its just a pimple or a keloid??please i really need ur help.
Posted by: beverly Okoroji | Dec 28, 2007 10:29:11 PM
a am an african american female and i had my ear pierced 3 times. I had it done when i was like 13, 17, and 22 I am now 23 and I have 2 keloids on both of my ears I also had my nose done so I had to let it close because A bump started forming. I need to know is there a way to get rid of the keloid?
Posted by: arneisha | Dec 28, 2007 7:49:43 PM
i have a small keloid on my ear it doesnt appear as big as the ones on the pictures.. does anyone know what is should expect or even how to get rid of it?
Posted by: | Nov 19, 2007 7:30:11 PM
my name is alana moore i live in columbia louisiana i've had a keloid on my right ear for the past 8 to 10 years. i have had it reomved but it just grow back if anyone now about any pain of this it should be me.
i have been teased and have gotten in to fights about this also because it is a very sensitive subject to me. i have no other resources that i can pull from to get this fixed for good so it anybody has any inof that i may can use please send it to my email address. dmk32006@yahoo.com the info will be gratelly appreciated.
Posted by: alana moore | Sep 26, 2007 3:38:37 PM
I am a pre-med student and i have several piercings. Anyone can get keloid scars. The best way to prevent them is with daily sea-salt soaks and massage with petroleum jelly or mineral oil. The only time family history is relevant is if your family has a history of rampant keloid growth. If you begin to develop a keliod take your jewlery out and let it heal.
Posted by: Ashley | Sep 20, 2007 10:06:20 PM
im 13 years old and i want to get my ears pierced when im 14. i don't have a history of keloid inccodences can i still get it pierced without geting a keloid.
Posted by: shenniel vassel | Sep 9, 2007 10:54:34 AM
I am ten years old and i am getting my ears peirced on 19/7/07 iam worried wether i might get keloid what are the chances of me getting one?Also is ten an alright age to get them done.Please send me feedback before 18/7/07.
i have done another one because of spelling error in other one
Posted by: Victoria | Jul 13, 2007 7:35:44 AM
i'm 14 years old and when my mom was little she got keloids on herears and now she won't let me get my ears pierced. What is the likelyness of me getting one.Please tell me if i shouldn't get my ears pierced or not! give me feedback PLEASE.
Posted by: ebony archie | Jul 4, 2007 11:11:00 PM
My 7 year old daughter DESPARATELY wants to get her ears pierced. When she was 3, she had a pacemaker put in and her scar formed a keloid. What are the odds that her ears will form a keloid since it's a piercing and not a cut open? Can anyone give me insight. She's driving me bonkers!!
Posted by: Sharon | Jun 1, 2006 9:17:46 AM
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