Having a piercing problem? I can help!
When you fail to change out jewelry that is too short, it can become embedded. It is much easer to prevent this from happening than to treat it after it does. If your jewelry is starting to sink into your tissue, see your piercer for a longer piece right away.
Tongue and lip jewelry normally nest (sink a millimeter or two) into the soft oral tissues, but if more than half of the ball has disappeared into your piercing or the skin appears to be growing over your jewelry, visit your piercer as soon as possible. Oral tissue regenerates extremely quickly, and jewelry can end up embedded overnight. If you cannot immediately get to your piercer for help, use elevation, rest, ice, and over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication to minimize the symptoms until you are able to get your jewelry changed.
In the unfortunate event that the tissue completely grows over the jewelry and you or your piercer cannot push it back through the surface, you must seek medical care. A small incision will be made (generally under local anesthesia) to allow for removal of your unintentional implant. If you want to preserve the hole, obtain jewelry of the proper size beforehand, as it might be possible to insert it after the embedded piece has been liberated.
Disclaimer: These suggestions are not to be considered a substitute for advice from a medical professional.
Traumatic Tears
Skin is pretty tough, so a serious snag is needed to cause real damage. When you wear jewelry of the suggested minimum thickness and exercise some awareness of your piercing, this type of unfortunate event seldom occurs, but accidents do happen. Piercings occasionally catch and tear. If your jewelry is ripped through your piercing, control the bleeding and clean the gash. Visit a medical facility if you cannot join the edges of the split tissue together properly or if direct pressure does not stop the bleeding, which is rare.
If the jewelry is not completely torn out, it might be possible to preserve your piercing using a plastic retainer, depending on the original placement and the amount of damage. Place the plastic piece in the original location as close to the body as possible and use medical tape such as Micropore to secure it. Resume the care regimen as if you had a new piercing and replace the tape as needed.
If the tissue heals satisfactorily, you may be able to reinsert regular jewelry in a few months. Your piercing may permanently require gentle handling following a tear because scar tissue is only about 80 percent as strong as normal skin.
Disclaimer: These suggestions are not to be considered a substitute for advice from a medical professional.
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