You have a new piercing, you are super proud and happy with it of course. Your body, on the other hand, may be a little less happy about it. After all, a foreign object is now sticking into your body. The body may want to get rid of this object and start trying to reject it. This is a process that occurs mainly with piercings on a flat site.
In the shedding phenomenon, the piercing is pushed to the surface of your skin, after this the skin cracks open and the jewel comes out. It is a phenomenon that fortunately is not as common as other complications that can occur with a piercing. Consider inflammation, Keloid scars and dermatitis.
Repulsion is more common in the following places:
– Eyebrow
– Navel
– Neck
– Hip
What are the symptoms?
Your body is constantly trying to protect you from outside influences. When it tries to repel the piercing, it is like protecting you from the unknown recorded jewel.
The rejection phenomenon can be recognized by the fact that the holes in the skin where the jewel is located are getting larger and larger. You may also notice that the jewel has begun to position itself differently on the body.
What you should definitely pay attention to is the skin around the jewelry. This becomes red, scaly and a little transparent. In fact, you begin to see the piercing through the skin, this is because it has come to sit more on the surface.
Usually, rejection occurs between the first weeks and months after the piercing is done, but in some cases it can be years after. When inflammation develops around the piercing, it can be a trigger for your body to start rejecting the gem.
Why is my body repelling my cool piercing?
The skin is like the largest organ of the body. It is the only thing that comes in contact with the outside world and thus is also constantly working to protect the body from outside bacteria.
When the skin is injured, it goes through an entire healing process. This process starts at with inflammation and progresses to the formation of scar tissue. So when a piercing is set, a wound is created and the body wants to cover it with scar tissue. However, the jewel is in the way in this process; it keeps the wound “open. So the body tends to push out the jewel first and then cover the wound with the scar tissue.
What can I do about the rejection phenomenon?
Unfortunately, the chances of being able to keep the piercing after your body begins to reject it are slim. The best thing you can do is take the piercing out. If you wait for the skin to burst open, a scar will appear.
Once you remove the piercing, it is best to wait a year before getting a new piercing in this place. It may be that your body will then accept them. Also, try a different piece of jewelry than the one you had. A different shape, thickness or material can work wonders.
To prevent the phenomenon, there are some things you can do. Choose a thicker rod; rejection is much less common with thicker jewelry than with thin jewelry. It is also important to avoid stress, eat healthy and give your new piercing proper aftercare.
