Ear Cartilage: keloid, irritation, infection, 'shattered' or normal?

So I've had a good look on here if this has been an issue and it hasn't, bar one from 2007 which didn't ask what I'm going to ask exactly.

I got my right cartilage done two months ago at a reputable place in town. The chap used a gun for it (okay, alarm bells going already, I'll address it in a second) I cleaned it daily with the antibacterial cleanser I was given (active ingredients: Isopropyl Alcohol BP and Chlorhexidine Acetate BP if those mean anything to anyone) and twisted it around, standard practise really. I didn't fiddle and didn't (couldn't!) sleep on it for about a week. I tried not to catch it on tops, brushing and glasses etc. It was all going pretty well untill I changed the steel stud to a gold one after four/five weeks. And I noticed a lump around the hole, both front and back, as show below. I've not prodded it, and just kept cleaning it and it's still there after these few weeks. It's slightly painful, but doesn't feel hot to the touch.

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I did my homework before I had it done to find out how it's done, healing time, tips and common problems etc. Thing is the more I looked, the less conclusive any of this sounded; guns do 'shatter' the cartilage, they don't they just carry more chance of infection; the infamous 'bump' is usual and goes away, the 'bump' is scar tissue keloid; keloids are beasts, you'd know if you had one; the 'bump' is just displaced cartilage from being punched through with a gun...

Basically, I don't think this is a keloid, having seen some pretty horrendous pictures, but I don't know whether this is normal, is this the normal 'bump'? Did I change it too early? Got something stuck in the piercing? Have I buggered up my cartilage?

I know lots of ECers have had cartilage done, so anyone recognise what it is?

 

I can't say I've gotten irregular scars at all, just the usual slightly dark ones that fade to white over time. When I get cuts, often cat-scratches from my two little devils, they heal normally and within a week. I've read keloids, and clearly hypertrophic scars, are more likely to happen in cartilage tissue due to the lack of blood supply, so I'm guessing that's just what's happened?

Will this reduce in size over time or is there something a doctor can do to remove it? Is it worth taking out the piercing, letting it heal and then repierce with a needle?

 

Thanks for that KB, really helpful. I'll see in the next week or two what's happening with the scar and if it seems to be growing I'll take the piercing out. I plan to pop along the GP at some point to see what she thinks, as she's doubtlessly seen this a lot.

 

Yup makes sense, since it'll be an open wound. Thanks