How to Get Rid of Nose Piercing Bump: Home Remedies that Really Work
With the rising popularity of nose piercing, the last thing that you expected was that a bump would appear on the pierced nose. Nose piercing bump can be unsightly and if it becomes infected, it can turn red, swollen, and fill up with pus. Some nose piercings develop bumps like keloids or granulomas. Of course, you want to know how to get rid of the bump on your nose as quickly as possible. After all, the nose stud was supposed to enhance your appearance, not cause an inflamed red lump on your nose.
What is Nose Piercing Bump?
Nose piercing bump caused by trauma or infection
The 2 most common reasons for a bump around a nose piercing are some kind of trauma or infection in the pierced area (nose piercing infection).
The tissues around the nose piercing could become damaged if the stud or ring has been knocked, pulled, or taken out and put back in too early. Or, bacterial infections from unclean hands or not keeping the pierced area clean could cause a Staphylococcus bacterial infection in the wound.
Keloids or granulomas
Some nose piercings develop bumps like keloids or granulomas which require treatment by a doctor.
If you are worried about a nose piercing bump, this article will help you know what home remedies you can use to treat an infected bump and how to heal the pierced area faster.
Nose Piercing Bumps Without Infection (Keloids or Granulomas)
If there is no sign of infection and you have a nose piercing bump that won’t go away, you could have a granuloma or keloid. These commonly appear on skin that has been damaged or has a foreign object (nose stud or ring) in it.
Granuloma
A granuloma can appear in or just beside your pierced skin. It looks like a small reddish spot which can range in size from 2mm to 2cm in diameter. Granulomas are caused by an overgrowth of tissue forming around the pierced area. Although they aren’t caused by an infection, they very often become infected. Granulomas tend to bleed easily, and according to DermNet, they can ulcerate and form crusted sores.1
Keleoid
If you have a nose piercing bump that just won’t go away, it could be a keloid on the nose piercing. Keloids are scar tissue that often form after body piercing and can leave a white bump around the piercing.
Dermatologist Dr. Gary W. Cole, says that some people are more prone to developing keloids than others and there is no way to prevent them forming.2 He recommends, that you avoid body piercing if you are prone to keloids or if one has already formed around a previous piercing.
To get rid of a nose piercing bump that is the result of a granuloma or keloid, you should visit your doctor or dermatologist. Removal of these bumps on nose piercings requires professional medical care.
Natural Treatments for an Infected Nose Piercing Bump
With any kind of body piercing, it is important to take good care of the pierced area. This will help to keep the hole and surrounding area on your nose clean and free of infection. Piercing specialists usually recommend not taking the stud or ring out while the wound is healing. A reputable piercing salon will give you written instructions on after-piercing care.
It is normal to experience some inflammation around the pierced area just after a new piercing. It is usually easy to tell if your nose piercing is infected because the surrounding skin will usually be red and swollen. You may experience pain or itchiness in the bump and there will probably be a yellowish pus-like discharge that fills the bump.
Here are some effective natural remedies to keep the pierced wound clean and free of infection. These effective home remedies can also help to treat an infected nose piercing bump and help it heal faster.
Sea Salt Soak to Treat Infected Nose Piercing
Many piercers advise using a sea salt water soak to clean the pierced area and to soften any discharge that has accumulated. A saline solution can also help to kill off any bacteria that are causing an infected nose piercing bump and help it heal faster. Sea salt water is also one of the best home remedies for treating a bump inside your nose.
According to information published in the British Journal of Plastic Surgery, a salt water soak for wounds helps to draw discharge and pus away from the infected wound.3 This process, called osmosis, helps to speed up the healing process.
To properly care for a new piercing, the National Health Service in the United Kingdom recommends making a salt water soak and applying the solution twice a day.4
To make the sea salt home remedy to get rid of an infected nose piercing bump, do the following:
- Put 1/4 tsp. sea salt in 1 cup of warm water and stir until the salt has completely dissolved.
- Soak a cotton ball in the solution and apply the compress to the bump on your nose 2-3 times a day.
- Hold the salt water compress on the infected bump on your nose for a few minutes at a time.
- Rinse the area around the infected nose piercing bump with warm water and dry with a clean piece of paper towel.
- Repeat the process daily until the wound is healed and you no longer have any redness and pus around the nose piercing.
The warm water in the compress increases blood circulation to the infected nose piercing to speed up the healing process and the salt helps any pus to drain from the wound.
Tea Tree Oil to Cure Infected Nose Ring
The antibacterial effect of tea tree oil can help to remove any infection that you may experience with a nose piercing as well as belly button piercing, tragus piercing and daith piercing. Tea tree oil also acts as an anti-inflammatory to help reduce redness, itching, and inflammation in the infected bump on your pierced nose.
The effectiveness of using tea tree oil for wound healing was confirmed in a review of studies into its medicinal and antimicrobial properties. The journal Clinical Microbiology Reviews showed that tea tree oil can kill off strains of the Staphylococcus bacteria. The compound terpinen-4 in tea tree oil is also anti-inflammatory which can reduce the appearance of red inflamed skin.5
Although most essential oils require diluting in a carrier oil, you can do a spot treatment by applying tea tree oil directly to your infected bump. To help get rid of an infected nose piecing, put a few drops of tea tree oil onto the end of a cotton swab. Gently rub the swab around the infected nose piercing.
You can also use virgin coconut oil with tea tree to treat the infected nose piercing. Coconut oil has amazing antibacterial properties which, studies have shown, are also effective in helping to treat various skin infections, including Staphylococcus aureus bacteria.6
Use virgin coconut oil with tea tree oil to help clear an infected nose piercing and moisturize the skin. All you need to do is to mix 2-3 drops tea tree oil with a tablespoon of coconut oil. Using a clean cotton swab, gently apply the remedy to the nose piercing bump. Repeat this 2-3 times a day until the infected bump has gone and you no longer have redness around the nose ring.
Chamomile Tea Compress to Heal Nose Piercing Infection
Chamomile tea is a great natural remedy for healing an infected nose piercing. Chamomile not only makes a delicious natural tea, but it contains properties to help reduce skin inflammation.
Studies into the benefits of chamomile for wound healing have shown that it is effective in helping reduce infection and help wounds heal quicker. The soothing effect of chamomile means that it can help reduce mild skin irritations and repair damaged skin. In fact, the studies showed that chamomile helps wounds heal quicker than corticosteroids, medicated creams which are used to heal skin lesions.7
It is very easy to use chamomile tea bags as a warm, anti-inflammatory compress to help heal a nose piercing faster and reduce redness around an infected piercing. Put one chamomile tea bag in a cup of hot water and wait until the water cools slightly. Squeeze out some of the water and place the hot chamomile tea bag on the infected nose piercing bump. Hold the chamomile compress on the bump until the tea bag cools. Repeat 2-3 times a day to soothe your skin and reduce the redness.
Chamomile essential oil is one of the best essential oils for skincare and it’s also a great home remedy to treat a bump on nose piercing. You can add 2-3 drops of chamomile oil to a tablespoon of virgin coconut oil to make an antibacterial ointment. Apply the natural chamomile ointment 2-3 times a day to the bump until the infection has gone completely.
Cold Pack to Treat Nose Piercing Bump
To quickly get rid of the pain that an infected bump on nose piercing causes, you can apply a cold pack. The cold compress helps to ease the pain by restricting the flow of blood to the infected bump. It can also help to reduce redness and swelling, making the bump on your nose less noticeable.
Take a piece of ice or bag of frozen vegetables and wrap it in a towel. Apply the cold compress to the red lump around the inflamed piercing and hold there for 10–15 minutes. Apply the compress 2–3 times a day for relief from an aching nose piercing. Some people find that alternating between warm and cold compress helps them to better manage the pain.
Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) to Treat Nose Piercing Bump
Raw apple cider vinegar can help to get rid of the discomfort and irritation caused by a bump that is due to nose piercing. ACV is a natural disinfectant that can help to destroy bacteria thanks to the acetic acid in it.
One study published in the European Journal of General Medicine found that a solution containing 3% to 5% acetic acid was effective in eliminating bacterial infections in wounds. The study concluded by saying that apple cider vinegar is non-toxic, inexpensive and efficient as a topical agent to kill off bacteria from infections. It is also the best alternative when antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria have caused the infection.8
To use the wound-healing properties of apple cider vinegar to treat an infected nose piercing, you should mix equal amounts of raw unprocessed ACV and water. Dip a cotton ball in the mixture and apply to the bump on your nose to kill the nose ring infection and reduce the amount of pus in the wound.
If you feel that the ACV mixture stings, you can try diluting it with more water. If you have very sensitive skin, apple cider vinegar may be too strong for your skin, and you should use an alternative home remedy.
Apple cider vinegar is also a good way to reduce inflammation in other inflammatory skin conditions. Apple cider vinegar can help to treat eczema naturally, relieve the symptoms of psoriasis, and is an excellent home remedy for boils.
Calendula to Heal Infected Nose Piercing
Calendula (pot marigold) is a natural wound healing agent that you can use to help an infected piercing heal quicker.
To quickly heal damaged, inflamed skin that oozes pus, it’s important that any healing agent soothes inflammation, kills off bacterial and viral infections, and helps to repair damaged skin tissue. Ointments containing calendula have proven to possess all these wound-healing properties.
The journal Wounds showed that calendula helps to rid infected skin of harmful microorganisms and pathogens that cause infection. It also helps to increase collagen production in the skin to accelerate the formation of new tissue and avoid the appearance of scarring.9
You can add 2-3 drops of calendula essential oil to 1 tablespoon coconut oil and apply 2-3 times a day to the sore bump on your nose. Continue applying the healing ointment daily until the infection causing the pus and irritation has gone completely.
Aloe Vera to Speed the Healing of Infected Nose Ring
Aloe vera is a well-known natural remedy for reducing redness and itchiness on inflamed and burned skin. You can also apply a little pure aloe vera to any infected piercing to speed up wound healing. Aloe vera is also a great remedy for curing a pimple inside the nose.
The reason why aloe vera can help treat an inflamed red bump that was caused by nose piercing is because its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities reduce skin redness and promote healing.10 Aloe vera also boosts the skin’s production of collagen so that regular application of it makes your skin look and feel better.11 You can also use aloe vera to reduce the appearance of scars.
It is very easy to use aloe vera as a natural home remedy for healing an infected nose piercing bump. You just need to apply a little of the pure aloe vera to the infected nose ring using a clean cotton bud. You can also apply the aloe vera gel to any infection that is inside your nose. Apply the aloe vera remedy 2-3 times a day until any redness and irritation has disappeared.
How to Prevent a Bump on Nose after Piercing
Because piercing involves puncturing the skin and inserting a foreign object, it’s natural that you will have some inflammation and irritation around the pierced area. To prevent a new piercing showing signs of infection, you should take some precautions to avoid spreading infection or irritating the surrounding skin.
Here are some helpful tips from the Mayo Clinic on how to prevent a bump developing on your nose after piercing:12
- Never attempt to pierce any part of your body yourself.
- Always get the piercing done in a reputable salon whose staff have good hygiene practices and use sterilized equipment.
- Insist that the piercer wears protective, disposable gloves.
- To avoid allergic reactions in the pierced nose, choose nose studs and rings that are made from gold, surgical stainless steel, titanium, or niobium.
- Clean the nose piercing regularly, following the instructions provided by the piercer to prevent infection and reduce the chances of developing nose piercing bump.
- Don’t play with the nose ring or stud as this can irritate the skin and hinder the healing process.
- Keep the jewelry in place until the hole has healed completely.
You should contact your doctor if the nose piercing becomes infected and you can’t get rid of the infection, or if bump develops on the piercing that doesn’t go away.
Read my other related articles:
1. Getting a Cartilage Piercing? Learn About Cartilage Piercing Care
2. Warning Signs of Infected Belly Button Piercing and Best Treatment Options
3. Bumps on Tongue: Causes and Natural Treatments
4. Pimples or Bumps on Eyelids: Causes and Treatments
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