I'm having a bit of a problem here and would appreciate any help or advice.
I had both of my nipples pierced about 2 months ago in Japan, but now I'm afraid the left nipple is migrating. Both rings are horizontal, pierced through the nipple, before the halo. The ring on the right nipple is about dead center, but the right side of the left nipple is about 3 4ths down the nipple while the other side is about center.
There is a scar above the hole that seems lower. I can't tell if this scar is where it was originally pierced though because I've had a problem with bumps forming right above the piercings on both nipples. The bumps are painful, red and fluid filled and cause swelling in the area just above the ring. There is still a bump that comes and goes around this scar.
Also, on the nipple in question, when I first got the piercing the skin around the top of the hole dried and cracked, leaving a scab which also formed a scar.
The jewelry used was 14g stainless steel captive bead rings, and I haven't changed them.
My after care *was* - clean with liquid antibacterial soap twice a day (turning the soap through and turning to rinse it out) for about 2 weeks then dropping to once a day after. I also cleaned any crusties off with saline solution, usually before getting dressed or going to bed.
I was still doing this until I saw your aftercare. Now I know that I was overcleaning and turning the rings too much for too long, which probably caused the bumps and the possible migration.
Now I should just wash normally in the shower with no turning at all and then leave them alone, right? If the ring started migrating, is there anything I can do to stop it or just to keep it? There is still about 1 4 of nipple to go through before it would fall out, but I certainly don't want it to come to that. I'd really like to keep this piercing.
You have been overcleaning and with 14g being thin, you have been rubbing and breaking down the tissues. Generally once this process starts, there is really no stopping it. Migration is a mechanical process and as you move the jewellery and breakdown the tissue the weight of the ring is just so heavy that the little tissue left is unable to sustain the jewellery and the result is that the rings falls.
From what you have explained, you have about 1 4 of the piercing left and that is just not enough tissue to sustain the jewellery. We recommend that you remove the jewellery before you completely lose the piercing.
The scar tissue you speak of is probably due to the salt water solution that you have been using as this is harsh and it seriously irritates the tissues especially the soft nipple tissue. The bumps are also caused by the overcleaning moving of the jewellery and the more you did, the more you excellerated the migration process.
The skin becoming dry and cracked could have been resolved with a little moisturizer and not using any salt water.
For the piercing that is still doing well. Just wash around the area and do NOT move the rings at all. If you notice that they are dry or chapped, after your shower, take a Q-tip and remove the crusties. Then take another Q-tip and apply a water based moisturizer until fully absorbed.
Sorry about the other piercing.
Many thanks for your advice and for the helpful information on your sight! I wish my original piercer had given me your aftercare, or even told me how common it is for this piercing to migrate!
I went to a piercer in town to have the rings removed and was prepared to say goodbye to one of the piercings. I showed the piercer my problem -- it was as though the right side of the piercing had slipped from 3 o'clock to about 5. Maybe later. Things weren't looking good.
Once the offending ring was out, we could see that on top of my overcleaning there was another problem -- the part of the ring concealed inside the piercing was actually almost an A shape instead of being round. It was worse on that right side, and it was easy to see how the ring could have been pinching and slicing downward through the sides of the nipple just as a ring of too small diameter would. Does that make sense?
Anyway, from what we could tell, this ring, with everything else, had managed to warp the shape of the whole nipple. Not only wasn't it round anymore, it was more like a paintblob with one side dripping down in the direction of the migrating ring. So now, no piercing, and a bizarrely shaped nipple later, I was pretty upset.
Start working on switching the other ring to a straight barbell. I DO NOT want to take anymore chances, and we noticed -- hey, with the ring out, the left nipple has slowly started returning to it's normal shape. We could see that the holes from the piercing were getting back to being pretty level. 5 o'clock to 4 o'clock to maybe 3:30. It's back to being almost round. I'm thrilled.
So then I thought, what the hell, might as well try it. We put a straight barbell in with the understanding that if it starts migrating again at all, I should unscrew the balls, take it out, and let it go.
But I have hope. I'm watching it very closely. Start of day 4 and thus far both barbells are resting pretty even at about 3 o'clock. No bumps, almost no crusties whatsoever, only a little bit of tenderness.
I know the whole thing sounds crazy. I'll be sure not to press my luck this time!
From what you described about the A shape of the one ring, we believe that the original piercer over bent the ring when he was shaping it after the piercing but before the bead was inserted. We can only imagine what discomfort you were going through. This would have put a lot of pressure on the piercing.
We are also happy that once the jewellery was removed, the body returned to its normal state and you could insert a barbell.
What you did not tell us was are the barbells a good fit or can you see some barbell on either piercing. If so, please keep an eye on them. Too much leverage even with a barbell can still cause migration.
Keep in touch
Now that you mention it, there was a *lot* of swelling by the time the barbells were inserted, so they were a good fit then, but they are a bit too long now.
I'll have to go in and get a perfect fit. Thank you for the advice!!
Glad to have helped.
Please keep in touch
