News

Jun 01, 2023

Radiotherapy after Ear Piercing? Back to Hygiene School for Some

scarring on the earlobe of a girl in Nanjing, which has become severely

scarring on the earlobe of a girl in Nanjing, which has become severely inflamed, growing to be the size of an adult man's thumb, is reminding of care that need be taken when having ear piercings, care which many can all too often overlook.

"Who would have thought that just piercing my ears would result in surgery and radiotherapy?", was the thought of a Ms. Shen in Nanjing, as she recently underwent a third operation on her ear.

When in college, a very small bump formed on Shen's ear after having it pierced. She had a minor operation to have it cut off. This year, however, the pimple has returned and grown bigger and bigger, and occasionally tingles and itches.

On 20 May, Shen had the third operation and is currently undergoing radiotherapy.

The Yangtze Evening News consulted with Wan Neng, Director of the Department of Medical Cosmetology at Huai’an First People's Hospital, who explained the scarring and gave advice to those who have pierced ears but do not know how to take care of them.

Wan revealed that not one operation can cure that referred to as keloid scars, while their rate of recurrence is particularly high.

The Mayo Clinic explains that keloids are "likely a dysfunction of the wound-healing process. Collagen is useful to wound healing, but when the body produces too much, keloids can form".

Keloids are most likely to form on earlobes, shoulders, cheeks or the chest.

By way of prevention, Wan suggests to ensure proper preparation and consultation before piercing, to choose a qualified shop, and make sure they use sterilised tools and equipment.

The correct care steps after the piercing should also be followed, including keeping the piercing clean, while taking care not to rub it, so as not to damage the skin.