Whenever you get a new piercing, your body treats it as a wound. It takes time and proper piercing aftercare to heal the wound and make your body adapt to the piercing.

However, sometimes, your body will start pushing out the jewelry before the wound can heal. This phenomenon is known as piercing rejection.

In this post, we will give you a brief overview of why rejection occurs, common piercing rejection signs and how to deal with piercing rejection.

Why Does Piercing Rejection Occur?

While piercing rejection is not very common, it can happen. There are a number of factors that can increase the chances of a piercing getting rejected by the body. These include:

  • Location of the Piercing

Flat body surfaces with tight skin can increase the risk of rejection as they put pressure on the piercing.

  • Allergic Reaction

Choosing low-quality jewelry for your piercing can result in an allergic reaction. Materials are most prone to causing allergies to include nickel and lead. Thus, always choose piercing-safe metals, such as titanium and 14k gold.

  • Infection

An infected piercing elicits an immune response in the body that can increase your body’s drive to reject the piercing.

Common Piercing Rejection Signs to look out for

Here’s what you should look out for if you suspect a piercing rejection.

  • Jewelry Getting Migrated

If you feel that your stud or ring is changing its position, there is a high chance of rejection. Early signs of migrating piercing jewelry include stretch marks around the piercing and widening of holes.

  • Changes in Skin Texture and Color

Rejection often leads to skin looking thinner and tighter around the piercing. Moreover, the skin appears to be transparent or near-transparent.

  • Flaky or Inflamed Skin

A certain level of inflammation is involved in all kinds of piercings. However, it should dampen after the first few days. If you feel that the area around the piercing is inflamed and continuously painful, it could be a sign of rejection. Flaky, peeling, or calloused skin are also potential symptoms of piercing rejection.

What to Do if You Experience a Piercing Rejection

As soon as you notice signs of piercing rejection, you should get in touch with your piercer. If the jewelry has started to migrate, it’s best to get it removed because leaving it there will not only damage the skin but also make it harder for you to get the piercing again.

After you get the jewelry removed, make sure to give your skin ample time to get fully healed before you consider re-piercing.

Always choose a reliable piercer for all your piercing jobs and pick safe metals for your piercing.