What is migration/rejection? What can be done?
To begin, migration of a body piercing is the normal activity of your skin. I know! Sounds CRAZY, right?! Crazy but true.
Our bodies are protected by this gigantic organ called “skin”. Largest organ in the body! (Fun Fact!) And it’s primary job is to keep what’s in IN, and what’s out OUT. Simple enough. BUT… what both body piercing and tattooing ask the skin to do is to permanently accept the presence of foreign material. Again, totally CRAZY! But, also true.
So, if the natural reaction at the skin-level is to eject any foreign object (think blackheads or splinters), how the HECK do we have the societal opinion that piercings are pretty much no-big-deal?! Well… for that one I blame the mall & those companies-that-shall-not-be-named. 😆 I call it the “throw-away” view of piercing. And its just a terrible approach to thinking about how this stuff works.
Migration is natural. But it is also disappointing. Very.
Some people’s immune reaction to certain piercings is just too overpowering, and the skin just gives up and shoves the jewelry out. This is the most common thing that occurs with navel and eyebrow piercings. (Although they are also sometimes damaged repeatedly, too. More on that in a moment. 🧐 ) Once this starts happening, it is often very rapid — literally within days/weeks of first signs. So quick, that most people don’t realize that their piercing is even in trouble. Other times, though, it is a very slow, sneaking “surfacing” that occurs.
THEN consideration for any damage or other issues should be noted. (Most common here is clothing catching on, or fingers fiddling with, the jewelry. Which is why we discuss protection from damage to such an annoying degree at this studio! 😅) Our behavior is often the culprit in piercing failure, mostly repeated incidental contact (pulling or touching, most common.)
Once the piercing fails, the very first question asked us is “When can I get it repierced?”
Our answer: The piercing needs to COMPLETELY heal and resolve, so usually 18-months is the safest time-frame for most people. There is a lot to consider in this, however. Removing the piercing before it completely surfaces is a huge part of that. Once it surfaces, the chances of it migrating again are HUGE. It is a real risk that needs to be discussed up-front. As we like to say around here “Better to be disappointed up-front by the truth than many months or years later (and after time and hard-earned 💰 spent.”
Migration and rejection sucks. But, it is the normal way for skin to behave. Understanding that at the very beginning is the best approach.
what to do?
Begin Hot Water Compress immediately following damage or if notice redness between the piercing openings
If not improving, or worsening, after 3 full days of hwc schedule an appointment to have the jewelry removed BEFORE it fully rejects
Sometimes we can give the piercing a “rest” by removing it temporarily and then reinserting it after a week or two, but this is not common
Don’t rush into having it repierced - your skin will remember what it did the first time around but will do it WAY quicker
Gentle massage to the piercing area after removal of jewelry can mature and resolve the scar tissue; use of coconut or other skin oil is recommended for this
Text us: 724-745-9415