Swelling is a normal part of the healing process for every piercing. If the jewelry is too short and the ends of the jewelry are pushing into your skin, the jewelry will trap drainage inside the tissue around the piercing, and the wound will not be able to drain effectively. This will lead to more swelling in the area around the piercing.
If the swelling becomes too great, it can sometimes cause the beads on the jewelry to loosen or even fall off, and with nothing holding that jewelry in place, you run the risk of the bar or hoop falling out. If the bead sinks deep into your skin there is a chance your body will heal around the jewelry, trapping it beneath a layer of skin and tissue. This is especially common with oral piercings that are allowed to swell too much.
No one can tell for certain how much you will swell after receiving a piercing. Some people swell very little, while others need to get even longer jewelry than they were pierced with to allow for excessive swelling of the pierced area. If your jewelry looks or feels uncomfortably tight, come back and talk to a piercer. We will help you find an appropriate piece of sterile jewelry to purchase that will allow more room for swelling, and help you change out to your new jewelry so you are sure it’s comfortable before you leave the store. It is important to have help with your jewelry change out this early in the healing process, because sterile jewelry can help prevent introducing bacteria to the wound.
Swelling can affect the way the jewelry sits in the piercing wound. We will have you check our markings before each piercing, and have you check the piercing after the jewelry is placed in the piercing to get your approval. There is minimal swelling immediately after the piercing, so if you were pleased with the placement, but your piercing looks crooked a few days after the piercing when swelling is at it’s worst, give the piercing several more days to heal before making a final determination on straightness.