what causes piercing migration?

Question

What causes piercings to migrate? How can you prevent it?

Answer 1

This process can vary significantly between individuals and at the rate at which it occurs. The area of the body pierced and the depth of a piercing will also affect whether or not it will migrate 'out'. Some piercings are much more prone to migration (surface piercings, scrotal piercings, eyebrow piercings, nipple piercings) while in others migration is rarely or not observed (earlobe piercings, tongue piercings, PA's). Some people report piercings migrating small distances within the body until stopping and fully healing.

Rejection is affected by placement, blood flow, irritation and abuse, as well as your general health. The healthier you are, the less likely you are to have problems.

Given the choice, your body doesn't want foreign objects inside itself, and that includes piercings. Rejection occurs when it is "easier" for your body to push the piercing out like a splinter than it is for your body to heal a fistula (skin tunnel) around it. Rejection is common among surface piercings as well as navel piercings and eyebrow piercings among others — the photo below shows a pair of scars (in the helix) that are resultant of a pair of cartilage rings rejecting.

Answer 2

For the future anyone who reads this for information - Note that migration and rejection ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS. Migration can LEAD to rejection, however migration only moves the piercing so it can heal better, while rejection started pushing it out and the skin gets thinner. My piercing is migrating right now unfortunately, however there is a possibility of it stopping, so you continue cleaning. I have not had signs of the skin thinning or the bar showing more or anything like that, note that migration can still happen even way after your piercing is healed (It's still scars in that hole and scars will try to heal too)...On an ending note, if it's migrating keep doing what you're doing, don't bump it so much, etc etc. If it's rejecting take it out as soon as possibly (Unless it's infected as well then clean it and get rid of the infection THEN take it out)... You CAN get it pierced in the same place afterwards as well, you just can't get it pierced again if it rejected out and you didn't take it out. :)

Answer 3

Keep the pierced area clean. My daughter had her belly button pierced and within a couple of months her body rejected the belly button ring and it just pushed it out.
It can happen. Once it does though, you cannot get another piercing in the same area. It's almost like having an allergic reaction.