Hey! Got my earlobes pierced (with a gun, unfortunately) 5 years ago when I was 12 - they've given me trouble ever since.

I've been wearing an externally threaded titanium flatback stud in my right earlobe for years now, but there still seems to be a hard lump/ball in my earlobe around the piercing site that gets irritated easily.

It's okay most days, but on the rare occasion I change my earrings, it flares up and starts to swell a bit! It's also a little sore as well, which might be due to the jewelry (thinking that internally threaded might be better?) but there's no blood or anything. The swelling also goes down pretty fast when I put the stud back in and pop a few Advil. What's up with that - is it scar tissue, or an internal keloid?

Anyone else got this issue? :")