Complications of ear piercing: treatment and prevention.

Ear piercing and wearing earrings have been associated with many medical problems including local infection, sepsis, superficial cervical lymphadenopathy, localized argyria, contact dermatitis, lymphoplasia, edema and hematoma formation, exuberant granulation tissue, keloids, lipomas, embedded earrings, epidermal cyst formation, sarcoidal granulomas, earlobe deformities, cutaneous injury resembling frostbite, pressure sores or bruising of the postauricular area, syncope, aspiration, and ingestion. Proper precautions should help to prevent many of these common complications.