A cosplayer from Philadelphia was only 18 years old when she went to have her upper cartilage pierced.
However, ear piercings left Jennifer with huge, painful lumps of scar tissue growing out of the side of her head for more than a decade.
Jennifer had an extreme reaction during the piercing process. After the shot shocked her tissue, it triggered hard scar tissue to develop and continue growing.
Her bumps then swelled and the swelling sped up recently, making it hard to cover the lumps with hair and scarves.
Now 29, she decided to visit Dr. Sandra Lee, also known as Dr. Pimple Popper, who treats unusual growths.
She diagnosed Jennifer with keloids, an overgrowth of hard scar tissue caused by skin trauma. This is not uncommon with cartilage piercings, which heal slower than shots to other areas of the ear.
Keloids are usually common in people under 30 but her case was severe. She told TLD: “They are incredibly painful and incredibly heavy.
“They cause headaches. I’m worried they are going to get bigger…I worry about being ridiculed and mocked.”
Dr. Lee said: “They’re probably the biggest keloids I’ve ever seen. I had to take off more of the ear than expected.
“After removal, the four keloids weighed nearly 14 ounces.”
The doctor surgically removed the keloids before Jennifer underwent radiation therapy to reduce the chances of lumps from developing again.
“Everything has changed for the better. No more headaches, no more vertigo,” Jennifer expressed. “I don’t need to hide. Dr Lee gave me a future. She pretty much saved me.”
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