puffy cartilage

pierced the cartilage in my left eat about 2 years ago with a gun (ekk, i dident know then ) and as many things do, it got infected. Got it clean and after several other bouts with inflammation and soreness, it stopped ands been fine. But, every once in a while, someone takes a close look and notices a gromit like growth around the hole... It doesn't hurt, its relatively small and ive tried to cut it open/off, to no avail. Q. Could this be related to the 'cauliflower ear' that springs up in boxers and other that take blows to the ear. Ive heard that this is a rupture of the blood vessels and calcium/minerals gets trapped in the healing tissue. Ive not spoken to a doctor about it, as its not causing pain. And it seems to go unreported in the reviews ive read. And thoughts..

I have a small bump where a (gunned) helix piercing used to be. It's most probably simply scar tissue. The only way you'll get rid of it, if it's been there a long time, is by getting it removed with a dermal punch. Which is what I intend to do since I want a ring again in that same spot

I have seen something similar once - a cart piercing which was done using silver jewelry. The jewelry was almost immovable, fixed in an abnormal collar of tissue, and black with silver oxide. Eventually he abandoned the piercing, and the tissue returned to (almost) normal. I suppose that's what happens when you have a piercing done at a shop that specializes in silver jewelry.

It could be simply that the jewelry material is a source of minor irritation. If the piercing is fairly happy, I would suggest replacing the existing jewelry with an alternative of known good quality, and known suitably inert material. And see what happens.

Its possible it is hypertrophic (sp?) scarring. Most of my cart pierces have done that. But, my body (awsome healing machine that it is) absorbs the extra tissue eventually.

Often with catilage piercings, the skin on the exit side of the piercing is pulled slightly away from the cartilage. Fluid will accumulate there and can eventually calcify, forming said bump. Once this has occured, there's probably not much that can be done. And it seems to occur more when there is pressure on the piercing