urgent : ear piercing hole with purple marker inside, pls help. Will my daughter need surgery?

Question

Urgent : my daughter (11 yr), had ear piercing, one was done high and we were advised to take them out. we took both 10 hour after. the purple from the surgical marker went inside the hole !! there is no way to clean it. will the skin grow on top of that and the color will remain trapped inside. please advise .

Elliot M. Heller, MD · Answer

This marker will go away just give it a few weeks, i would not worry she will not need surgery for this.

Barbara L. Persons, MD, FACS · Answer

The ink used to mark your daughter's earlobes will go away, don't be concerned. It is called gentian violet, and is also used (like betadine) on wounds that need healing. It will fade, don't worry.

Adam J. Oppenheimer, MD, FACS · Answer

Tattooing from marker is possible, though it would be unlikely. You can try to irrigate with isopropyl alcohol and or soak with gauze if you're concerned but it would still be rare to happen.

Ronald J. Edelson, MD · Answer

The surgical mark will go away, but it may take a few weeks.  It will get resolved, but probably pretty slowly, so don't worry.

Bhupesh Vasisht, MD · Answer

Nothing to worry about if this was a surgical marker.  It will take care of itself as you clean the area over the course of the next day or two.Good luckDr Vasisht

Terrence Murphy, MD · Answer

This will be just fine and does not require surgery to resolve.  The marker will go away on its own with regular washing.

Sunny Park, MD, MPH · Answer

The purple surgical mark should dissipate with time.  I recommend cleaning the area well until it heals.

Kiran Polavarapu, MD · Answer

The surgical marker should fade over time. Thank you for your question. It just may take some patience.

Michael M. Kim, MD · Answer

Hello,I wouldn't worry about it being a permanent tattoo. The ink is meant to be degradable and should be gone within a weeks time.Michael Kim, MD

Jane Olver, MBBS, FRCS · Answer

If a surgical marker is used the colour is usually resorbed and disappears within a few days even if trapped inside the tissue rather than on the surface. No panic. If by any chance it persists, it can be dealt with surgically and should heal beautifully.

urgent : ear piercing hole with purple marker inside, pls help. Will my daughter need surgery?

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Answers (12)

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