A botched piercing left this woman with a "cauliflower ear".

Image: Discovery Communications/Daily Mail.

We all know piercings can have some undesirable side-effects.

Almost anyone who’s had a piece of metal jammed through a part of their face or body has experienced the joys of weeping, bleeding, accidental ripping, temporary infections or a major case of piercing regret.

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Generally, these issues can be resolved by treating or simply removing the offending jewellery — but the same can’t be said for some physical outcomes of body piercing. (Post continues after gallery.)

Just ask 18-year-old Remmie, whose ear piercing left her with what the Daily Mail refers to as a ‘cauliflower ear’. Don’t be fooled by the delicious-sounding name — this is a form of keloid scarring, which results in hard, large masses of scar tissue developing on top of a wound on the ear.

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Remmie had a thick bar inserted in her ear against her mum’s wishes, which soon became inflamed. Taking the bar out didn’t help matters; her wound continued to grow until it was the size of a hazelnut and resembled “a bit of chewing gum” stuck to the side of her ear.

Ouch.

"It's getting bigger and it's itchy. I had it done to look different, I look different now but not in a good way. People shout stuff and stare," she explained during an episode of reality show Extreme Beauty Disasters.

"It looks vile, it's not pretty and makes me feel less confident."

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Remmie's story is a good reminder of the importance of doing your homework and choosing a piercer wisely.

However, keloid scarring doesn't only result from piercings — it can be caused by any kind of trauma, injury or infection. Some people are more susceptible to it than others; keloid scarring tends to be more common among young people aged between 10 and 20, and in ethnic groups with highly pigmented skin.

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Thankfully for Remmie, cosmetic surgeon Vik Vijh was able to restore her 'cauliflower ear' to a regular human ear. Not all keloid scar removal procedures are this successful, however; often, the wound from a surgical incision will become a keloid scar itself.

"My confidence is over the top. It's so much better. I feel like me again, it's nice to be back," Remmie told Extreme Beauty Disasters.

Have you ever had a piercing go wrong?