I didn’t take ibu when I got my silicone implant, and I had quite some swelling (and fluid buildup) for several days…
When I got my flexy, I was prepared, kept the arm up and took ibu for the first 3 days (only 2x 400mg per day), and I had literally no swelling and just a bit of fluid (which changed from day to day, depending on how much I had to move my hand). So, I think I’d recommend it - it doesn’t do harm, and it seems to help 
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How long has that fluid been sitting there? Does it feel “hot” to the touch?
I would be surprised if it helps to be honest.
I will be like everyone else here, and tell you No. Stop. Don’t. Non of us are doctors, so I would suggest not doing anything on your own. I think a doctor would just go for needle aspiration, and not slice ya open.
I would do this, and put a pressure wrap on as tight as I could stand.
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Yes in the sense it blocks your body from producing those fluids that cause you to swell.
No doctor would rely on it alone to keep something like this from swelling. Yeah, Ibprofin would help, but this is well beyond that.
The installer told me to do it, so idk. Also, I stopped taking 800mg ibuprofen because of this. Im gonna cut back on my salt intake too
Yeah, you are beyond cutting out salt in my eyes. I am not a doctor. Just some dude who has a fear of what happened to you.
How is the swellimg currently?
I took that pic earlier today.
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Will you update us once you can elevate it and have a chance to wrap it and stuff?
Lastly, how many hours has it been like this? If it goes over 3 days, I would consider medical intervention.
Add my name in for skipping the lancing, elevating it, and wrapping it. Particularly wrapping it - my installer told me that light compression is actually the best method to reduce and prevent fluid build up, so I was going to heavily suggest investing in a good quality bandage and wrapping that bad boi up as well as could be.
This is what I was told to do. I followed this the best I could .
"Aftercare:
Keep sutures dry 24hrs.
Keep a bandaid covering the sutures until you remove them. Let sutures breath daily for a 4hrs.
Daily bathing with soap suds and rinse don’t touch sutures with hands or towels.
Suture removal 9-11 days.
Keep self adhesive pressure bandage on all day for 4-5 days loose not too tight. Also let the hand breath daily 4hrs.
After sutures are removed purchase BioOil from CVS and apply to the scar and massage lightly for 10-15 minutes at a time several times daily for 1-2 months. This will help reduce visible scarring."
"Leave the pressure bandage off now and let the swelling go down by doing a warm compress followed by a cold one. Each process is 5-1in each.
The other suggestion would be to apply the numbing patch and poke the skin and drain the fluid. Hopefully your body is not reacting to the material.
So make sure you wash the area really really well put your numbing patch on for about an hour and make sure you don’t poke your implant and then just squeeze by pushing down towards the hole/wound to get the fluid out."
At the end of the day, do what you feel is right. Imma let you figure out the best course of action to take.
Not trying to sound like a dick, but at the end of the day, that is your hand. I trust you know how to deal with it.
We are all just concerned strangers looking at pics and hoping for the best for you
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Im not too worried about it. I appreciate all the concern though.
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yeah the biggest concern is infection… and this doesn’t look like infection to me. if it’s not red, painful, or hot to the tough it’s probably not infected… a light pressure bandage or wrap around it and elevating it above your heart / head for as long as you can each day should drastically reduce fluid retention in 24-48 hours time… but if there is any sign of infection or you have any doubts, then definitely go see the doc.
also don’t lance it.
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Hey, hope you’re feeling better, I am a doctor and in the short term Ibuprofen is gonna do nothing for that level of oedema. The ibuprofen will help but 24-48hours down the line when it has a chance to modulate your bodies inflammatory response.
I would also not lance it yourself, let your body reabsorb the fluid. The only issue is that if the fluid causes so much pressure that it causes local necrosis of the skin or surrounding tissue. In fixed facial compartments of the body this is aptly called “compartment syndrome” and is a medical emergency. The key here is the pain level, of the pain level is incongruent with the injury then it needs to be considered, if it becomes unbearable and firm then seek advice. The other issue is that this might not be fluid but blood. This won’t degrade in the same way and can cause a heamatoma, this will likely discolour your skin though.
All in all, if it’s feeling better then great, if not then go to local ER, if you want a second opinion then DM me a more recent pic.
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Ha! Finally one!
True, especially since it’s not red or hot - but if he starts to open it himself, he might very well get an infection. Especially considering that…
… is far from being sterile or even sanitized. Honestly, I’m pretty surprised that any artist would give an advice like that.
With my silicone implant, there was a swelling (guess it was fluid buildup) for some time, too, and my artist considered a drainage as well - but he would have ordered me to come over to his studio (2 hrs. train drive, one way) or have it done at my local piercing studio (he knows my piercer personally and trusts him enough for that). He would never have told me to open it up myself.
He did offer to do it for me but its a 10+ hour drive from me.
Thanks, I feel fine. My hand doesn’t hurt at all. I decided to wait and see if it gets any better.
Doctors rarely offer medical advice because when they do, they get assaulted with questions from people who go “Oh, since you’re a doctor, I feel X, Y or Z. Can you have a look?” and then they end up doing a consultation for free. I know that because I have the same problem as a computer engineer.
We had a chat with a doctor cousin of mine over a Christmas family dinner over this: at some point during the evening, he looked at me across the table and said “You’re a computer guy: could you take a look at my Windows? There’s something wrong with some driver. It’s probably nothing, It won’t take you a minute.” I told him “Sure. I charge $55 an hour”, knowing full well that when you start messing with someone’s old computer, you invariably end up spending hours reinstalling everything.
He got all cross and went “Well isn’t that nice! We’s family and you won’t even help me? What’s the point of family then?” I then popped my foot on the table and asked him “Okay then, since we’re family and you’re a doctor: I have an ingrowing toenail and it kind of hurts. Can you get your bag out and take a look? It won’t take long”.
He saw my point and shut up
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Have you tried going barefoot?
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There is that, but also if some dummy gets “computer advice from a friend who knows about computers” and screws up the company server or something… the company doesn’t try to sue you… doctors have to face that distinct possibility.