I often hear that if there's swelling and redness after injection, it means either:
A) the oil hasn't dispersed properly (possibly scar tissue or poor injection technique)
B) after you wiped down your injection point, you didn't wait for the alcohol to dry yet (so when you inject some of the alcohol, a lump forms underneath)
C) too much BA in the gear (meaning it's the manufacturer's fault)
To fix this problem, you should massage the post-injection area and use heating methods, right?
The problem is that I've also heard a lot of people say massaging the post-injection area can do more damage, especially in the case of an abscess. Massaging an abscess can spread the bacteria underneath.
For a beginner (like myself), it's very hard to tell whether or not it's an abscess or just a normal PIP lump. I've experienced two of these painful lumps myself (from two different cycles). They usually last about a week and then go away on their own but I have never tried massaging them because I thought they were abscesses.
Also, I'm very careful with my injection technique and I always make sure everything is sterile. The only problem I have is my hand shakes a lot when I inject, which is probably what causes these lumps.
So I guess my questions are:
1. How do you tell if what you have is a regular lump or if it's an abscess?
2. As a general rule, should you massage your post-injection area or leave it alone?
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