Help - gammy ears after ear piercing

[summerdaysgain]

My daughter (age 13) had her ears pierced 8 weeks ago. The advice was to clean daily and twirl the studs around daily which she has done. The studs were to be kept in for 6 weeks. Both ears were beginning to hurt and are not really gunky but getting that way. We removed them to clean today and now cannot get back in. My daughter is concerned as she thinks the holes will close in a few days. I can feel almost a tiny lump of something hard in the areas of the each hole which I assume is gunk that may have gone hard but unsure (sorry TMI). No idea what to do bar carry on bathing and cleaning her ears. Should we use TCP or similar? Any suggestions please? And shall I try to get the studs back in now? Thanks.

[Grimmfebruary]

If you got them done at Claires I'm not surprised they've gone manky.

I would go to a proper piercing shop and have them check them out and recommend cleaning things.

I would also let them heal over and then have them done again professionally once the infection has gone.

[WhatInTheWorldIsGoingOn]

And what if she didn't get them done at Claire's?

[summerdaysgain]

Strange post response?? Why do you think they were done at Claires?? They were done professionally by a qualified pharmacist who had been trained to do this. The infection has only recently started she has not had it for 8 weeks. Thanks.

[Grimmfebruary]

Claire's ear piercings have a track record for getting infected and the people piercing aren't trained properly.

Take her back to where they were done and ask for advice, they would be the person for advice. I was advised to use cooled boiled salt water when one of my cartilage piercings went gross.

[summerdaysgain]

Ok thanks - the pharmacist did say to contact him if any issues - it is just 8 weeks since then now and has only just started really.

Have to say I did eavesdrop on a Claires piercing when I was researching where to get her ears done and after what I saw I would not have let her go to the shop I watched in.

[Grimmfebruary]

Someone I know worked there and was 'trained' by practicing on the managers ears, then let loose on the public 😬😬 you shouldn't pierce anything with a gun tbf, it's blunt trauma forcing it through.

Have her ears settled any?

[Isadora2007]

The advice is to not remove the earrings as at least the infection can escape when the holes are still open.
If red and hot I'd see a GP or return to the pharmacy. It's odd they both flared up at once after 8 weeks.