For the love of God, will dd’s pierced ears ever clear up?

[twosoups1972]

She had them done in fucking April. Healed ok to start with but the last few months they’ve been sore.

Tried various different metals, currently wearing titanium studs. Have to take them out twice a week for PE and it’s hurting her to put them back in. Backs of ears are crusty.

This morning one bled when I took the earring out.

We’ve also tried prontolind spray from Amazon but keep forgetting to apply regularly.

What shall we do? Give up and let them close up?

Take earings out for 3 days or so. Clean with salty water or tcp daily. If still not clear keep earings out and try again when older.

Can she blag leaving them in for PE?

I can't wear piercing studs as they are too short for my fat lobes, and they embed and end up infected. I wear small hoops or short labrets. Maybe that would be better for her?

Where did she get them done? If it was a reputable place, they should offer free after care. If it was Claires or somewhere that used a gun, dont go back there - look for a decent piercing studio and talk to them.

And don't take the earrings out to heal, they'll heal over, and any infection in the ear needs to drain. You need to keep the 'wound' open to drain.

But the sterile earring from eBay or Amazon - they are the same they pierce their ears with

Does she have a good cleaning routine? Treat them as if they were new again, cleaned hands before three+ soap and water or saline washes a day.

(I'm guessing she doesn't do that, else she wouldn't have an opportunity to "forget" the spray...)

I had this years ago with one of mine.
I bought medical grade plastic ones from somewhere or other and they cleared up immediately. Can’t remember why I did it now but it worked.

I've had a few new piercings this year and the advice from the piercer was to not touch them at all, but if they go gunky, bathe them in salt water once a day (and no more.) avoiding touching them is her main advice though!

Don't take the earrings out. Unless they are cheap ones. Get proper gold or similar. Clean everyday round them with cotton buds dipped in dettol & cooled boiled water. Do it 2/3 times a day. Only thing that worked for us.

Tried labrets but couldn’t get them in from the back.

Had them done at reputable piercing studio with a needle.

We tried salt water but she said it stings!

Mine never cleared up. Body rejected them as I'm allergic to metal. Plastic may have been ok, but I didn't know about those. I gave up after a few years of weeping ears and buying lots of earrings.

I don't know where the whole 6 weeks healed thing started - mine have never healed that quickly. DD1's took ages as well - about 6-9months. Luckily her primary school would allow them to be covered with tape instead of removed for PE - is this an option for you?

A hot saline soak daily - not a rub/wipe, but a proper soak - really helps healing.

My Dd uses clear plastic piercing retainers for all week at school. They are virtually invisible so doesn't have to take them out for pe. Her ears start to heal up if she has them out for more than a few hours

Saline solution twice a day. She is not allowed to slack or they will not heal... if you haven't been making sure she cleans and twists them, then no wonder they haven't healed?

She’s at secondary school and they are v strict about taking them out for PE. Plastic retainers are still earrings aren’t they so subject to the same safety risk.

Will get back into proper cleaning routine. So just saltwater rather than cleaning solutions? How hot does it have to be? I presume cooled boiled water?

Buy sterile salt water spray at the chemists. Agree with pp they take longer than 6 weeks to heal

Dont twist them, that's very out of date advice - it introduces more dirt into the piercing.

Definitely go back to the studio for proper advice rather than rely on any of us!

I do agree with clear retainers like Bioflex or Bioplast - she might get away with hiding them so not have to take them out so often. It'll probably be the removing and replacing that's aggravating it so much.

If the jewellery is going back in dirty each time, with unclean hands (almost guaranteed), it's far from ideal.

Just here to say I've had my ears pierced for 10 years and they still bleed and hurt a little some times.

Mine healed in about 2 weeks both times, this is what I did:

Boiled water in kettle, put in a little ceramic ramekin, added sea salt (only a little bit).
Washed my hands with hot water and plain unfragranced soap
Without touching anything else, put cooled but still warm boiled water with sea salt dissolved in it on ears using cotton wool pads (a different one for each ear)
Left them alone

Did that twice a day

I second getting advice from the piercer, seems a long time

PS I hated the cleaning solutions, they seemed to make mine worse initially.

It probably does sting to bathe them in salt water- it's literally adding salt to the wound! However, it will help.

I've loads of piercings including my ears. I always take a good multivitamin for a few weeks while I'm waiting for a piercing to heal, it seems to help.

mayhem I think you're right, it's the taking them in and out that's making them worse.

Do the plastic retainers go in from the front?

Try polysporin cream. I remember using it as a child for my ears and it worked a treat. I also used to clean my ears (with earings in) with surgical spirits every day until it improved and thereafter once a week.

metal allergies meant using plastic in our home for one in family.
my mother can wear silver but not gold or cheap metal earrings.
So suspect nickel allergy.
my brother has severe nickel allergy. cant wear any clothing, like jeans with metal studs. even has to be careful re glasses.

Eczema type skin can mean more likely to take longer to heal or become inflamed.