Help! I need ear piercing advice please (DD)

[QueenFreesia2021]

Hello,

DD (11) had her ear lobes pierced approx 12 weeks ago.

They have been absolutely fine since - we turned them every day and cleaned them with the solution. I know there are some mixed views about this but we followed the advice of the piercer. We had them done at Superdrug.

We kept the original earrings in for 8 weeks and have been using only silver earrings since then. DD has to take them out for PE so they do come out a couple of times per week.

One of her lobes has developed a little lump inside. Nothing is visible from the outside. It does have a little extra crust than the other ear but I wouldn’t say anything that has alarmed me. Today she complained that both earlobes are itchy around the earrings.

So we’ve taken them out and cleaned the earrings and ears with the solution. It was tricky getting the earring back in the ear with the lump but it went in.

Do I need to do anything?

There is no obvious weeping of pus etc

I’ve read about keloids but when I look at images on Google it’s not like that - although maybe the start off being internal?

One of my ears has a slight bump too but DD’s is much bigger.

Maybe she's allergic to the silver earrings. Was she OK with the original ones used to pierce them?
Shouldn't be turning them or touching them much at all tbh. Salt water supposed to be good for cleaning them too

I can’t wear silver. Try some gold or hypoallergenic ones instead.

Are they sterling silver ones? She may be allergic to the other earrings??

Agreed try hyper allergenic and don't turn them

Change to titanium earrings (it’s used for orthopaedic implants, it’s exceedingly biocompatible), clean the piercings daily with saline but don’t twist or otherwise fiddle with them. The lump is probably just a consequence of the lobes being irritated either by the metal or fiddling and should resolve if the piercings are cared for appropriately.

I would get some titanium earrings to replace the silver ones and clean with salt water spray. You can get it from Amazon.

Piercings take longer than you think to heal. I had two in December which took till May to properly heal and the ones I had in April are still not healed, and don’t let her twist them!

That’s how my nickel allergy started. Quite common with gun piercing and cheap earrings. Ended up hospitalised as an adult by a white gold ring and have severe reactions to nickel if it makes contact with my skin.

Even the highest quality sterling silver (925 rather than 825) causes a reaction. I can only wear titanium or platinum now.

Yes they are sterling silver.

Dd says it’s always been there, I couldn’t sure.

And if she wants anymore, get them done with a needle, not a gun. Much better experience!

The original earrings were white gold.

Dd picked the most expensive ones available 🙄😂

Could definitely have caused a nickel allergy then. White gold has a fair bit of nickel in it.

www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/nickel-allergy/symptoms-causes/syc-20351529

I get a little lump after wearing sterling silver and that's 35 years after having them pierced. My body isn't keen, stick with the gold ones or titanium until they have been pierced at least a year. She may be more tolerant in the future but it's very early days. Also Superdrug know FA, no turning is the standard advice now.

Mine still get lumpy if I wear cheap earrings and they’ve been done 20 years. Don’t worry.

They are still healing. It takes longer than most places say for some reason and every time you remove them and put back in you are tearing the healing wound delaying it even more.

Get some titanium studs and touch and remove them as little as possible.

I would also get some neilmed piercing aftercare spray (Amazon) and just spray that onto them without touching or turning them once or twice a day.

Thank you all so much!

Will order some earrings tonight. She will be disappointed as she just spent £40 of her savings on the lovely silver ones. I encouraged her to go for silver rather than cheap tat from Claire’s! So it’s my fault!

And will buy the spray too. Easier than fading around with cotton pads.

Is it ok to leave them in for months without removal?

Yes. I've had my piercings in for ages and ages now. Mine have little twist on balls rather than butterfly backs

@QueenFreesia2021

Thank you all so much!

Will order some earrings tonight. She will be disappointed as she just spent £40 of her savings on the lovely silver ones. I encouraged her to go for silver rather than cheap tat from Claire’s! So it’s my fault!

And will buy the spray too. Easier than fading around with cotton pads.

Is it ok to leave them in for months without removal?

My DD has titanium ball studs that have been in for months. Absolutely no issues. (She had needle piercings.)

@dementedpixie

Yes. I've had my piercings in for ages and ages now. Mine have little twist on balls rather than butterfly backs

DD’s are the same.

Needle piercings heal much quicker and better.
It doesn't alter the reaction to certain metals though. Stick with what works for her. Gold, platinum. Titanium should work for almost everyone.
Silver and other cheap earrings can be worn but should be changed out in a few hours after wearing for an occasion.

If the lump gets worse ask GP for antibiotics (after putting in gold or such earrings). It will heal the ear without losing the piercing.

I had no idea silver was seen as cheap! The earrings we bought were £30 per pair 🙄

She likes these - they state titanium but the stars won’t be titanium - will that be ok?

We had some tears over her pretty silver earrings but she understands we need to give them a go.

Sorry £20 per pair 🤣

Maybe avoid taking them out for PE and cover them with a plaster instead for that period. When my DD started taking hers out for PE that’s when problems developed with hers.

We aren’t allowed to cover them with a plasters and they have to be removed! Which is a nonsense I feel

Ohhh I have little lumps in my ears like this..I didnt know it was related to wearing silver but I do have a nickel allergy