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

@QueenFreesia2021

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.

You need every bit of metal touching her ear to be titanium. So no.

You could get these though.

shop.bodyjewellery.co.uk/products/titanium-internal-thread-labret-1-2mm-shaft-star

What’s in the solution you are using to clean them? Are you sure it’s not a reaction to that?

I remember having the bump, it's probably from the trauma, so like a scar inside, mine settled down. They take ages to heal. Do NOT turn that is such bad advice as you can introduce bacteria.

She needs to wear her original studs or buy some more piercing studs- they're really cheap on eBay for a lot longer,as the pp said ,piercings take ages to heal.

To clean them use neilmed piercing aftercare spray, it's on amazon for £14.49 In a turquoise bottle

It lasted us for 7 weeks used twice a day

I wouldn’t put those star studs in a new piercing either. Too hard to clean for starters and they wouldn’t feel good to sleep in.

I would go for simple stud/ball style ones. Patience is the key with piercings!

Keep the silver ones you’ve bought though they’ll likely be fine once they’re all healed up.

I have just had my ears pierced from a reputable tattoo parlour/piercer and their advice was not to turn them and not to change them for 3 months.

I would put the original ones back in.

There was a little yellow pus on her other ear last night 😔 taking her to the pharmacy after school. We cleaned them and replaced them with the original earrings and will not be removing them now unless we need to

There was no weeping or pus this morning

Whitish yellow discharge is normal. You should only worry if it smells very bad, is radiating heat or it’s very painful.

Be wary about pharmacists that don’t know anything about piercings diagnosing an infection when it’s not one.

For next time I would avoid going somewhere like Superdrug, Claires, or anywhere that pierces using a gun. A proper tattoo and piercing studio will use needles which is better for healing, and they'll also use titanium jewellery which is safest!

I know there are some mixed views about this but we followed the advice of the piercer.

You did not, you followed the advice of someone who's had three hours training on how to use a blunt trauma device to pierce ears. If those three hours were practical and not online then you'll have been lucky.

They've had no anatomy training, no health and safety training to the necessary level and they'll have no knowledge of how to actually care for the piercings that they've performed, as demonstrated by the 'aftercare' suggested to you.

@daisyjgrey

I know there are some mixed views about this but we followed the advice of the piercer.

You did not, you followed the advice of someone who's had three hours training on how to use a blunt trauma device to pierce ears. If those three hours were practical and not online then you'll have been lucky.

They've had no anatomy training, no health and safety training to the necessary level and they'll have no knowledge of how to actually care for the piercings that they've performed, as demonstrated by the 'aftercare' suggested to you.

We were given an after care which we followed.

But I appreciate what you are saying about them not being “piercers”

As others have said, you need to go to a qualified piercer who uses a needle. Guns are not good for anyone's ears.

The downside being that many local authorities won't allow piercing with a needle on anyone under 16 (a ridiculous rule in my book - that's why Claires and similar places do such a roaring trade, and yet give such bad after-care advice with bad technique).

Please don't turn them. Titanium is the best metal - most people can tolerate it (it's used in medical procedures, after all!). You only need sterile saline for cleaning (the kind they sell in Boots for cleaning contact lenses is absolutely fine). Try using a hair dryer to 'dry' the ears after using the saline (my piercer swears by it - and she's APP qualified. I've had 14 piercings and counting... and not a single issue with any of them)

If I'm honest, I'd recommend letting the holes heal over and waiting until 16 (or whatever the lower age limit is for needle piercing in your area) then go to the one with the best reputation (ideally APP qualified) and get them re-done with a needle and proper labret titanium earrings. That's a tough 'sell' because she'll have to wait longer for the earrings, but honestly it's the best thing for your daughter's ears.

Blue Banana will needle pierce from 10 with parental consent.