Daughter's earring has come out & can't get it back in

[Stokey]

Posting here for traffic and advice please!

Dd1 had her ears pierced in October half term for her 12th birthday. Had them done with a needle and left them for 6 weeks. She's been cleaning them with saline solution every day.

She's changed them a couple of times in the last 2 weeks, but today one fell out and its really not going back in. I think it may be slightly infected, as soon as I start putting an earring in, she cries and says its really painful. The earrings she was wearing were ones her friend gave her so I'm not sure what metal they were. I can't seem to get an earring all the way through, although haven't tried really pushing hard as it's hurting her. I've tried putting it in through the back and that feels like there's resistance, and she cries before I get very far.

Any suggestions? We've tried putting ice on the ear and giving her calpol but she's mega stressed about it and gets really upset when I go near it.

She's now saying she'd prefer to just let them close up but I'm worried about that in case it is infected. Would love any advice, please!

Unlikely to be infected but very probably irritated due to cheap earrings. She needs to be wearing quality earrings for a while yet and not changing them much even after 6 weeks

Leave it for half an hour ( to calm everyone down) and then try to get the earrings she was pierced with back in. Yes it will probably hurt a bit unfortunately.

I'd also drop the saline as it'll be very drying. A simple rinse in plain water is enough.

When this happens if she wants to wear earrings again I'm afraid the only thing is to push it through. The earrings that are use in piercing guns are good for this as they have a sharp edge of an earring with a very small shaft

Thanks @Elphame. The ones she got pierced with are ones that you put in from the back with a twisty stud in front so I think they'll be harder to get in. She has some that I know are silver so will try those.

I think if I can get it back in, she won't be changing them again for a few weeks!

Is it worth putting an ice cube against her ear lobe for a little while to try and numb it a bit?

Also perhaps a bit of vaseline to help guide it through.

I would definitely put something with a gold or silver post if you have one available.

It’s only fallen out, so the hole won’t close in seconds. Getting the earring in isn’t the problem really is it, it’s doing it so it doesn’t hurt her.

Try putting the earring in the hole slightly, and instead of turning her ear to guide it out the other side, just push it STRAIGHT in a line and it should go in easily and gently

I’d go back to the piercer and ask them to look at it and re-pierce if necessary (or just give advice on how to safely let them heal up instead). They’ll have the numbing spray and your dd might be more reassured and able to cope with pain if it’s a professional doing it and not just mum having a go (no offence to you!)

The exact same thing happened to my daughter.

The original earring broke (twisty back wouldn't attach). I did have to get ice cube and just go for it with a clean earring. Actually borrowed from a friend - sterilised - whilst we ordered new ones.

@Anothernamechange3 that's what I was thinking too. She's did faint the first time though so is quite fearful about going back. The guy who pierced it was lovely though and very understanding.

@NoNameHere12 I did manage to get it about 3/4 in but there is some resistance. Don't think it can have closed up since this morning but maybe just gunky.

I think managing her stress is the trickiest thing.

Can you try and get one in backwards (from the rear?). That might clear the passage. Clean the earring and your hands thoroughly first. Then obviously put a good quality one in the right way round and leave it it for a few more weeks to heal properly. Lots of saline or surgical spirit, whatever you use.

Could she have a go at doing it herself using something like vaseline to gently massage the earlobe around the hole. Could try to reinsert post of the earring after coating it in the valentine or whatever you use.

Would vaseline or oil be OK to put in her ear?

Buy some Emla cream from the chemist and apply this following the directions on the box. Give DD a stress toy to squeeze. The stud or labret (flat backed Earring with screw on front ball) will go in painlessly, just be firm. Don't leave the earring out as an infecting could become trapped. Clean with saline as advised (salt draws out infection). Stick to stainless steel, titanium or solid gold for the foreseeable. No touching the earrings with grubby hands.
Good luck (from a body piercer!)

No oil, no Vaseline, the Emla will lubricate the piercing site.

I'd clean with boiled water while still hot (obviously at a tolerable temperature) to help shift any gunk.

Germolene is brilliant for healing piercing sites.

If she wants to let them grow over, that's fine and if it is infected you'll be able to treat it without worrying about getting the earrings in or changing them etc.

What I have done for my dd is put it through the back. Normally it then goes through from the front fine.
On the odd occasion it hasn't, I put it through the back, then slowly push the one through the back out with the one through the front.
It works amazingly well.

@Stokey

Thanks *@Elphame*. The ones she got pierced with are ones that you put in from the back with a twisty stud in front so I think they'll be harder to get in. She has some that I know are silver so will try those.

I think if I can get it back in, she won't be changing them again for a few weeks!

Ah sounds like she had labrets. You did go to a decent piercer! And yes they are a fiddle. I have one in my nose and in my upper ear and just change the decorative ends. One thing you could try is pushing a sterilised blunt embroidery needle through and see if you can use that as a guide to get the labret through. There is a specialised tool for this but I’ve used a needle but it MUST be a blunt one, not a sewing needle.

Silver isn’t great in new piercings either but if you can get them in they’ll do to stop them closing up temporarily. Any chance you can then pop back to the piercer to get him to put the proper jewellery back in?

I think we will have to go back to the piercer. I've tried again and she screamed and the ear started bleeding. I think there may be a scab in there.

I'll try and get her to go back to the tattoo shop tomorrow. Have said we'll leave it for tonight as she's really stressed. Thanks for all the advice and good to know about silver. I just thought silver or gold was fine. Will ask him to put the labrets back in.

Titanium is the best metal for piercings especially those that are sensitive.
Best bet is to go back tomorrow like you say. It sounds like it's infected and you don't want the infection to get closed in as it heals. It will have healed by the morning though and probably by now because they were only done in Oct and the fact that it's bleeding means that the hole is still open. So it will have now sealed! Good luck .

I get this when I use cheap earrings or earrings with a big post. Don't do anything, let it cool down by itself, give it a few days, they won't close up that quickly.