Shall I take it out?

[Xoxoxooxo]

Or leave it in?

I had my second ear lobe piercing done and the ear ring is way too tight, my ear is throbbing, it’s bright red and sore. I don’t think it’s infected but It feels trapped and looks like it’s falling into the hole. I’m worried. Shall I take it out?

Can you just loosen it a bit?

When did you have it done?

Do not take it out unless you have larger, sterilised jewellery to immediately replace it with (with clean hands). If you take it out and it is infected you risk trapping the infection inside the fistula as the outer holes close over. This can create an abscess.
For now clean it really well with saline solution and take ibuprofen to bring the swelling down. As soon as possible go back to the piercer for advice, they will be able to help you. Unless it was Claire's.

Could you go back to your piercer and ask them for some advice? I did that with my 2nd nose piercing

Do not take it out, go straight back to your piercer, they can replace it with sterile jewellery for a better fit.

Thank you. I’ve woke up and my ear is very swollen and red and it’s sunk further in. Only top bit of the stud is visible. I’ve tried to loosen the back but it’s too painful for me to do it

I had it done about two weeks ago

Did you have it done with a needle?

Have you had it pierced with a needle, using special piercing jewellery which is longer to allow room for swelling? If not then that’s your problem. A piecing gun causes a lot of trauma and swelling, and the jewellery is often not long enough.

I would go and see a specialist piercer and get them to sort it.

I had it done in my local jewellers and they used a gun but I thought it would be ok because it was only to re pierce one ear that had closed over just at the back and they said because of that it won’t swell so much

The same thing happened to me when I went somewhere that used a needle. I think my ear lobe is too tight to accommodate earrings maybe. The jewellers said that all the earrings are standard size and they don’t have any longer back ones

Go to your local piercing place (that does it with a needle) they’ll help you change it out for a longer one.

Ear lobe too thick I mean

What is earring made of? Could you have developed an allergy. I didn't wear earrings for a while and now if I wear silver they swell and bleed as soon as I put them in. Titanium is really good for sensitive ears.

Take it out asap, let it heal, then go to a proper piercer who can put you a 12mm long stud in

The jewellery is only a set length when used with a gun - a proper piercer can use any length they like (think industrial piercings)

Redness has now gone but my ear lobes were thick to start with and now they have swollen so even bigger. It feels so irritated, pain is horrendous when I tried to get the back off. Basically can hardly see the stud anymore

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Just go to a proper piercing/tattoo shop that has a good reputation locally and they will be able to advise/replace jewellery at cost.
No one here can change your jewellery/help with a fuzzy photo!

You probably have two holes on top of each other which is why it’s a mess. A gun can’t re pierce through the same hole. You need a needle for that. They could have gone through the same hole and just re pierced the back bit. See a proper piercer, they may be able to fix it. It’s bollocks that you can’t get longer jewellery - the jeweller might not sell it but a proper piercer will.

Yikes is there a stud in that pic somewhere? You need to get that out ASAP and see a doctor in case it is infected

Sounds like it’s infected. You really need to see someone - probably a doctor.

Please don't take medical advice from random who don't know what they're talking about.

"Leave your jewellery in, unless a doctor tells you to take it out."

From www.nhs.uk/conditions/infected-piercings/

This is the worst possible advice.

Never, ever take jewellery out of an infected piercing unless instructed to by a professional.