DD’s ear piercings aren’t seeming to heal-AIBU to take them out?

[pinkponie]

Dd has had her ears pierced since September. They still bleed and scab daily and one earlobe feels thicker than the other. She’s devastated as we’re vigilant about cleaning them and always have been. AIBU to take them out permanently? I’ve tried all kinds of metals and different styles and backs and it hasn’t made any difference.

Put titanium earrings in, and don’t intentionally touch the lobe again for a few months.

Put in flat backed titanium studs preferably go back to a proper piercing place and then just leave them alone.

Surely the post going through her ear isn't silver? It should be titanium.

You're taking them out to clean/change them?

That'll be what's causing the problems.

First, go to the piercer and get some relatively slim post titanium studs that look like mini dumbells (the flat back ones can be good, but they also provide a cosy environment for crusting to build up, so aren't as good for this).

For aftercare, boiled water, as hot as she can tolerate, rock salt or sea salt, soak kitchen towel in it, hold against the lobes until the paper cools.

Do that twice a day for at least 3 months and leave them the hell alone for six months minimum. No taking them to clean them or squeezing her ears, no changing for parties or special days, no creams, sprays or gloop over them, just leave them alone outside a hot soak.

My DD has this, she had them done for her 9th birthday and while they weren’t infected they just took weeks and weeks to heal until I noticed the earrings were slipping down her earlobes - so had to take them out because of the risk of them splitting her earlobes.

That was 2 years ago and she’s just had them done again, with titanium earrings & butterflies, has been 2 weeks now and they’re healing nicely.

I’d probably take them out and try again in the future.
Make sure you use titanium and clean with saline solution only, nothing harsh like surgical spirit.

I had mine pierced at 10 and remember them taking ages to heal, I think some people just are more sensitive to it (I do have metal allergies but nobody used titanium for piercing in the 80s!)

Everyone is different, but if the silver is not working, then switch to 14 carat gold or higher. Solid gold though, not gold-plated.

I had a third lobe piercing done in July and it’s struggling to heal on one side. I’ve realised it’s the side I lay on to sleep so I think in the night I think I must put pressure on that earring which is then disrupting the healing process. I can go for a week or so with no issues and then wake in the morning with it sore and slightly bleeding or scabby.

I just avoid touching it and gradually over time the incidents are becoming fewer.

September isn't long at all! It can take up to a year for piercings to fully heal, despite people claiming that lobe holes should only take 6-8 weeks. DD also had hers done in Sept and it initially healed perfectly but as soon as we got lazy with the daily disinfection and twiddling, we started to get irritation bumps, redness and swelling on alternate ears. One problem was that the earring backs were massive so they had a tendency to trap water between the metal and skin. I replaced both sides with those tiny conical silicone backs that come with cheap fashion earrings and they got much better.

Have you tried a piercing pillow? (A pillow with a hole for your ear to sit in so you dont put pressure on it)

Huh? They should be in all the time, never taken out??

I work with someone that has to have solid 18ct gold, even solid 9ct has too much impurities and makes her skin react.

Surgical steel is fine for most people as it's obviously what's used in surgical instruments, but those earrings don't tend to be so pretty. Titanium (used in hip replacements) and Rhodium (used in white gold) are also hypoallergenic, but harder to come by.

Personally, I'd try solid gold sleeper earrings. They're easier to keep clean and don't irritate the ear whilst sleeping.

My daughter’s ears took over 6 months to heal. We tried titanium, it didn’t help.
Now she only wears earrings from Solace Jewellery and they are a lot better.

Are you taking them in and out? That might explain why they're not healing.

Just put the highest grade metal ones you have in and leave them. Do not fiddle or touch. Unscented soap in the shower for cleaning. Take her to the piercer as soon as you can.

Contrary to popular belief piercings do not heal within 6 weeks. They can take a year or even more sometimes to fully heal. September is no time. I would leave them at least 2 years before even considering taking them out or any kind of allergy