Earring stud embedded into ear

[Flossie44]

dd13 had her ears pierced a few weeks ago. All’s been well with them.
However this morning she’s woken with her stud (diamanté type) pushed into the hole. It’s completely embedded and not visible.
The only reason I know it’s still there, is that the back is still visible coming out of the ear.

What do I do? Is there a magic way to get it out of the ear?

This happened to my sister. It ended up with a trip to hospital to remove it, lots of bathing (possibly with epsom salts?), allowing it to heal up and then having it repierced.

Mind you, things might have changed - this was over 40 years ago!

Mine embedded at the back (also 30+ yrs ago) and my gp used a freezing spray and essentially cut it out with a scalpel! Sounds traumatic but it was a tiny cut. It healed fine and I had them repierced a few years later with no issues.
I do try to look for earrings that have a flat setting, rather than a claw setting, as these are less likely to embed.

This happened to me and my dd when trying to get away with cheap earrings. Your body is reacting to low quality metal. The hospital will remove the stud if you cant.

So the ear has swollen around the stud.

See if you can loosen the back, allowing the stem to be longer. I used to do mine by pressing the tip with my finger pad and using my nails to pull the back further up the stem. If that makes sense.

She may not tolerate the messing though.

You could try using freeze spray. Lots of salt water. Antihistamine cream- but not by the actual piercing. Something to reduce the swelling and make it easier to pull the earring.

I should push it back to the front though, yes? So the way it came?
Thanks for your advice.

If really stuck go to the fire station - they have bolt cutters that remove earring and rings! And you don’t need to sit about like A&E

Don't touch it yourself. Infection is a possibility, but it's likely badly swollen even without an infection. How long since it was done?

Go to a proper piercing studio. I'm guessing this was done with a piercing gun at Claires or similar? Don't go to them, find a proper place and ask them to help.

A GP will tell you to take it out, which isn't ideal. A piercer is trained to deal with this.

@Flossie44

I should push it back to the front though, yes? So the way it came? Thanks for your advice.

The GP removed mine a few years ago. The pain was hell though! He said if I could tolerate the pain there it would save me an A&E trip. Laid down rather than stood up.

At the time I worked in a setting with nurses and they had already tried to get it. It made their day!

Hope you can get it out as it will be so painful for her.

🤣🤣🤣 fire service cutting an earring out with bolt cutter?!!!

This happened to mine when I was a teenager. I pushed it back out the front myself, sitting on a comfy chair as I knew I would faint (which I did)! I think I the doused it in TCP (remember that smell?). Didn't want to tell my mum as she disapproved of pierced ears....

I'm not sure I'd recommend that though. I mean, it was actually fine but could have probably gone wrong.

Probably worth a trip to the pharmacy for some sort of numbing (EMLA) cream or freezing spray for an at-home attempt to remove it. They should be able to check it for signs of infection and give you a good antiseptic too.

Good luck!

Go back to the piercer. They should offer proper aftercare and will be able to deal with this or send you to doctor if it’s beyond them. As long as you used a reputable piercer (ie not Claire’s)

My friend's dd had this,A and E said NOT to remove it... although I can't remember what course of action they took in the end. Go back to the piercer for advice to start with.

This sounds like it was done with a piercing gun. Sadly it’s common to get this kind of reaction in that case due to the trauma the gun method causes the tissue.

I would find a registered piercer and go to them for advice. They will probably remove it and tell you to let it heal, then go back to be done by them with a needle. Registered piercer info here:

www.ukapp.org.uk/members-listing/

@MrsElijahMikaelson1

🤣🤣🤣 fire service cutting an earring out with bolt cutter?!!!

I used to have a lot of piercings and once had a severe accident (induced coma severity). When I woke up the doctors told me they couldn't figure some of the piercings out and their tools weren't strong enough. They used bolt croppers from security!!

I'd like to see a pic personally..

This happened to me! Got my ears pierced for my 13th, a week or so later woke up to find my earring missing, turned my bedroom upsde down to find it before realising it was still in my ear...gross!

I think we went back to the piercer, who removed. I had to let them heal over - but never bothered getting them pierced again!

This happened to me. Like PP my GP cut it out in a moment with a scalpel. Don't do it yourself due to infection risk. It was fine and I had it re-pierced in the same place a few years later with no issues.

I'm 44 now but got the back of the stud stuck in my ears when I was 7. My mum had to take me to hospital to have it cut out, they even xrayed my ears to check that they were definitely in there! I always remember the radiologist saying they'd never xrayed ears before.

As this is the stud rather than the back of it, hopefully it's a bit more straightforward but personally I'd be speaking to the GP practice, 111 or even local pharmacy sooner rather than later.