Have I ruined my ear for ever? (piercing related)

[QuintessentialyHollow]

I put in a pair of ear studs a year ago, they were flat and shaped a little like a shell, so covered the hole. I have not changed them since (minging, I know), as I forgot, then we moved to London and I forgot to bring other ear rings with me.

Until then I have only used 24 carat gold in my ears, due to allergies. This pair was 9 carat. Not sure this is important, but they are less "pure".

I took them off yesterday, and realized there was a lot of gunk, the back of the stud was all in dried up gunk, as was the butterfly piece. I had honestly not noticed. I had twiddled the studs regularly, and there were no noticeable problems.

To mu shock I realized that when I cleaned my pierced hole with antiseptic, a large chunk of gunk came out, and the hole was literally 2 mm diameter! I could see right through it. It was like the flesh in my ear had been "eaten" away and replaced by gunk. It was bleeding a little. It still feels a little sore.

What have I done.

I cant wear any studs or rings in that hole now. It will look hideous. My ear lobe looks hideous. I am worried I will have a big hole for ever, and that I have some infection or something.

What should I do? Panic?

(In addition my 9 year old just told me he cant see very well from one of his eyes, but thats another thread, and I just know it is going to be THIS type of Sunday)

Get some surgical spirit and bathe them. I would think that what will happen is that the hole will fuse itself together as part of the healing process. But if you're really worried you need to get yourself to the GP.

I have used Savlon. I hope that is ok?

Yes to surgical spirit and keep them clean. They will probably calm down in a few days. you need to decide if you still want holes. If so, buy a pair of plain straight gold studs, do not use sleeper rings as when your hole contracts you may end up with it curved. If you have long hair wear it up and away from the holes. Your instinct may be to hide them, but long hair can cause further infection/irritation.

Be nicer to your ears in the future! I learnt this as a teenager/young adult with solar yucky story...

Savlon is for external use only... Go get some surgical spirit from pharmacy....

Solar...? Similar.

Ok, so need to find an open pharmacy, surgical spirit, and find a pair of gold studded earings which are really small and does not cost a fortune. Great.

Thanks. I feel a bit better.

You'll be fine. It actually takes a lot of time and effort to get one of those large holes in your ear that you see on people... You'd be seen as lucky by some to get one accidentally with no particular effort.

ha ha, that is pretty much what my husband said......

Taking son to a&e, sight disturbances, insane headache, followed by projectile vomiting. It WILL be such a Sunday.

I'd use salt water on it to promote healing and leave it alone. surgical spirit may be too harsh.

You're best off using rings as if the piercing is infected you need to be able to clean it properly, a stud won't allow for much movement, with a ring you can spin it (slowly) through the piercing and clean all the way around.

I'd use steel or titanium jewellery 'till it's back to normal too as they're alot less likely to irritate than gold.

Everything is out now.

And now the ear is starting to feel warm and hurting slightly.

Oh well, it will be gp tomorrow morning for me. I tend to get infections quickly, after a close encounter with a rusty tent pole 5 years ago.

Surgical spirit says "not for use on open wounds or grazes! so I guess that is out. It says it is to soften skin on feet and against bed sores!

you are trendy now. why not roll with it and keep stretching the hole?

I dont want to be able to fling my nipples through my ear lobe. Thats why.

crikey, never mind your ears, what's happened to your tits?

Nothing at all! Unless my ear extends down to my chest!

phew! that's alright then.

Okay, the very best thing to do is actually use a saline solution, as hot as you can bear it, several times a day. (Make it up from hot water and sea salt.)

Then get yourself some titanium studs. Don't just leave the holes without as stud as that may actually be worse (the skin might heal over the top and you could just get an infection raging inside).

(Ah, just noticed pinkyredrose has said more or less the same. I'd avoid the rings though, personally, as I'd be trying to avoid irritating the wound further: rings are more likely to catch/be knocked, if you see what I mean.)

Oh, and don't fiddle with your ears. Leave them alone.

Oh, and GPs tend to get piercing aftercare wrong. By all means see one, but get a second opinion from a reputable piercing shop as that's what they do.

Thanks. How much salt to water?

I don't think it's too exact. I used pretty much as much as poss (to saturation point). It worked better than anything else.

Everything MsF1t said.

Generally make it up with a quarter teaspoon of sea salt to a cup of water.

Sorry, I do keep 'PS'-ing, but what you should do is dip your lobe in the saline solution for a minute or so. Don't wipe at your ears with it, initially. Give your lobe a good soak and then dry gently with clean cotton pads.

My DP is a piercer and he says one teaspoon of sea salt to half a cup of cooled, boiled water.

Thanks guys, can I use normal salt?

Until I get sea salt, is it better to continue with Savlon, or should I make it with normal salt?

I'd use table salt solution before I used Savlon...