Re-piercing closed earring holes

[Badgerlady]

I had my ears pierced when I was a child. For the last few 10 years I've worn earrings intermittently. Occasionally I've had to encourage them in, but otherwise no problems.

Over Xmas I tried to put in earrings for the first time in months and found I couldn't get them in one ear. I tried all the usual tricks (when this has happened in the past I've found a thin straight earring and used that first then in can get other earrings in no problem). I think the hole has closed up or somehow gone wonky.

I like wearing earrings and so don't want to just accept this.

I was thinking of trying to get them repierced in a reputable department store. Has anyone had this/done this? Can it be done?

Go to a piercing shop. It will be nice and clean and sterile and you'll have somebody who knows how to pierce scar tissue.

Yep, definitely go to a good piercing place rather than a shop.

i'd keep trying....i "re did" one of mine last year...was determined not to let it go to waste after all these years!

dabbled a gold stud earring in surgical spirit and gave it a good wiggly poke every other night for about a fortnight and it suddenly popped through. Small amount of blood, but no other issues at all. I did expect a bit of stickyicky, but no!

Thanks! Sounds odd but I didn't realise there were piercing shops. I had them done in Debenhams (which was just where you went in Oxford in the mid 80s) and it all seemed v professional (I was about 8 so perhaps not the best judge!). So I assumed that was the place to look :-). I'm in London now so sure I can find somewhere suitable.

@mrshomeslice not sure I have the stomach for that!

Have you tried putting the earring through from the back. Might not be closed all the way through.

I had mine repierced recently, at a tattoo shop in London (Soul Rise). They were lovely.

Do you have scar tissue (I didn't)? That makes it a bit harder. I just did the thing everyone says not to do and went to Claire's. I use to work in a jewellers that did ear piercing and was perfectly happy with the service I received in Claire's.

I had mind repierced about 6 months ago and am really happy to be able to wear earrings again!
Went to a local tattoo place (checked reviews first) and they were great. Really friendly and professional young staff, made me feel very welcome. The young woman who did the repiercing took her time and explained everything to me. Wasn't very painful at all. Left studs in for about 6 weeks and all healed perfectly, no problems at all.

it really wasn't awful...and no forcing required...just the wiggly poking! :o

Oh I have one closed hole too and can’t grt anything through it. For those who have had them re-pierced, what sort of earrings did you use (ie. did you buy gold studs) and what are the modern day care instructions? When mine were done back in the 80’s, I had to turn them and bathe with TCP.

Thanks

Lots of places will only pierce with stainless steel. Instructions were only to keep clean and dry, bathe with a cotton bud dipped in cooled boiled water and turn occasionally.

Agree with PPs - go to a tattoo/piercing studio. They will pierce with a needle rather than a gun, so you get a cleaner wound (guns cause a 'raggedy/torn' wound) making it less prone to infection and easier/quicker healing.

They will usually recommend stainless steel screw back earrings - screw backs don't collect debris/bacteria like butterfly earrings can.

Aftercare is usually twice a day cleaning with something like Savlon wound wash or a saline solution, depending on what the individual piercer recommends. No turning/twisting.

Also had one blocked hole. I cleaned the area thoroughly, had a drink (or two) and pushed a clean stud earring through the slightly blocked hole. No pain, and after a little wriggling and a gentle forcing, it went through. I cleaned it every day as you would with a fresh piercing and it was fine.
If you can get an earring partially through at the front, and partially through at the back, just try a couple of times, keep everything sanitised, and you should be fine.

I didn't wear earrings for about 15 years after a nasty incident as a child involving an A&E trip. Decided to get my ears pierced again in my 20s and after a few days of bathing the new piercings with the stuff they gave me to clean them, one of the old holes magically reopened all by itself That might be worth a try before you get it re-pierced.

Thanks again all. Interesting to hear about the changes of practice. I too was a TCP and gold studs child.

I had tried forcing an earring through but it won't go in, so I think repiercing at a reputable specialist is the answer.

Had my second and third redone at Extreme Needle Covent Garden. Not cheap but a needle (guns bad!) and quick clean and no issues.

I had exactly the same issue and I managed to get an earring in by going through the back.

Have you tried massaging the lobe with coconut oil or olive oil for a good few mins and trying again, this sometimes works well for me

Was thinking of posting this very question today. I had mine done as a child, then redone in my 20s. Hardly wore earrings as they alway made me itch - suspect I needed to go higher quality rather than accessorise. Anyway 10 or so years later I fancy wearing earrings again but the thought of an needle going through is suddenly making me feel queezy. I'm not needlephobic so don't know where this has come from!

I did this last week at home, using a pair of sleeper studs like the ones they used to pierce my ears. One ear was a bit tricky. You need to make sure the piercing hole is moisturised, I used diluted TCP on a cotton wool pad and kept dabbing it to re-wet it, and tried through the back at first. Took about 10 mins, didn't hurt much and didn't bleed. I boiled the studs first and no infections either.