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Original poster

How long until ear piercing fully heals

31 replies

jtaeapa · 15/12/2022 14:28

My dd (14) had her ears pieced with a needle. Left the jewellery in for 2 months, sprayed with saline etc. properly looked after.

that was 6 months ago and since then, each of her ears has had a flare up where it gets red and angry - solved by several more days of saline/cleaning - but the question is when will the piercings look like completely closed skin and never get like this again? Thanks for any help.

OP posts:
TheTurn0fTheScrew · 15/12/2022 14:36

both of my DC's ear piercings took almost a year to heal properly. We did everything by the book - best piercer in town, needle piercing, decent jewellery, fastidious aftercare. Just unlucky I guess. Keep up the saline spray and maybe add a chamomile compress. our piercer recommends this for mild irritation.

KimmySchmitt · 15/12/2022 15:05

Almost exactly a year for me too, I got my lobes pierced for the first time at 30 and assumed it was my age that caused them to take so long to heal. I was assured lobes are easy and pain-free but mine weren't! They were red and had pus most days, then all of a sudden at the year mark they were perfect and I've had no other issues.

Original poster
jtaeapa · 15/12/2022 15:22

Thanks both - at least my dd has already done 6 months so is halfway there. It’s good to know that this happens though and hers aren’t particularly abnormal.

OP posts:
Badnewsoracle · 15/12/2022 19:08

I've had several piercings, including soft tissue/ ear lobes. Most recent ear lobe was March this year and they're still not fully healed - thought they were and took the earrings out for a few days, tried to put fresh ones in a few days later to find they'd semi healed over and then they got inflamed again and needed frequently cleaning.

So more than 8 months!

CatsEatDogs · 15/12/2022 19:22

My daughters experience was completely different to those above, lobe piercings fully healed in 8 weeks. I guess this thread shows how much it can vary between people

GoodVibesHere · 15/12/2022 20:15

I had my lobes pierced 5 months ago and they're not fully healed, I haven't attempted to change the earrings yet, in fact I think I'll just leave them in as I'm too scared to attempt it!

Jellycats4life · 15/12/2022 20:40

Claire’s Accessories successfully convinced us all that lobe piercings heal in six weeks (three if you buy their magic potion) but that’s not true at all. Everyone heals differently, plus so many factors can inhibit healing (type of jewellery, how good you are with hygiene, how much you fiddle with them, whether you inflict any trauma with sleeping/hair brushing etc).

If her ears keep getting angry and flaring up there must be a trigger?

bonkersbirdie · 15/12/2022 20:43

What type of jewellery is in it? My dd had hers pierced with surgical steel but they reacted in a similar way to it - once we switched to silver studs instead they healed perfectly.

PegasusReturns · 15/12/2022 20:45

I’ve had mine 30yrs and they’ve never truly healed. I can go months with no issues at all but they continue to get aggravated if I don’t use gold/silver/hypoallergenic.

TheLightSideOfTheMoon · 15/12/2022 20:47

My daith took a year to heal.

My tummy button never healed. I took it out when I got pregnant, DS is 19 and it’s still iffy.

TizerorFizz · 15/12/2022 20:50

Buy yellow gold earrings now! 6 months means she is reacting to the metals. I had similar issues. Buy gold studs for Christmas. Keep turning them. It should clear up pretty soon.

I recently put in some heavy Diamond/ white gold earrings I hadn’t worn for a while. Even they started to cause issues as they are plated. Just get good gold.

TokyoSushi · 15/12/2022 20:51

DD had hers done in August, they're not too bad. We've had to take them out for various school things, I found 'dipping' them in germolene or savlon before putting them back in really helped!

Dugs2010 · 15/12/2022 20:55

My daughter was the same. I figured it was actually having the back of an earring digging in might be the problem. Got her good huggie, sleeper type earrings and it let the hole at back have time to heal and let air get at it. Was annoyed I didn't think of it sooner!!!when we were small sleepers were put in after 6 weeks, can see why now!

Mol1628 · 15/12/2022 20:58

Mine took about a year to heal. Even now if I wear cheap earrings for too long they get irritated and sore.

Different for everyone. Also everyone’s ear lobes are different thickness/shape etc so it really does vary.

Jellycats4life · 15/12/2022 22:04

If certain metals are a problem, in my experience, gold and titanium are the two that won’t cause a reaction.

Windbeneathmybingowings · 15/12/2022 22:07

Mine have never really healed. They are lumpy and sometimes get very dry patches of eczema on them which has lead to ear infections. If I could turn back the clock I’d never have done it. Some people just don’t have the skin for piercings.

Windbeneathmybingowings · 15/12/2022 22:08

Oh and it’s 35 years I suppose.

FangedFrisbee · 15/12/2022 22:13

A year minimum

CeeceeBloomingdale · 15/12/2022 22:14

A good couple of years for me and also my DD's. I have now realised I'm reacting to the titanium coated surgical steel ones I was pierced with in my latest piercing and probably previous ones too. My body rejects it every time and the piercing grows out. Despite being my more risky on paper I changed it to sterling silver after about 15 months of hell and they instantly stopped the swelling, pus, bleeding, scabbing over cycle. It's been 3 months since I did that with no more problems but they won't be fully healed all the way through yet.

wannarunfromitall · 15/12/2022 22:15

Mine have never fully healed. But I had gun piercings as a teen, then let them close up in my twenties and had them re pierced in my late twenties and then again in thirties. I've never really taken care of them. But as long as I only put silver or gold earrings in and don't go more than overnight with no studs in, they are kind of alright Blush

GoodVibesHere · 16/12/2022 07:13

TizerorFizz · 15/12/2022 20:50

Buy yellow gold earrings now! 6 months means she is reacting to the metals. I had similar issues. Buy gold studs for Christmas. Keep turning them. It should clear up pretty soon.

I recently put in some heavy Diamond/ white gold earrings I hadn’t worn for a while. Even they started to cause issues as they are plated. Just get good gold.

No don't keep turning them, this is very old advice! The key thing is to avoid turning them. Every time you turn them you are slowing down the healing process.

TizerorFizz · 16/12/2022 07:55

Well it worked for me! Yes I’m old but after 6 months there’s something wrong. When I said turn them, I didn’t mean every 5 mins! I meant occasionally! So they heal - obviously. Getting stuck and yukky isn’t useful either.

Jellycats4life · 16/12/2022 11:08

It’s true you aren’t supposed to twist them. Every time you twist, you could be shearing off tissue that is healing inside the piercing.

Mind you, I also break some piercing rules. I don’t use saline, I swear by washing thoroughly with soap in the shower (and blasting with the shower head) but also dabbing on a little surgical spirit…

IWishIWasABaller · 16/12/2022 11:17

My daughter got hers done 2 months ago and while they look fine they are still very painful. She was hoping to change them for Christmas day but that won't be happening I say

TollgateDebs · 16/12/2022 14:01

Mine healed very quickly and even decades later will try to close up if I miss earrings for a few days. It could be the metal (so many variations now) or that when pierced the piercing is not straight, so that might mean how you push the earring in can catch the skin. Also how thick is the ear post/ hoop wire, as too wide and this can cause an issue too, again depending on the size of the hole.