8 replies to this topic

[top tier hippo]

My sister bought some piercing needles (the hollow ones) on Amazon. She pierced her own and they went pretty well, I think. She had a problem with one because of a bump (a scar) she has. That's what she used to pierce my ears. So yeah, we did it at home, and used regular earrings so that might be a problem too that I didn't use a stud with a thicker shaft. I just got an earlobe piercing in both. I don't remember exactly how many issues I've had, but I think the left one mostly has been the problematic one. It's been swollen probably a few times and been pussing yellowy pus. I admit I haven't been very good about keeping my hands clean before touching. I rotate them probably a couple times a day, and I almost never clean my hands beforehand :L

Anyway, the shafts are just too short for my earlobes, which are thick. Because everything's closed, I can't go buy longer earrings. I guess I could buy online but I don't particularly want to for personal reasons.

I don't think it's badly infected, but the earring is too short. My mom has white Gold earrings but they're hoops, so they're a bit heavy in my ears and I'm a little worried about them being ripped in or other stuff. My current ones are sterling silver (the back too). I use a contact lens solution but I don't clean them very often at all.

If I get better about that, they should be better in the long term. They've been in for 37 days I think.

What should I do if I can't get longer ones? I can't take them because that could trap the infection. I want to keep them because this is like the fourth time I've pierced them...Please help!

[IsAnyoneThere]

My sister bought some piercing needles (the hollow ones) on Amazon. She pierced her own and they went pretty well, I think. She had a problem with one because of a bump (a scar) she has. That's what she used to pierce my ears. So yeah, we did it at home, and used regular earrings so that might be a problem too that I didn't use a stud with a thicker shaft. I just got an earlobe piercing in both. I don't remember exactly how many issues I've had, but I think the left one mostly has been the problematic one. It's been swollen probably a few times and been pussing yellowy pus. I admit I haven't been very good about keeping my hands clean before touching. I rotate them probably a couple times a day, and I almost never clean my hands beforehand :L

Anyway, the shafts are just too short for my earlobes, which are thick. Because everything's closed, I can't go buy longer earrings. I guess I could buy online but I don't particularly want to for personal reasons.

I don't think it's badly infected, but the earring is too short. My mom has white Gold earrings but they're hoops, so they're a bit heavy in my ears and I'm a little worried about them being ripped in or other stuff. My current ones are sterling silver (the back too). I use a contact lens solution but I don't clean them very often at all.

If I get better about that, they should be better in the long term. They've been in for 37 days I think.

What should I do if I can't get longer ones? I can't take them because that could trap the infection. I want to keep them because this is like the fourth time I've pierced them...Please help!

 

 

I think the issue is less that they are too short, and more that you're not taking care of the piercing, as you admit here you don't wash your hands or disinfect them. Contact lens solution is effectively only salty water, it's not a cleaning or disinfecting fluid; it's not doing anything. You need to use something like Dettol (I don't know the US equivalent) or another antiseptic to clean them regularly, at least twice a day, and quite simply WASH YOUR HANDS. It's not difficult lol. (and maybe something you should be doing regularly anyway right now??)

 

If you choose to use the hoops they should be fine. You'll get used to the weight in a matter of hours, and just be careful when taking off your top and they won't catch. It used to be that the first earrings you got put in when your ears were pierced were small gold hoops. 

 

Aside from that, are there literally only two pairs of earrings in your house? Your ("too short") ones, and your mum's one pair of hoops?    If not, check the other earrings around, some may have longer shafts you can use.

[top tier hippo]

I think the issue is less that they are too short, and more that you're not taking care of the piercing, as you admit here you don't wash your hands or disinfect them. Contact lens solution is effectively only salty water, it's not a cleaning or disinfecting fluid; it's not doing anything. You need to use something like Dettol (I don't know the US equivalent) or another antiseptic to clean them regularly, at least twice a day, and quite simply WASH YOUR HANDS. It's not difficult lol. (and maybe something you should be doing regularly anyway right now??)

 

If you choose to use the hoops they should be fine. You'll get used to the weight in a matter of hours, and just be careful when taking off your top and they won't catch. It used to be that the first earrings you got put in when your ears were pierced were small gold hoops. 

 

Aside from that, are there literally only two pairs of earrings in your house? Your ("too short") ones, and your mum's one pair of hoops?    If not, check the other earrings around, some may have longer shafts you can use.

Oh no, I'm washing my hands a lot! So much so that my hands have been cracked recently (although I haven't been using a lot of moisturizer :P), I mean they're getting better now.

 

I might try the hoops, but the reason I'm only using considering these two is because they're either sterling silver or white gold. I don't know if I have a nickle allergy, but I don't want to risk it. If I can find longer shafts (my sisters have some), even if they're nickle, should I try them out?

 

And yeah, I knew about the contact lens solution not being the best, but I didn't know it did nothing! I don't have any sea salt, only table salt, and we have hard water...Can I still make homemade solution if I boil the water first, with table salt? There's something about the sea salt being non-iodized, right? Hydrogen peroxide is drying, correct?

 

Should I take them out after the infection is gone? (I know I'm not meant to while the infection is still present.) Or should I just try to be better about hand washing before touching them, and I suppose touching them sparingly, and keep the piercing (which I want to do)?

 

Thanks!

[IsAnyoneThere]

Oh no, I'm washing my hands a lot! So much so that my hands have been cracked recently (although I haven't been using a lot of moisturizer :P), I mean they're getting better now.

 

I might try the hoops, but the reason I'm only using considering these two is because they're either sterling silver or white gold. I don't know if I have a nickle allergy, but I don't want to risk it. If I can find longer shafts (my sisters have some), even if they're nickle, should I try them out?

 

And yeah, I knew about the contact lens solution not being the best, but I didn't know it did nothing! I don't have any sea salt, only table salt, and we have hard water...Can I still make homemade solution if I boil the water first, with table salt? There's something about the sea salt being non-iodized, right? Hydrogen peroxide is drying, correct?

 

Should I take them out after the infection is gone? (I know I'm not meant to while the infection is still present.) Or should I just try to be better about hand washing before touching them, and I suppose touching them sparingly, and keep the piercing (which I want to do)?

 

Thanks!

 

I should clarify: Using a saline solution or contact lens solution (which does have some cleaning agents in - just very mild ones!) isn't *bad*, it's just not going to do anything once it's infected or icky. If the healing was going well, they would be fine to use (with clean hands), but now there is an issue with the healing, you need something that is actually going to tackle it. Hydrogen peroxide can be good - you can use that and then put a dab of vaseline on so that it doesn't dry out, but it depends how susceptible your skin is to drying. It's not generally recommended long term but a few days or so would be fine.

 

Antibiotic creams are good too.

 

If you want to keep the piercing, you are going to need to use something like an antibiotic cream or it will just continue to be irritated and not heal.

 

Is there anything to suggest that you are allergic to nickel? As in, a previous experience, or a family member is allergic?

 

If the piercing continues to cause trouble, if it becomes more inflamed or if redness or soreness spreads further, then I'd recommend you take the piercing out :( You don't want to infection to spread and actually make you ill.

[top tier hippo]

I should clarify: Using a saline solution or contact lens solution (which does have some cleaning agents in - just very mild ones!) isn't *bad*, it's just not going to do anything once it's infected or icky. If the healing was going well, they would be fine to use (with clean hands), but now there is an issue with the healing, you need something that is actually going to tackle it. Hydrogen peroxide can be good - you can use that and then put a dab of vaseline on so that it doesn't dry out, but it depends how susceptible your skin is to drying. It's not generally recommended long term but a few days or so would be fine.

 

Antibiotic creams are good too.

 

If you want to keep the piercing, you are going to need to use something like an antibiotic cream or it will just continue to be irritated and not heal.

 

Is there anything to suggest that you are allergic to nickel? As in, a previous experience, or a family member is allergic?

 

If the piercing continues to cause trouble, if it becomes more inflamed or if redness or soreness spreads further, then I'd recommend you take the piercing out :( You don't want to infection to spread and actually make you ill.

Can I use a dab of polysporin on the back? If the earring is on the front (the front piece is a (roughly) 6 mm silver circle. How do I get an ointment on the front of the piercing, or should the back be fine?

 

I think my sister has a nickle allergy, but I don't know if there's anything else that might point to it...If I were to try nickle earrings, and they got irritated, would you put in the white gold hoops or the silver earrings?

 

I've read lots of sources that say if you remove an earring from an infected piercing, you can trap the infection and have to go to a doctor...

 

Thanks!

[Lillias]

Yeah, you can put polysporin on the ear.

 

Before you put in any new earrings, soak them in rubbing alcohol for a bit.

 

Are there any surgical steel earrings in your home? Those are generally the cheapest hypo-allergenic option.

 

I don't know why removing the earring would trap the infection, but if there's no earring, that hole will likely close up.

[top tier hippo]

Yeah, you can put polysporin on the ear.

 

Before you put in any new earrings, soak them in rubbing alcohol for a bit.

 

Are there any surgical steel earrings in your home? Those are generally the cheapest hypo-allergenic option.

 

I don't know why removing the earring would trap the infection, but if there's no earring, that hole will likely close up.

I tried a bit of polysporin once and I think it's cleared up significantly.

 

I looked for new earrings, measuring the shafts, but the only ones I found are 11mm ones, and my current ones are about 10mm, or one cm. I don't know if it's worth risking putting more bacteria in the piercing for one extra mm. 

 

Due to the coronavirus, we only have a bit of rubbing alcohol left, I think. Could I use hydrogen peroxide instead? That's what I used to clean the infected ear and the other one (It's also infected. I guess I'll just do the same thing I did for the first one.).

 

I don't think we have any steel earrings...Probably only the white gold hoops, nickle, and the silver ones I'm wearing. 

 

It's been like 41 days since they were pierced, so 6 weeks. I want to find longer earrings. These are just a bit too short, I think. Like 13mm would probably be good, but I don't know where to find them other than online, what with jewellery shops being closed and not being able to measure the shafts in-store at a place like Walmart or Superstore

[Lillias]

You can use hydrogen peroxide. If it were me, I'd use a couple drops of the alcohol on any new-to-you earrings just to eliminate germs from other people, and then use the hydrogen peroxide from that point on, but I suppose it depends on how dire the alcohol shortage is.

 

Some white gold contains nickel, so if you are allergic, that won't necessarily be an upgrade. Yeah, online might be your only option.

[IknowHams]

Hello! To clean your ears, try hydrogen peroxide, a saline solution, antibacterial soap, or a ointment like neosporin. Make sure you wash your hands before touching your ears, and don't push the back down too far, or else that can cause infection.