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Ear piercing infected and painful after 12 weeks

Today I took my earrings out to clean and I guess I took one out at an angle so it started to bleed and felt like I stabbed it inside the piercing. It bled, so I cleaned it up with saline. It hurts a lot and was painful putting back in as the hole seemed smaller (maybe from the swelling) and I had to fish around to get it back out. It was pretty swollen and had a little soft bump at the back so I've been icing it. I'm scared my piercing isn't fully healing inside and that there's open flesh there? Is the fact I every time I take my earrings out it feels like my earring is stabbing inside the piercing a major red flag?For background: I got my seconds pierced 12 weeks ago at a reputable place. Had some minor infections/irritations here and there but decided to take them out at 9 weeks. They were very sensitive and bled when I took them out, so I put in 14k yellow gold earrings back in, scared of putting in the original earrings back in with the tough backings. I clean them with saline everyday/every other day. There's always gunky stuff on the posts when I take them out (I've taken them out maybe twice since switching them.

Reply 1

1582

Volunteer Team

Go back to the piercer and have them take a look at it. They may be able to isolate a reason for why they are taking longer than usual to heal.

Resist taking them out again unless advised as each time you do so you're increasing your risk of infection and overall healing time.

Reply 2

ParadoxSocks

How were they pierced? Gold is not pure enough to wear in a healing piercing, you need to be finding titanium or high grade surgical steel until you've completely healed it. 24 karat gold is too soft and contains impurities in the bumps, but 14k and 18k are both mixed with other metals which you could be reacting to. If you were pierced with a gun, the pressure build up from not having any flesh removed can make healing much more complex. If it's been completed with a needle then take it back to where you had it done and ask them to change your jewellery and take a look at what is causing the upset.

After that, it is always best to leave the piercing completely alone. Completely alone. The LITHA (leave it the hell alone) method is the preferred as it doesn't introduce bacteria through cleaning or disrupt the piercings through turning it around and disrupting the little fleshy tube you want your ear to make.

Check your diet is sufficient to heal a piercing - it's only a tiny hole but something is disrupting healing, it could be an external issues, or it could be that your body is struggling to heal.