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simplydevastated posted 5/15/2013 08:10 AM

Last August/Sept my DD6 got her ears pierced. We decided on the titanium starter studs because my mom was allergic to her earrings and I had an infection in one of my piercings, so we were trying to be cautious.

We kept up with the normal cleaning routine and then in Dec her ears, around the holes, felt a little bumpy. I pushed on it and puss came out and a little blood. So I cleaned her ears with hydrogen peroxide and more of the ear solution from the store and I soaked her studs in more hydrogen peroxide until they were clean. Before I put them in her ears I put some antibiotic ointment on the posts. We did this for about two weeks. This worked and her ears seem fine.

The questions I have are:

1. When I look at the back of one hear the top part around the hole is red. It doesn't hurt her she pinches her ear and she feels nothing. Around the hole (again the back of her ear) looks a little crusty, I think it might be some skin but it's hard to get a really good look.

2. When we switch earrings (I clean the new ones before they go in her ears) they seem to go in tight and come out tight. I have to hold her lobe in place to pull out the earring. This doesn't seem normal. Is any of this normal?

I'm worried there is something wrong with the holes.

My original piercings (I was 14 yrs old) still close up if I don't wear earrings all the time. I hope this doesn't happen with her.

Amazonia posted 5/15/2013 08:14 AM

I don't have pierced ears, but could it be that the cleaning solutions are drying out the skin?

simplydevastated posted 5/15/2013 08:18 AM

I didn't think of that, but would the solutions only dry out the skin on one side of one ear?

Amazonia posted 5/15/2013 08:19 AM

I have no idea, just basing on what you described, crusty, dry, tight skin.

lieshurt posted 5/15/2013 08:23 AM

Sounds like she is allergic to the earrings and they are aggravating her ears. I know my ears will do the same thing if I wear any earrings that contain any nickel.

simplydevastated posted 5/15/2013 08:32 AM

That's why we went with titanium. We wanted to stay away from the nickle. I asked how the posts were attached to the earring (if it was nickel) and they didn't know. Plus the regular earrings (not her starters) are for sensitive ears. I suppose they could still have some amount of nickel in them.

hurtbs posted 5/15/2013 08:35 AM

I might bring her to a dermatologist. I had my ears pierced when I was 10. I got terrible infections. I tried titanium, hypo allergenic, 24K gold, platinum, you name it. My infections, however, were far worse than what your daughter has. It could just be temporary, could be an allergy to the cleaning solution, maybe something a round of antibiotics could clean up, but I think a quick doc appointment could do the trick.

lieshurt posted 5/15/2013 08:37 AM

Unfortunately, Titanium earrings also contain nickel. The only earrings that don't are the ones that specifically state "nickel free" or plastic earrings.

jennie160 posted 5/15/2013 08:40 AM

I have ultra sensitive skin. Even the ones made for sensitive ears bothered me. The only thing that I have found that doesn't irritate my ears is solid gold.

Even with solid gold my ears will still sometimes get dry and crusty. I think this is because of water/hair product that gets trapped in between the ear and earring.

TattoodChinaDoll posted 5/15/2013 08:41 AM

Tattoo knowledge isn't my only forte! I've had quite a few piercings in my life...most of them gone now. But anyway, a majority of people are allergic to earrings you get at the mall and places like Claire's. Most of the time it's the nickel. Even if it says sensitive ears. Sterling silver works however it will discolor your ears and it won't go away. What you need is surgical steel. Look for things labeled as body jewelry or go to a tattoo/piercing shop. They sell them at many gauges so they will have something that is the same size as a regular earring post. The gauge is how thick the post is (ie like people who have the giant holes in their ears). I found very cute, small, rainbow, horseshoe earrings for my daughter in a 16 gauge. If you have trouble getting the earring in it could be a few things...scar tissue, lymph, the direction the earring went through when she got it pierced. Wash her ears well with a soap like Dial. Then soak a cotton ball in sea salt and water. Let the cotton ball soak on her ear.

TattoodChinaDoll posted 5/15/2013 08:50 AM

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004K2TVT0

These are similar to what she has. Look for 16 gauge. But 14 will slip right in, too. And you can order it using the SI Amazon link! Just look up horseshoe surgical steel earrings. I also suggest horseshoes because they are easier to get on. The captive bead rings (the hoops with a ball inte middle) are a PITA.

simplydevastated posted 5/15/2013 09:09 AM

Thank you all so much. I was hoping that since it's coming up on a year that her ears would be fine.

I did call her pediatrician and they said that since she's not in pain and there's no swelling that we can hold out until her physical this summer. They did say that if it changes and she's in pain then to bring her in. That seemed fair.

I will read the cards on earrings. They all did come from Claire's.

I'm going to have to start looking for nickel-free.

Jennie, I've had that happen, too. I just thought it might be the shampoo getting stuck like you said. With what happened in Dec worried me.

TCD, I don't feel any lumps anymore so I hope there's no scar tissue (that happened with my mom and she can't wear earrings at all) it's just that the holes are tight, almost like they are closing up.

I'm definitely going to start to look around more and see what's out there. Maybe I can try and talk my husband into buying her some gold studs to try out.

idiot85 posted 5/15/2013 09:19 AM

TCD knows

My daughter's are surgical steel. We also just cleaned hers with salt water oh and try not to shampoo/conditioner on them. I wouldn't recommend hydrogen peroxide because it prevents healing... Honestly sea salt is brilliant- not table salt though because iodide also prevents healing... Remember you want the body to heal around a foreign object, not reject it

I have some piercings but this isn't the place to post about them haha

simplydevastated posted 5/15/2013 09:27 AM

I85, I used the peroxide because I wanted to really clean her ears if she was starting to get an infection. Now, I only use it on the new earrings.

Is there measurements for how much sea-salt and how much water to use? I'm assuming warm water is best?

I'm going to look at her ears again when she comes home and clean them out again.

I have some piercings but this isn't the place to post about them haha

^^^ ^^^

KeepCalm_CarryOn posted 5/15/2013 09:37 AM

Don't use hydrogen peroxide! It's not good for piercings AT ALL! You can use sea salt and water or a saline solution (they have it at Walgreens) or if you really really feel like you want a little more umph, a tiny bit of rubbing alcohol.

I've had tons of piercings. I'm sure you will figure it out.

TattoodChinaDoll posted 5/15/2013 09:40 AM

No on the alcohol! Rubbing alcohol will dry the skin out. To make the salt solution just dissolve 1/4 tsp of sea salt in warm water.

idiot85 posted 5/15/2013 09:42 AM

Honestly hydrogen peroxide damages all cells so healthy cells too and they're needed for healing- remember it doesn't usually kill bacteria- which is mind boggling I know!! It just creates a bad environment all round- I digress lol

I always do a little taste test on the sea salt- really salty but not crusty basically. Warm water in a glass, stir in some sea salt- sorted

Do them morning, in from school and before bed- she'll be fine in no time- guaranteed idiot's advice haha

simplydevastated posted 5/15/2013 09:44 AM

guaranteed idiot's advice

Should I be taking idiots advice?

simplydevastated posted 5/15/2013 09:45 AM

KeepCalm, did you mean rubbing alcohol on the earrings?

KeepCalm_CarryOn posted 5/15/2013 09:48 AM

Yes, sorry, I went back and read that and realized I didn't type to clean the earrings. TCD is correct, alcohol will dry out the skin.