Anyone have experience with an earring hole that constantly gets infected?

[Flowerem]

Hi,

My daughter got her ears pierced about 5 years ago. She is 10 now. She had no issues when first getting them pierced, but over the past 3 years or so, one of the earlobes is constantly "infected". It is red, swollen, hot, painful, and has some pus. She has good real gold earrings, and we take both earrings out a few times a week to clean and reinsert. When it gets infected, we do it daily, and also add polysporin to the routine. It usually gets better after a few days, but the infection always comes back, whether it be a week, or month or couple of months later.

The infection this time is currently so bad that we are considering being done with earrings entirely!

We have tried several different good earrings, proper cleanings, but nothing seems to prevent this. And it is always in the one earlobe.

Also! She is on long term antibiotics for another condition, so you'd think that would help prevent infection too.

1) Is there anything we should be doing differently to prevent these infections?
2) Would you just let the earrings close in?
3) Any other suggestions?

My daughter had a similar experience. She ended up being allergic/sensitive to many metals. One ear was always worse than the other for some reason. We switched to titanium earrings and she hasn't had a problem since.

 

[marcyleecorgan]

Yep, my daughter had this problem. Then we noticed that she'd get rashes on her wrists and neck when she wore jewelry. It turns out she's very sensitive to metal - mainly nickel, but even surgical steel gets irritating after awhile. I think that might be due to a chromium sensitivity, in addition to the nickel?

We tried all of the advice listed in previous posts. It didn't work. She ultimately just gave up on having pierced ears, and wears necklaces sparingly (or chooses ones that are made with natural materials).

She's studying biochemistry and once explained to me the mechanism behind how her immune system reacts to metals, but I honestly didn't understand it. She's got other immune "quirks" as well... vitiligo, allergies, sun rash, mild Reynaud's, etc. On the plus side, though, her overactive immune system means she rarely gets sick and when she does she recovers quickly.

(Edited to add: A lot of her immune issues first showed up when she began puberty - so, roughly the same age as your young lady.)

Hey I've found another person (well a mom of said person) who has the same issues! I can't wear earrings or get tattoos; when I had surgical staples, I contracted sepsis.

 

[Magpie]

Hey I've found another person (well a mom of said person) who has the same issues! I can't wear earrings or get tattoos; when I had surgical staples, I contracted sepsis.

Oh... you have my sympathies! Is there a protocol for future surgeries, to ensure that doesn't happen again?

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

I keep seeing people mention "good quality" earrings, but even 18/24k gold earrings have nickel in them, which is a common irritant.

Try getting her a pair made from surgical steel (not stainless) and see if that makes a difference.

Good luck!

This. I have a nickel allergy, and I can only wear certain metals. When I would wear cheap or even not cheap earrings with nickel in them, my ears would get irritated, and then the irritation caused infections (from itching them with dirty hands, is my guess...I was a kid when this happened, so I'm guessing the dirty hands thing. ).

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

I'm not saying it's impossible, as stranger things have happened.

But the OP is clearly talking about one ear, not both.

I still think that chances are much higher it's a functional irritation, meaning from sleeping on that side with the earring in.

There's one way to find out, and that's to take the earrings out at night and see what happens.

I have no need to argue with you. I was just putting forward a suggestion based on my very similar personal experience that may or may not help just like your suggestion.

 

[Magpie]

Hey I've found another person (well a mom of said person) who has the same issues! I can't wear earrings or get tattoos; when I had surgical staples, I contracted sepsis.

My daughter has a bit more to add...

So, she got braces when she was a young teen, which fortunately didn't cause any problems. This is largely because her braces are entirely within her mouth and our immune systems react differently to stuff that arrives via an oral route, versus on your skin or directly into your blood stream. And, after many years of low dose oral nickel exposure, it's entirely possible (based on some studies) that she might not be allergic any more. However, she'd prefer not to test that hypothesis.

It's apparently the same reason that breastfed children are less likely to have allergic asthma, because they're ingesting all sorts of potential allergy-triggering substances in their mother's milk. And also why they've had success using tiny amounts of under-the-tongue peanut exposure, in kids with severe peanut allergies.

When your immune system encounters something you've eaten, it's more likely to decide it's "safe".

Biochemistry is SO cool!

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

My right ear tends to become infected at times as has been the case since I got them pierced.
I first got my ears pierced at age 14 and that ear got very infected and the back of the earring actually went into my ear and skin closed around it overnight.
I went to the DR and they removed it and I let them close for fear it would happen again.
I got myears pierced again at age 21 when I knew I was more responsible to know when there was an issue.
For me the key is to wear small simple hoop earrings 99% of the time, only wear bigger more special earrings when there is an occasion to do so, and every couple weeks give my ears 3-4 days without earrings in at all.
In your situation since its happening repeatedly I think I'd allow them to close and in a few years pierce them again.
Also if her ears have lumps in them its scar tissue and that can easily become irritated so letting them close for a while would help reduce the scar tissue and reduce the irritation.
And not sure how she got them pierced but I would highly recommend that if you do let them close and want to repierce them take her to a tattoo parlor and get them pierced with a needle vs a piercing gun.

 

[dosekies]

Agree with Queen! Piercings with a needle are the only way to go!

 

[disneychrista]

I can no longer wear earrings, even simple posts, due to this issue. Within an hour my ear is red, hot & itchy.

 

[lifesavacation]

My daughter had a really tough time with just one of her ears. When it got infected the first time, she let it close up. She pierced it and the same thing happened. She let it close up again. When she wanted to wear earrings again, I took her to a tattoo/piercing place and explained the trouble she was having. They pushed the earring through and we did the salt water soaks they suggested. When it got infected again we tried treating it at home and then finally went to her dr. She prescribed antibiotics, a topical antibiotic, and we did twice daily salt water soaks. We used the topical antibiotic first and it finally healed. She got her ears double pierced about 3 weeks ago and hasn't had any trouble.

Agree with those that say only pierce with a needle.

 

[bellebud]

this was me all growing up. I had my one ear pierced many times (maybe 5), because it would get so infected we'd have to let it close. The last time was when I was 23. It had been closed for a few years, and I decided to get it re-pierced for my wedding. It's been good since (I'm 49 now).

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Funny, I had my ears initially pierced with a needle and they got horribly infected so I had to let them close and wait a long time before I got them done with a gun and they've been fine ever since.

I have no need to argue with you. I was just putting forward a suggestion based on my very similar personal experience that may or may not help just like your suggestion.

Argue? I think there's a difference between an argument and a discussion. This is a discussion. I haven't seen anyone arguing.

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

I have this problem. I can only wear earrings with gold posts and air must be able to get to the hole which means mostly hoops. I have a pair of CZ studs that are set in gold in such a way that the part that touches my ear is very small, and I can wear these. I never sleep in them.

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

It seems like I'm not the only one with allergy problems. I bought plastic post covers since I had several high end earrings that I didn't want to put surgical steel posts on and they really help for wear.

They do make the posts a little bigger but they keep the metal from making contact. They're great. Just google earring post protectors.

 

[elphaba91]

I used to pierce ears (we used a newer type of gun that I honestly believe is the cleanest and best form of piercing - most of the worst infected piercings we had come in were done with needles). I think it could be a couple of things:
1. An allergy. Try getting earrings that specify they are nickel free, e.g. medical grade stainless steel or, even better, titanium. It also wouldn't hurt to leave them out overnight (pro tip: if you struggle to get them back in in the morning then try going in from the back).
2. The hole isn't straight. If this is the case, the only thing you can really do is let it heal over (for as long as possible), then re-pierce, making sure not to go through any scar tissue. You may want to let the other one close over too if you think they'll then be too uneven.

 

[dosekies]

I used to pierce ears (we used a newer type of gun that I honestly believe is the cleanest and best form of piercing - most of the worst infected piercings we had come in were done with needles). I think it could be a couple of things:
1. An allergy. Try getting earrings that specify they are nickel free, e.g. medical grade stainless steel or, even better, titanium. It also wouldn't hurt to leave them out overnight (pro tip: if you struggle to get them back in in the morning then try going in from the back).
2. The hole isn't straight. If this is the case, the only thing you can really do is let it heal over (for as long as possible), then re-pierce, making sure not to go through any scar tissue. You may want to let the other one close over too if you think they'll then be too uneven.

I wonder if the infected needle ones you saw were from normal needles (sewing needles maybe?) or hollow needles. Your comment is so interesting to me because most of the experience I have thru myself and others I know is the exact opposite - problems from guns but not hollow needles. After my horrible experiences, I did a lot of research and found that most guns just push the earing thru even though they aren't always sharp, so it is basically just pushing the skin and tissue to the side. I've also heard they are extremely hard to fully sanitize. A hollow needle on the other hand, actually punches out that small amount of skin and tissue which usually heals better I guess? I could be wrong though!

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

I wonder if the infected needle ones you saw were from normal needles (sewing needles maybe?) or hollow needles. Your comment is so interesting to me because most of the experience I have thru myself and others I know is the exact opposite - problems from guns but not hollow needles. After my horrible experiences, I did a lot of research and found that most guns just push the earing thru even though they aren't always sharp, so it is basically just pushing the skin and tissue to the side. I've also heard they are extremely hard to fully sanitize. A hollow needle on the other hand, actually punches out that small amount of skin and tissue which usually heals better I guess? I could be wrong though!

After several non ear piercings back in the day and talking with folks, I would only ever take somebody or recommend a reputable piercing (they often do tattoos as well) parlor for ear piercing.

 

[tarheel618]

My daughter had one ear like this. We switched to sterling silver and when she changes the earrings cleans them with alcohol and dips the post in neosporin. It took awhile to clear it up but since the switch to sterling silver- we've had no more problems.

 

[amberpi]

I had this problem for years. Gold earrings still bothered me if I didn't take them out at night. I can wear platinum for weeks on end. Or, I can take them out in the evenings. If I don't keep them in, during the day I can wear all kinds of cheap costume stuff, but a night or 2 in them means I can feel a pulse in my ear. Not fun.

 

[amberpi]

I wonder if the infected needle ones you saw were from normal needles (sewing needles maybe?) or hollow needles. Your comment is so interesting to me because most of the experience I have thru myself and others I know is the exact opposite - problems from guns but not hollow needles. After my horrible experiences, I did a lot of research and found that most guns just push the earing thru even though they aren't always sharp, so it is basically just pushing the skin and tissue to the side. I've also heard they are extremely hard to fully sanitize. A hollow needle on the other hand, actually punches out that small amount of skin and tissue which usually heals better I guess? I could be wrong though!

I think most of the earrings come out of sani packs. I'm not arguing, just saying, I think with guns, they are pretty darn sanitary. The "not straight" thing could be a huge issue. Trying to force an earring in could be irritating it constantly.

Hopefully, you can figure it out soon! That's so annoying!