How to heal an earlobe

[minniecarousel]

I appear to have an infected earlobe (from my piercing). I've tried wiping it with alcohol, using antibiotic ointment. I try to keep wearing an earring, because I don't want the piercing to close up.

What am I doing wrong?

 

[pixiewings71]

are you treating the post of the earring? using a hoop style earring? wearing good earrings and not cheap ones? When I get infections (or my girls do) I clean it daily, put neosporin on my post/hook and use good earrings. Maybe one of all of those will help?

 

[minniecarousel]

are you treating the post of the earring? using a hoop style earring? wearing good earrings and not cheap ones? When I get infections (or my girls do) I clean it daily, put neosporin on my post/hook and use good earrings. Maybe one of all of those will help?

hmmm......all my good earrings have such large posts, I've been avoiding them. Maybe it's time to clean a few of the good posts and try that. (I DO have a lot of cheap earrings, so I'll avoid those for a while!)

 

[MommaSnowwhite]

When my DD had an infection after having her ears done I called a tattoo place that does piercing. They told me to make a solution of warm water and sea salt. Dip a cotton ball into the solution and dab it onto the ear. Do this at least twice a day. Keep an earring in that is NOT a wire - they are too thin.


Good luck!

 

[overlyspoiled4sure]

I've always used peroxide & it worked for me. I'd pour a bit in a tiny shallow dish (a give-away from a tupperware party) & dipped my lobes in that & then twisted the earring. Other times I got a cotton ball soaked & squeezed that on the lobe.

However, when DD, DGD & I went to Claires to get DGD's ears pierced, they said not to use peroxide. All of us had our ears done (3rd for DD, 2nd for me & once for DGD) & we were given a bottle of solution for our lobes. Were you given such a bottle when your ears were done?

If not, maybe you can purchase such a solution at your local Claires.

You do need to keep earrings in, but not wires. Maybe it's the nickel in the posts that's giving you trouble. Try to find some allergy-free/nickel free earrings. Good luck.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

My ears get sore and swollen if I wear cheap earrings for more than a day or two. When that happens, I go back to 14k gold posts (not wires). I clean my ear with peroxide and then dip the earring in Neosporin before putting it in. That way, the medicine gets inside the piercing and helps it heal. I also try to remember to twist my earrings a few times a day so they don't get stuck in place. The Neosporin does a good job at keeping them from getting crusty (Sorry! Gross!).

 

[TeaToo!]

In this house we use alcohol, neosporin and those antibac wipes. Clean the ear and ear ring as posters have said. And we ALWAYS go back to the original studs until the ear heals. I wasnt sure if you just had them pierced... if you dont get relief, or if it gets red, warm, painful you might need an antibiotic as maybe it has gone into more than we all think. Best of luck to you.

 

[wdwiala]

You could be allergic. I have never been able to wear anything but high quality gold stems in my ears. I finally gave up and let my ears heal over.

This past winter, I had an allergic reaction on my face and my dermatologist did a skin patch test. It basically tests to see if you have contact allergies to any of 100 chemicals, etc. It showed that I am allergic to nickel and cobalt (these are related allergies) among a couple of others. Nickel is why I can't wear the earrings. It is a very common allergy. My doctor said that even staneless steel and gold earrings have low amounts of nickel that tend to seep through and cause reactions.

The best part about the skin test? It makes you even more sensative to the chemicals in the future. The next time I wore a cheap necklace it left a ring around my neck. Thanks doc!

 

[TeaToo!]

The next time I wore a cheap necklace it left a ring around my neck. Thanks doc!

PERMANENT?

 

[minniecarousel]

ha-ha! I had my ears pierced 40 years ago! I usually have NO problems with my earlobes.

I will make sure I only use the gold posts (I know the pearls are the "real thing")....keep it "alcoholled" and "neosporined".

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[diswishes]

Saline solution twice a day should usually work. You can use a q-tip or soak a cotton ball and place that on your ear. The q-tip is good cause it allows you to remove all of the gross crusties from the infection. Also make sure your washing your hands before doing this!

I have had mutlitple piercings and was always told in the care instructions not to use neosporin, something about the way neosporin works and that it doesn't allow oxygen to get to the wound to heal. Everything is worth a try, if it doesn't work then I would discontinue. But the saline solution has always worked for me!

 

[bumbershoot]

ha-ha! I had my ears pierced 40 years ago!

Then why the worry about the hole closing???

I had my first ear-holes done 36 years ago, haven't worn earrings regularly in around 15 years, and they are still open. Second hole done when I was 15, third at 21...same amount of time of not wearing earrings regularly (and this means I almost NEVER wear earrings at all), and only the newest ever had thoughts of closing, but it has never actually done it.



Of course, I've had my navel pierced two different times, and both times it NEVER healed, and each time when I finally took out the ring, the holes closed inside of ONE day. Go figure!

 

[wdwiala]

PERMANENT?

Ha! No, but it did last for the good part of a week.

 

[golfgal]

I have had my ears pierced for close to 40 years as well but every once in a while I find I can't wear certain earrings. I don't buy costume earrings and typically wear all sterling earrings but every once in a while I will get an infection from some. I have come to the conclusion that it is the backing on the earring.

My DD has a HORRIBLE time with earrings. She really can't wear any for a long period of time, more than an hour or two. I have a friend that makes jewelry and we have found a couple through her that she can wear for more than that but still can't wear them all day.

 

[Christine]

My ears have been pierced for almost 40 years. I can only wear hoop or european clasp style earrings now. If I wear a post (even great quality ones) I get a reaction. I guess that having the stud on the front of my ear and the backing on the back part is too much contact. It *seems* like an infection but it is really an allergic reaction.

 

[golfgal]

My ears have been pierced for almost 40 years. I can only wear hoop or european clasp style earrings now. If I wear a post (even great quality ones) I get a reaction. I guess that having the stud on the front of my ear and the backing on the back part is too much contact. It *seems* like an infection but it is really an allergic reaction.

I have about 5 sets of backings that don't bother me and I just switch them out with other earrings.

 

[Christine]

I have about 5 sets of backings that don't bother me and I just switch them out with other earrings.

I haven't found any yet that I can wear. I have a pair of Mikimoto (sp??) pearls that I bought over 20 years ago while living in Japan. I wore those pearls almost daily for 10 years. Then, suddenly, I couldn't wear them. Tried all sorts of changes to the backing but that didn't help. The front of earring bothers me too. I know that I could probably coat them with something but, whatever, I'm done trying.

 

[golfgal]

I haven't found any yet that I can wear. I have a pair of Mikimoto (sp??) pearls that I bought over 20 years ago while living in Japan. I wore those pearls almost daily for 10 years. Then, suddenly, I couldn't wear them. Tried all sorts of changes to the backing but that didn't help. The front of earring bothers me too. I know that I could probably coat them with something but, whatever, I'm done trying.

I had some diamond earrings that did that to me too. I wore them almost nonstop for many years and then all of the sudden I couldn't wear them again. I wasn't giving them up and someone suggested coating them with clear nail polish. I tried it and haven't had problems since.

 

[diesel]

I'm glad I'm no the only one to have issues with my pierced ears. When I was a teenager and in my 20's I could wear any type of earing from cheap to expensive. The in my 30's any time I wore earings my ears would start to burn and I'd have to take them out. I tried every type of earring but always had a reaction. I finally gave up and let them close. But its strange only one hole closed and I sitll have one thats pierced and the one with the hole that won't close will get infected once in awhile.

 

[TeaToo!]

I was going to post the name of a catalog that I get with earrings for sensitive ears, but couldnt remember the name. Well one came in yesterdays mail! Simply Whispers. I bet you can find them online, too. My daughter had a problem for a while and had to wear only thier earrings, now she's over it and can wear most any. Just an FYI.