Pierced ears Problem???

[Augustheather97]

My just turned 7 year old daughter begged to get her ears pierced in Early January....which I gave into even though I didn't really feel good about it so young...she has done everything right with them swabs them 2 times a day with the antiseptic they provided...well I noticed the other day behind her ear where the backing must dig into at night is all red and puffy and looks like it has fluid in it...but the earring hole itself is fine....it almost looks like it should be drained...I took the earrings out for the night and it did look a little better this am...and I bought her 14K gold small earrings that have tiny backs to them to put back in so it won;t dig ....but has any one else have any thing like this happen and should I call the DR or wait a few days to see it it goes away on its own>>>>thanks

 

[CheshireVal]

It sounds like a keloid scar. I developed one behind one of my ear piercings too. The dermatologist said it can be removed (like a mole) but that otherwise it's more unsightly than harmful.

 

[tiggersmom2]

I had this happen as a child. My mom would put some hydrogen peroxide in a shallow container and I would soak my ear in it about 3 times a day. The infection usually cleared right up.

 

[Christine]

My DD has has her ears pierced since she was 8 years old. She is now almost 13 and we have had constant problems, despite all different types of earrings. Her ears get puffy in the back, sometime crusty, no matter what we do.

I got my ears pierced when I was 8 and I swear they gave me problems for years. I guess it is some kind of allergy but it must be to everything!! Anyway, I find that both of us do better when we do NOT wear a post earring. I guess you don't get much contact at that point. Small hoops or European clasps are the best and we haven't had a problem since converting to that style.

 

[stinkerbelle]

one way to avoid this in the future - is to NOT get pierced with a piercing gun - but with a needle.

yes this will cost more...but let me explain.

when you get pierced with a gun - the sharp post of the earring jabs through the skin - pushing it all aside.

when you are pierced with a needle - the needle is hollow and actually removes that chunk of skin.

I've found I've gotten those 'bumps' only when pierced by a gun...all my needle piercings healed MUCH faster and I had much less problems with them.

good luck

 

[dianeschlicht]

Sounds like a metal allergy to me. That is how I get if I happen to wear a pair of "gold" earrings that happen to be plated instead of real solid gold.

 

[Piglet]

My DD got her ears pierced when she was 4 and her earring still get crusty and a little gunk on them when we change them. They aren't sore, red or swollen though.

Melinda

 

[helenabear]

I have to agree with Stinkerbelle. Next ear piercing of mine will be done by a needle for sure.

Truthfully it sounds like a keloid to me. They can be rather common in ALL piercings and some people are just more liable to get them than others.

First STOP using whatever the place gave you to "clean" the ear with. That stuff is awful and I still can't believe they try to sell it to you. Go out and see if you can get anti-microbial soap (I am using Provon) and if you can't find anti-microbial, get anti-bacterial soap (like dial). Wash the ear once or twice a day. Do NOT use any type of ointment (Neosporin) or the like. That can block oxygen that will help the ear to heal. Do NOT use hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol either, that can lead to irritation as well. So clean once or twice a day with the soap. And then to try to get the bubble to diminish a bit, create a sea salt soak. Use NON-IODIZED sea salt and mix 1/4 teaspoon for every 8 oz of water. Make sure the water is warm and either soak the ear in a cup of that for about 10 minutes or dip a cotton ball in the solution and place that on the ear. If there is irritation you can do this soak for about a minute a couple more times a day. Too much and the wound will dry out and become irritated.

If it truly is a keloid, the sea salt soak will help it to go down. I would also recommend going to this site http://www.safepiercing.org/ and looking up a local APP member. They are not doctors but they can usually look at things and give you a better idea as to what is going on. In the mean time try the soaks and don't touch or try to pop the bubble.

If it is an infection, the ear would be oozing bright yellow or green puss. Truthfully a trained professional will be able to help you more (than a doc even at times) to find out what is going on and help you get earrings that are good for ears as they heal. By putting the earrings in you did, you now are going to allow for the hole to heal up smaller and may cause trouble in the future for putting other earrings in.

Good luck

 

[alabamaalan]

And if anyone would know it is Helenabear, goddess of piercings!

 

[Lisa L from MI]

I have 2 holes in each ear. Got them done long long ago. I still can not wear earrings with backs longer than a day or so....they get crusty and red. I can't even wear solid gold earrings either. I can wear gold hoop-like earrings just fine.....as long as there isn't a back.

I have recently been buying nickel-free earrings. My mom has always said the it is the nickel that people are allergic to????

Also, DD#2 just had her second holes done last fall. Everything was fine until Christmas Eve day. Getting ready for my moms house and Madison came out of the shower screaming. Her little starter earring, which she still wore disappeared more or less through the hole and into her lobe. The back was all swollen and red and *****. She was afraid to tell me about the back side of her ear but when she noticed the front part she just freaked out. I had to take her to the ER and they literally dug it out with hemostats!!! After they have her a bunch of novacaine shots in her lobe....it was awful!!!! She since let that hole close and now has 1 in one ar and 2 in the other. She wants to get it re-done soon.

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

This happened with DD's piercing from last summer. She had been cuddling up with the dog and he jumped up unexpectedly. When he did, the front side of her earring got caught ever so slightly on his webbed collar. It was enough to knock the clutch askew, but not damage her ear or the earring. The piercings were relatively new at the time, still the starters. I made sure her ear was okay but never looked behind the ear - I didn't suspect anything. A few days/weeks later she mentioned it hurt and we then discovered the problem. We took the earring out, soaked in the care solution and swabbed the ear for a couple days. She was fine in no time and has been able to wear earrings without irritation since - so long as they are the nickel-free, sensitive type.

She'd had her ears pierced before, when she was 5 for her birthday. One ear never seemed to heal properly, always red and slightly infected. We left the holes close because she couldn't tolerate having earrings changed and her starters had such sharp posts (as sharp as a needle). My starter earrings were not so sharp (20+ years ago) and neither were the recent ones used to pierce her ears. This time it was her decision when to have them done and she's is more responsible for taking care of them.

 

[winniedapooh]

I have 5 holes on one side, 1 for each child, and 2 on the other, 1 for DH & I. I have had this happen for several years. Now I wash my earings in alcohol for 15 minutes one time a week and clean my ears with alcohol at the same time. I have not had a problems since I did this.

 

[minniecarousel]

I've had a lot of trouble with earrings in the past and have had a lot of success ordering hypoallergenic earrings from this website:
www.simplywhispers.com

 

[allicat]

DD begged to have her ears pierced at age 7 and we agreed but it turned out to be nothing but problems. We took good care of the ears, making sure to clean them with alcohol etc. but they kept getting infected. The last time, it was so painful that DD told me to take the earrings out and that was it. She let them close up and I suppose when she is older she can make the decision if she wants to get them pierced again.

 

[TalkisCheap]

I go my ears pierced at 5 and have never had a single problem(for 8 years). Sounds like what happened to my sister though. She swabbed her ear with alcohol twice a day and it seemed to clear up pretty fast. It never happened again, and it's been 14 years for her.

Good luck, hope it goes away soon!

 

[Augustheather97]

Thanks everyone...a lot of useful info here....It has been about 48 hours now since I noticed it and since taking out the bad nickel backing and putting in the 14K gold smaller one the ear looks much better, the little fluid filled bump seems to be going down in size...I have been putting alchol on it to dry it out and that seems to help...I will try the antibactaerial soap now that I know about that too...I didn;t want to have her have to get it drained .....that would have really scared her I think....thanks again...hopefully it will be completely gone in a few days....I will let you know.
thanks

 

[stinkerbelle]

just another word of advice...
for all my piercings done by a piercer they said to use dial anti-bacterial soap (the nasty orange kind) to clean the piercing and to use Bactine - NOT alcohol - afterwards.

it's not as drying...I find it cleared up any 'crusty-ness' pretty fast.

 

[Augustheather97]

where can I buy Provon Soap???? any drugstores carry it???

 

[Augustheather97]