I've had one hole pierced in each of my ears since I was in second grade. They've always been sensitive and I can only wear Silver or gold earrings. This has never been a problem, as long as I do this.

Now, over the past couple of months, I have started experiencing problems. I'm sure many of you know what your ear piercings look like if they are being bad, so I don't need to go into the gory details.

I've been wearing the same pair of silver earrings for the past year or so, and now they are starting to bother me. I don't know why they have started to do this, but they have.

I've always taken great care of my ear piercings. I wash my piercings and earrings with antibacterial if they are even the slightest bit itchy and it's always been fine.

Now, however, it seems like nothing will help. I've even tried straight rubbing alcohol (as opposed to ear disinfectant which the people at the jewelry store told me was weaker), but that wont even help.

Any ideas of how to cure my ears? Whether it's care methods or products, I'd desperately like to know.

Thanks!

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The hottest thing this side of Epworth, Iowa.

I've had my ears pierced since I was 5 years old and I've never had any problems!

Jubilee, do you know of Baneocin ? It's awesome - it's magical!
It's with Pennicilin though. But I normally use that for things like that and it always helps within 2 days.

Hope you'll find something that helps - things like that suck!

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Jo Marriott & Carly Bramwell Information Page

Inspirational Pain

I use an antibacterial spray for piercings, but I'm probably the wrong person to ask, as I never have any trouble with them, once they are over the initial healing.

have you tried switching back to gold earrings for awhile?



[This message was edited by Tamorama on 24 June 2003 at 06:00 PM.]

Oy!

I've got several piercings in various parts of my body, so I've had lots of experience getting and keeping them healthy.

Like Tam suggested, you may want to switch your earrings. Sometimes the jewlery is only silver plated and when the plating rubs off, if you've got particularly sensitive skin, it'll start to react. You may also want to consider leaving the earring out for a couple of days. If you're concerned about the hole closing up, you can use a bit of fishing line sterilized with alcohol to keep the hole open. The fishing line is a pretty neutral product and shouldn't react with your skin. You just poke it through the hole before you clean it.

Be very careful with the alcohol. I've had professional piercers tell me that alcohol, along with peroxide, are the worse things you can use on a piercing. It damages the newly formed cells.

You may want to try a weak solution of sea salt and water. You can get fine ground sea salt at pretty much any natural food store. Mix about 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt with 1 cup of water. You want the solution to taste about like tears and no saltier. You want to basically douse your piercing in the solution. Do this twice a day. You should start to see a difference within a week or a week and a half.

Over the counter products you can try are Bacitarcin Zinc. I had great success with Bactine. You should be able to find both of these at your local pharmacy.

One last suggestion... until you get your ears back to good, if you're going swimming, I suggest you liberally smear some Neosporin over the holes. This will protect the newly forming cells from being damaged by the chlorine and other pool chemicals. However, wash that crap off as soon as you get done swimming. The Neosporin also prevents fresh air from getting to the new cells.

Good luck and I hope your ears heal soon!

I have a problem similar to yours, I am allergic to Nickle that is found in most jewlery. there is no pattern to what earings I can wear and what I cant, usually I can never wear the same pair for more than a few days. I find that I have had my ears pierced long enough that if I have a really bad day, I can take them out for a few days or a week or so and that usually clears up the infection. I know that now at the stores where they sell jewlery and junky kids stuff lol they make special earings for people with allergies. they also carry alot of products for use on infected ears.

I was going to say that silver-plated theory but Arista already said it. Other than that I got nuttin'. Never been pierced, never will be. yowch.

Wow! Thanks guys, I'll have to try these things..
I'm thinking I'll switch to gold for a while and see what happens.
I do take my earrings out for a few days every now and then, but I just look so funny without them that I always wear them in the day. I always take them out at night though, since I don't like the feel of them on my pillow.
I'll keep these things in mind though, definately, anything to get rid of this awfulness.
I'll start by keeping them out for a while and only having fishing line in them (hehe, what if I didn't cut off the tails and I strung both ears together?)

Any other suggestions people can think of are welcome!

~Jubs~

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The hottest thing this side of Epworth, Iowa.

Man, if Arista hadn't replied I was expecting QB to pop her head back in. I thought I had a lot of holes in my ears, but that lady blows me away.

And no I still can't see anything I type so please forgive my errors.

let's see....10 yeah..that's how many times i've had my ears pierced. my mom did my bottom ones when i was 2. and then i did 1 (cause i'm smart ) and then i had the rest done professionally. ya know that little part when you stick your finger in your ear. that nub of cartilidge...i had that pierced a while back. that is the only piercing i have had done with a needle (and did it hurt), but it is the only piercing i have that doesn't get all nastified. i know exactly what you are talking about. my ears do it too. i've found that if i wear gold, no problems. but i'm a silver kinda kid, and so i use white gold. problem solved. but i do have to take them out for about 4 or 5 days and let them heal. the sea salt usually helps too. there's some great advice here. i know the only thing that works for me is the metal the earing are made out of. hopefully that's not your case, cause it's expensive, and leaves your options limited. sometimes i'll just wear my other ones anyway and deal with the consequences later.

~b

"sometimes love hurts so bad, you never want it again"

Bloody hell, white gold is a good suggestion.

Why did I think of that?

Hey -- on a side issue, do most people take their ear rings out when they sleep, or leave them in?

I only take out one I've got in the middle of my ear, as it feels funny if I roll onto that side, but I leave in the ones lower down in my ear lobes.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Argeaux:

Bloody hell, white gold is a good suggestion.

Why did I think of that?

Hey -- on a side issue, do most people take their ear rings out when they sleep, or leave them in?

I only take out one I've got in the middle of my ear, as it feels funny if I roll onto that side, but I leave in the ones lower down in my ear lobes.

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I leave mine in.

leave 'em in. it's way too much work to take them out every night.

actually I never take them out. I've been wearing the same piercings for a few years now. Of course I clean them now and then but I never bought new ones or put in different ones.

I dunno...it's just not IN anymore to wear huge or funny or whatever piercings.

***

Jo Marriott & Carly Bramwell Information Page

Inspirational Pain

I have the top of my right ear pierced once and I leave it in at night.


I doubt, therefore I might be.

I have 4 in my left ear (one up high) and 2 in my rt. I take my bottome out every night and when I ride - that are usualy bigger ones and get hung in my helmet - ouch! the others never come out.

And another suggestion - my top one is surgical steeeel shesesh I have no idea what I just typed


all others are silver - but I've been lucky and never had a problem

I leave mine in at night.

Oh and I'm sure I don't have the exact correct number but I think QB has 18. Or 18 in one ear. Or somethin' like that.
I dunno. I'll tell her to drop into this thread and clarify for herself.