Newly Pierced Ears Problem

The piercing places give you their solution to clean them with. I am allergic to this solution, I use alcohol, they say not to, but alcohol works for me. The knot is a scab which needs to be pushed thru, I also use neosporin to lubricate and medicate at one time. See if you can get this done, then everytime they are taken out use neosporin to put back in. Saturate with alcohol several times a day, like you have been w/rotating.

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I second what first poster said about metal allergies/sensitivity. A cousin of mine is allergic to gold...discovered it after piercing ears with a result that sounds similar to what you're seeing. My ears are also sensitive...especially to the "cheap posts" but also to silver and copper. I had my ears pierced nearly 30 years ago and to this day, if I wear cheap posts, within a day or so I'll get the redness and the little "knot" you described. If I then take out the earring and don't replace it within a couple of days with a "good one", skin grows over it (because of the healing related to the red/irritated skin).

I actually gave up a more than ten years ago...I bought myself a nice set of diamond studs set in white gold and I have probably taken them off to wear something "dressier" only half a dozen times since then (except for cleaning of course...but they go right back in when they are clean)!

For me, cleaning the earrings and the ear with alcohol works the best...stings but seems to speed up healing. I sometimes alternate with hydrogen peroxide but don't like how it turns the skin white! (I can always find one but not always both *laugh*).

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First of all what type of posts were used to pierce your child's ears (surgical steel, titanium, 10k gold, or 14k gold?) This can have make a drastic impact on the health and haeling of the piercings. If there is a history of metal allergy in the family I would avoid posts made of that metal.

For instance, I am allergic to gold and cannot wear any posts that contain over 10k gold. My husband is allergic to surgical steel and cannot wear that. So when it came time to get my oldest daughter's ears pierced we found out she is allergic to both (unfortunately she had to go throught he infections from both to find out) and we can only use titanium (the most exensive ones, of course) posts for her ears.

If the redness is larger than it was before and the skin is hot to the touch, then I would say that her ear(s) is/are infected, and you should probably take her to the doctor.

If not you need to put keep earrings in her ears for about 3 months making sure that you rotate them regularly. I would use a q-tip and some soap and water to clean them once every couple of days.

There is a saline solution you can get from the place you got her ears pierced or from any tattoo place that should help heal her ear faster.

To answer about the had place in her ear. IT could be scar tissue, but it could also be swelling where there is infection and you may need to have a doctor look at it.

You may be able to wait another day or two to determine if it's infected for sure...but you can take her to the place where she got them pierced and they should be able to tell you if they are infected and give you some tips as well.

Good luck ;-)

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My guess is that she has a sensitivity to the metal the original earrings were made of. Definitely see how the gold works out. Also, maybe try some hydrocortizone cream. See if that eases the discomfort.

She may have an allergy to the metal. I thought I couldn't wear earrings because when I wore the "cheap ones" my ears would fester up, red, crusty (for lack of better word), etc. so I quit wearing them not knowing I just couldn't wear cheap earrings, they hafta be gold or gold plated. I can wear sterling silver for a few hrs but my ears will be sore & red if I wear them for extended length of time so I hafta stick w/gold or gold plated. I ended up getting them re-pierced not knowing I could just use my first pair I got pierced with & just re-open the holes, no one told me so I have off-set 'holes' in addition to the ones I use now so don't make that mistake. The WalMart lady swore to me she knew what she was doing. Big mistake! I pierced the rest of my holes myself! My mom had the same issue but her's is opposite. She can wear the gold plated or some of the cheapies but not all cheapies & strictly no solid gold type or silver. I just told her to stick to what she got re-pierced with (I did the re-piercing w/a do it yourself gun...I have a salon license so I'm allowed so don't worry!). She did the hoop self-piercers a long time ago just like her mom (my g-ma) but g-ma's did just fine. My mom went w/o earrings for years til about 2003 or so & she wanted to wear pierced earrings again. So I think that must be your daughter's problem, having an allergy. I wasn't allowed to wear pierced earrings as a child. I finally "got permission" at age 22. You may just want to experiment w/different types & see what works. Good luck!

1st. Take them out.
2nd. Wait til she can take care of them.

I say this because I have 16 piercings in my ears alone. This is not something for a child.
I had all my piercings done by a professional tattoo/piercing person.
I couldnt wear earrings as a child....but, boy howdy, did I wear them as an adult!!
I say let well enough alone for now.

M. :)

P.S. As for scar tissue...not likely...they close like noones business!!! It will just be easier to pierce as an adult.

Hi T.
You may read this a lot in responses,but if your daughter has sensitive ears, then gold or the earrings for sensitive ears are the only things you should keep in her ears for a long time. Others may disagree with this, but my experience - personal and my daughters is that, gold, or silver is the only thing we can wear that will not ultimately come back to haunt us with sore ears, and all that goes with it. My daughter has repiereced her ears three times now or is it 4? I forget anymore - she is 20. She always has an ear that takes longer to heal as do I and I suspect more people out there, so extra care and attention needs to be paid here. If the ear gets puss-like or really inflamed or she continues to complain, your safest option may be a Dr. I hope that you can safely allay this by being proactive with her and good luck ... girls are wonderful and high maintenance. I have two 20 and 17 .... LOVE them!
blessings
R. Marie

Hi I have two daughters with the same problem. Now they don't where earings at all. I found that they are allergic to any thing that goes in their ears. Their Dr. said not to put any healing ointment on them only petrolleum jelly. It is scar tissue on the ear and there isn't much you can do about that. It always hurt my 8 year old to try and put the earings back in. She said it felt like getting them peirced all over again. Sorry, I would just stop letting her wear them.

I am by no means an expert, but here's what I would recommend, if you're really wanting to avoid a trip to the doctor's. Get some earrings that are for sensitive ears (hypoallergenic, I think they are called), the 14K gold ones are probably good, sterling silver is usually a plus too, or you can try putting the original ones they were pierced with back in. Then, she needs to wear only those earrings and not take them out for close to 3 months. I had pretty sensitive ears when I got mine pierced (age 10), and this is what my mom made me do. The little ball you feel is the spot where the piercing was starting to become permanent. I would also recommend going to the place you had them pierced to ask for their advice. You don't want her to get an infection and they might be able to spot that better. Hope things clear up soon! :)

The knots should go away. The 14kt gold sounds good. It takes a while for this to pass, so be patient. She should be getting past the pain very soon. You don't want to start over, which she would want to do, so don't take out the earrings. Good Luck!

When our daughter started kindergarten Dad took her to get her ears pierced. I was told, by a number of experienced people beforehand to buy 14K gold and use nothing but that for the first 6 months to a year. So we did, and just kept the same ones (cleaning them as they indicate when you buy them, etc.) for the whole six months. She is now 19 and can wear any earrings she wants. Hopefully the 14K will work. If it doesn't work this time. Let the holes close-up and try again when she's completely healed using only the 14K. Hope this helps!

Hey T....

Try using the clear plastic sealers. They are tiny clear sticks that are easier on the skin. Make sure she is not playing with the eatings out of excitement. Some kids do that when they get their first earings.I hope this helps.

My daughter got her ears pierced when she was five and had the same problem. We let the holes close and she tried again when she was 8. Same thing happened.Both times we tried more expensive gold earrings, silver, as well as hypoallergetic and nothing worked. Then my cousin told me she went thru the same thing and was told she wasn't able to wear pierced earrings no matter the quality.(metal allergy) The derm. said we could come in for an appt. regarding the problem but my daughter decided it wasn't worth the effort. She's now 16 and it doesn't bother her that she cant wear earrings. I did get her clip ons when she was 8 and she wore thoes for a while. good luck!

I would get her some 14 K gold earrings.
Use Neosprin on the end of the earring when you put them in her ears. Not only does it make the earrings go in easier , it will help in the care of her ears.

Hi T.,

How long ago did she have her ears pierced? You need to leave the original earrings in for I think six weeks before changing them. It also sounds like your daughter may not be able to wear cheap earrings. I am the same way. Just keep cleaning them out with peroxide until they get better. Hopefully the gold earrings will work. If they do just make sure she only wears gold earrings and she should be ok. I hope this helps.

Good Luck J.

The problem may be the earrings them selves.. I just pierced my 4 month old.. and 8 year olds... The stores have 14k gold earring and gold "plated" earrings... But... it might be the actual gold is what is making her ears that way..try buying a set of inexpensive,, but real sterling silver earrings.. no hoops.. studs.. see if that works.. if not.. try titanium..hope it helps. good luck

My ears did this after I had them pierced. Is is a skin allergy to nickel. My doctor told me that the piercing actually triggers the allergy to nickel. My mother bought me 14kt gold and that was all I wore for years. I finally found that James Avery uses no nickel in their sterling silver; it is used in some sterling silvers so I have to be careful. That gave me further options.

If you are using inexpensive or gold-plated, you probably have earrings that contain nickel. You should switch to 14kt for now, just little ball earrings will do.

BTW, once the skin allergy is triggered, it can affect other parts of the body. I have to be careful about necklace chains, bracelets and rings now as my neck, wrist and fingers will turn red if I wear anything with nickel.

I remember this from my own ear-piercing experience. Good, 14 kt posts help a lot, and so does swathing the front and back with rubbing alcohol every time you turn them. I have to say it has been a long time, so these memories of what helped me may be distorted by time, but it's what I have. Putting ice on them for pain would surely help too, and certainly couldn't hurt. I had those hard balls in the lobes and they settled down, but if she gets a fever or becomes achey or anything else that suggests a more general infection, I urge you to take her back to the doctor.

Best wishes!
M.

The little balls inside her ears are normal. That's where the "tunnel" is forming in the earlobe and will get smaller as the ears heal.

Try using Camphophenque on them instead of the piercing solution. Make sure to wash them thouroughly with liquid Dial anti-bacterial soap when she bathes. It's going to sting, but it's that "hurts so good" kind of sting. Just remind her that in a couple of weeks the pain will be gone and she can try on all kinds of different ear rings until she finds the ones she likes!

Good luck to you and your DD.

I had the same issues when I got my ears pierced years ago. I had to wear gold earrings for many years. Now I can wear some that are a different kind of metal, but not always. Make sure she cleans then every day and keeps turning them. I found it better if I slept in mine and didn't take them out. If none of that works I would probably take her to the doctor.

Some times people can be allergic to gold too (FYI). I had lots of trouble with my earings. Had them pierced in the 7th grade. With all the trouble I finally let them grow back and had them re pierced in my 20's. When I did they stayed in there for a few months constantly cleaning my ears and rotating them. The balls eventually went away. I did take them out to clean the actual earring every once in a while. I have two holes in my one ear right next to each other I do not recomend quiting now!! Good luck.

Keep up with the 14K gold ones (preferably not elecroplated). I got hard little knots in my ears from the nickle earings that they give you at the piercing. Hopefully, the gold earrings will clear it up in a week or so.

first; DO NOT WORRY.
The hard part will go away, it is scar tissue that has to be formed. The gold earrings (or titanium if she is allergic) should have been your first option, they will prevent the holes from closing; she is NOT to take them away for any reason for quite a while. Typically more than three months.Show her how to move them a lil´bit everyday and use some kind of ointment. Neosporin or somethin OTC that has antibiotic will work nicely.
And unless her earlobes turn red and hot and hurt, there is no infection, so the doctor is not that much required.

T., I would say that she is probably allergic to the ear ring. Try the 14k earrings and see if you dont see a difference. They also make the hypoallergenic earrings too. My sister has to wear these because she is allergic to everything else, so you might try those as well. My sister finds hers at Target, but I am sure you could probably find them anywhere. Good luck.

She might actually be having a reaction to the nickel so you may try the nickel free for sensitive ears...it worked for my daughter and they are cheaper than gold. Good luck.

I have an allergy to gold and silver. The only earrings I can wear are nickel free. One of my daughters has the same problem. The solution for us is simple. I take all earrings and put a clear coat of nail polish on them and no allergies. Try it, it really works. Good luck!

Many years ago when mine were pierced we cleaned my ears with hydrogen peroxide, just pour a little in the cap & pour it behind the earring front & back side. You may want to dab a little neosporin on a qtip & put it between the earring & the ear front & back for a few days. I know these days they sell a cleaner that you clean the peircing with, & dont really use peroxide. But perioxide is all we used when I was young. My daughter had her belly butoom pierced at age 17 (last year) & thats what she was told to use also.
Good Luck :)

Sorry to hear that about your daughter. We pierce baby girl ears the day they are born, thet do it at the hospital. (im from Colombia). When I had my daughter here in the states I found out you have to wait until they are three months to do it!! Anyway, I did it at three months and we got gold earings, you have to, I now they are a little more expensive but it pays off. Leave them on all the time, dod not take them off, clean them up mornong and night with rotation. In three weeks she should be just fine, But yes gold is the safe to go, then after a few months go by you can get her silver or the cheap earings. Good luck!!!!

Where was the piercing done and what kind of starter earrings did she use? She may be allergic to the material in those earrings, but most likely, she just removed them too soon. They're supposed to stay in 4 to 6 weeks. Some people are allergic to gold, so watch them for redness and swelling. My ears were pierced many years ago and sometimes I still have trouble getting one in. It's as if a layer of skin has covered the hole, but when I wiggle it around, I usually find the hole. I probably should go and have it redone, but at my age I'm not interested in doing that. Just have her keep the ear lobes clean and always wear studs to keep the openings clear. As for the knots, it may just be a reaction to the material the beginner earrings was made of. See if they go away with the new ones.

First of all, she should have been using surgical posts--designed for use while healing just-pierced ears--not "cheap" earrings. Gold is good. However, I also had problems with infection when I first pierced my ears at age 40. I did go to a doctor and his advice? Leave the earrings out and let my ears close up naturally. That's what I did and had them re-pierced a year or so later.

Use good ear rings not the cheep ones keep cleaning ears, and also clean the posts, when taking out the ear rings again clean, both again, also before replacing. This should help. And yes sometimes the hard spot is scare tissue at least that is what I have also.

Those "little hard balls" could be an indication of infection. I didn't have my ears pierced until I was an adult, and I was VERY careful to follow all the cleaning instructions. They got infected anyway, and I had to have an oral antibiotic, as well as a topical one.

Has she complained of any body aches? If so, don't delay getting her to the doctor. $100 is not so much to pay when you're talking about your daughter's health.

I am not sure why she would still be in pain unless she is alergic to what tye of cheap earing they put in her ear. Also, try using the ear cleaning solution more often. I would like you did switch to some type of a better earring and see if that helps. You could also try nickel free if the gold doesn't work. you can also put neosporian (sp?) on her ear too and see if that helps it to heal.

I had similar problems too. I remember the pain lasting a couple of weeks, but I'm sensitive. Every once in awhile, I will again, but only with my second piercing (that I got at 18). Make sure they aren't infected. Swab them daily with peroxide or alcohol even several times a day. Use a Qtip to push the peroxide into the hole as much as possible, from the front and the back side!!! Get her in the habit of turning them often, from the front and the back. If she only works with the front, then the back side is being ignored and not getting loose enough. I did it so often when I first got mine pierced and after had trouble (middle school) that to avoid it again I turned them so much that it became a habit - like a nervous habit. Have her turn them every chance she gets, not just 3 X a day. Constantly! I still get little hard balls in my lobes if the earring is irritating to me. It took me awhile to figure this out, but evidently I'm allergic to many of the stems. They sell some with special nonallergenic stems or you can get the real gold or silver stems. But, after so many frustrating years, it was basically the stems that were bothering me. My second piercings still close up to this day if I don't where earrings for awhile. My first holes stretched some and don't close up anymore. After the pain goes away, she can pull on the back of the stem a little to help stretch the hole just a bit (or heavy earrings will do the trick). That should keep them from closing up in the future. She can gently massage the hard bumps to help loosen up any pus or tissue there. I don't know what it is, but I know mine come and go and they only come when the holes are irritated. Icing them should help ease the pain. But, consider changing out the earrings - and overdue on the peroxide!

I had the same problem. One way to help get rid of the infection (the hard ball inside) is to dip the earing post in neosporin and the place in the earhole. That helps get the medicine to where the infection is. Also it runed out that I was allergic to nickel. Once I started wearing nickel-free earings. I didn't have any problems anymore.

Gun piercing is actually one of the worst things you can do. Rather than making a surgical incision, it rips through the skin, much like shoving a pencil through a piece of paper. It not only causes a hole for the earring, but also tears the skin surrounding the hole.

For aftercare, warm sea salt water pulls out infection. Peroxide has a tendency to "eat" at infection (the bubbling), which is good in a lot of cases, but not so much when it comes to piercing. A small cup of salt water held to the ear for about a minuet, then rinse with warm clean water, pat dry with gauze.

I'd suggest changing from the piercing studs to rings, preferably niobium (a hypoallergenic metal that comes in a variety of pretty colors like pink and purple). Unfortunately, such rings can usually only be obtained from actual piercing studios. The rings are easier to turn, and you can better get ointments like basitracin into the wound.

The bumps are what are usually referred to as keloids. Keloids typically appear following surgery or injury, but they can also appear spontaneously or as a result of some slight inflammation, such as an acne pimple on the chest (even one that wasn't scratched or otherwise irritated). Other minor injuries that can trigger keloids are burns and piercings. Keloids are raised and look shiny and dome-shaped, ranging in color from pink to red. Some keloids become quite large and unsightly. Aside from causing potential cosmetic problems, these exuberant scars tend to be itchy, tender, or even painful to the touch.

Basically they are scars that never go away. In either case, I'd suggest taking your daughter to a doctor as they can better diagnose and treat any issues or deep infections that may be present.

Good luck.

DID you get them pierced at Claires?? Because my daughter had the same problem. I bought her a pair of loop earring ( of course gold or silver ) and continued to care for them.