I had the same problem with my cartilage peircing and finally took it out after about 18 months. In retrospect, I think I was probably allergic to the metals in the earrings - can you normally wear anything or do you need to stick to gold (or something else non-allergenic)?
Why won't my piercings heal?
I got the cartilage in both my ears pierced about 14 months ago with a piercing gun (I know, I know, I should've gone to a parlor) and they're still not healed. I am not able to wear earrings in them at work, but I wear them overnight and all weekend. They're still tender, especially the left one, and the left one keeps getting infected. It's swollen and fairly tender right now, but no bleeding or pussiness or anything. I always sterilize my earrings with rubbing alcohol before I put them in. I had my right cartilage pierced before with a gun and it healed quickly with no problems. This time it's just not wanting to heal.
Can anyone shed some light on this for me?
Can anyone shed some light on this for me?
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Normally, I can wear anything. I was just saying to DH yesterday that I'm going to have to get some non-allergenic earrings. If that doesn't work, I'll get gold. I guess if that doesn't work, I'll let them close up.
You could be allergic to the metals, try gold if you aren't already using it. Another thing may be that the piercing studios use hollow needles. (?) Just a theory!
I don't have any really great advice for you, but I definitely can sympathize. Several years ago, I had two piercings in each ear done, in the lower to middle part of my cartilage. I made the mistake of getting it done with one of those awful piercing guns in the mall, which completely tore me up.
I wound up letting the top holes close, which seemed to help stop the infections and tenderness. I still have knobby scars where they were, despite a lot of time going by. As for the lower holes, they are rather thick, and I can't wear cheap earrings in them because they break down really badly. This was never a problem for me with my lobe piercings.
Back when I was worrying about this, I got a lot of helpful information about piercings and keeping them healthy at Tribalectic. Might be worth checking out.
Good luck and I hope they heal soon!
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I wound up letting the top holes close, which seemed to help stop the infections and tenderness. I still have knobby scars where they were, despite a lot of time going by. As for the lower holes, they are rather thick, and I can't wear cheap earrings in them because they break down really badly. This was never a problem for me with my lobe piercings.
Back when I was worrying about this, I got a lot of helpful information about piercings and keeping them healthy at Tribalectic. Might be worth checking out.
Good luck and I hope they heal soon!
Try sea salt soaks and acrylic jewelry. And I'm putting in another vote for Tribalectic. They have lots of info, not to mention jewelry and piercing-care supplies.
The rubbing alcohol could be the problem. It is too drying.
Try tea tree oil on the ear and on the post before inserting.
BTW - you can get the tto at any pharmacy. It's not expensive.
Try tea tree oil on the ear and on the post before inserting.
BTW - you can get the tto at any pharmacy. It's not expensive.
I have some - I'll try it. Thanks!
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i second the sea salt soaks 1/4 tsp to 8 oz warm, but not hot water. 2x a day wash them with a clear frangrance dye free antibacterial soap. like liquid ivory. leave them alone.
however i ahve to warn you to acryllic jewlery.
its BAD for you...
my husband wore acryllic plugs in his stretched lobes when we were first married, had them in for two weeks and ended up with such bad keloid scars in just two weeks that he ended up having the scar tissue cauterized off, it was so big and painful and wouldnt heal.
not to mention acryllic is a plastic.. yucko.
i suggest going to a reputable body modification shop. you might want to check out http://www.safepiercing.org (the APP)for a reference to a shop near you. asking them what they suggest you wear in them, you might hear anything from titanium to surgical stainless steel (SSS) to glass.
second spread the word to your friends to NOT get pierced by guns.
ever
Originally Posted by LilithParker Try sea salt soaks and acrylic jewelry. And I'm putting in another vote for Tribalectic. They have lots of info, not to mention jewelry and piercing-care supplies. |
however i ahve to warn you to acryllic jewlery.
its BAD for you...
my husband wore acryllic plugs in his stretched lobes when we were first married, had them in for two weeks and ended up with such bad keloid scars in just two weeks that he ended up having the scar tissue cauterized off, it was so big and painful and wouldnt heal.
not to mention acryllic is a plastic.. yucko.
i suggest going to a reputable body modification shop. you might want to check out http://www.safepiercing.org (the APP)for a reference to a shop near you. asking them what they suggest you wear in them, you might hear anything from titanium to surgical stainless steel (SSS) to glass.
second spread the word to your friends to NOT get pierced by guns.
ever
You can't be constantly removing/changing the jewelry and expect them to heal. Every time you do that, you're irritating the internal tissue. The jewelry should be left in place until fully healed. Because a piercing gun is so traumatic to the tissue, the piercing may never fully heal.
Rubbing alcohol=bad. It's way too trying for the sensitive tissue in an unhealed piercing. Try a sea salt solution or colloidal silver.
Rubbing alcohol=bad. It's way too trying for the sensitive tissue in an unhealed piercing. Try a sea salt solution or colloidal silver.
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I was going to say this . . . I had to keep my cartilage piercings in for a full year without taking them off (except to clean) before they healed to the point where I could go a few days without them. I thought mine would never heal (I got it pierced with a gun) but the sea salt solution and keeping them in promoted the healing and it's all good now. Maybe you should let it close until you're in a position where you can keep it in all the time. Or maybe very small gold earrings?
Originally Posted by 2Sweeties1Angel You can't be constantly removing/changing the jewelry and expect them to heal. Every time you do that, you're irritating the internal tissue. The jewelry should be left in place until fully healed. Because a piercing gun is so traumatic to the tissue, the piercing may never fully heal. Rubbing alcohol=bad. It's way too trying for the sensitive tissue in an unhealed piercing. Try a sea salt solution or colloidal silver. |
When you get your cartilage pierced with a gun it breaks the cartilage and can take up to a year to heal. BUT if you get it pierced with a needle, it just puts a hole in your cartilage and heals in 6-8 weeks. I would recommend taking them out, letting them heal, and then getting them repierced with a needle.... Just my 2 cents though
Why can't you wear them at work? Can you maybe put a bandaid over them or something? I think you can also buy clear plastic spacers that sometimes employers will let you wear.
Another vote here for tea tree oil. When I got my nostril peirced I had a nasty bubble around it for weeks and weeks, even though I did sea salt water cleanings religiously. Then I started rubbing tea tree oil on it and it healed within days.
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Really??? I'm going to have to try that. I had mine pierced a week ago and while I don't intentionally play with it, I keep waking up picking at it because I think it's a huge mess of boogers in there. Gross, I know. Now I'm getting the bubble. Do you just rub strait TTO on it or what?
| Another vote here for tea tree oil. When I got my nostril peirced I had a nasty bubble around it for weeks and weeks, even though I did sea salt water cleanings religiously. Then I started rubbing tea tree oil on it and it healed within days. |
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