[caradino]

I got my ears pierced in mid-November, and they're still not healed.

I clean them 2x a day with antiseptic after washing my hands, and be sure to drip the solution down the post into the hole and really get underneath the back with a Q-Tip. I'm thorough. I rotate them when I clean them. Posts are stainless, nothing weird. I'm normally a good healer otherwise. But after about 8 weeks now both ears are alternately sore/oozy/gross. (eww sorry if that is TMI!) As soon as one seems to be healed, the other one starts getting gross. They are, fortunately, NOT getting seriously infected. No redness, swelling, serious discharge or anything. But I'd like them to.. ya know.. heal.

Anyone have any experience with this?? Is this normal? WILL I EVER BE ABLE TO CHANGE MY EARRINGS?! Sigh. I thought this would be a piece of cake compared to my tattoo!

[Cataluna]

Seriously, just stop touching them. Keep your hair off them as well, if you can. Gently rinse them when you shower to make sure soap/shampoo/conditioner is out, otherwise.. hands off.

They sound really irritated.

[mjrtango93]

Any chance you have a metal allergy? I cannot wear earings of any sort at this point, I am allergic to white and yellow gold, sterling silver, the plastic hypo-allergenic, titanium, etc. Just thought I'd mention it since it isn't typically the first thing that pops into people's head. I have a hard time wearing necklaces as well, get a lovely red swelling around my neck where is touches my skin.

[caradino]

Any chance you have a metal allergy? I cannot wear earings of any sort at this point, I am allergic to white and yellow gold, sterling silver, the plastic hypo-allergenic, titanium, etc. Just thought I'd mention it since it isn't typically the first thing that pops into people's head. I have a hard time wearing necklaces as well, get a lovely red swelling around my neck where is touches my skin.

No, never had any issues with metal allergies before, and I purposefully chose stainless steel earrings to avoid a reaction.

[Mako]

I use to pierce ears at the mall at the store I worked at during college. It should have healed by now.

You are either allergy to the earrings - in which case remove them and try putting in something else. Maybe gold earrings if stainless are bothering you.

Soungs like they are becoming infected with the sore and oozy part. Are they drying out? Maybe the antiseptic you're using is too harsh? Make sure there is zero hair in there. I've seen ears become infected b/c hair was wrapped aroung the posts.

What we told people was - wash with the cleanser we gave them. Twist the earrings and use polysporin (sp?) The poly will help to heal the holes and get rid of any infection that might be brewing.

[spaceagevalkyrie]

This is a PITA but it works.. Disolve I think 1/4 tsp of sea salt in a few ounces of boiled and then cooled water. Put in cup, stick ear in said cup. If thats too difficult or irritating, just soak a cotton ball in that and hold it on the piercing for awhile. The stuff they give you is crappy and really not sterile anymore after being used a few times.

[caradino]

This is a PITA but it works.. Disolve I think 1/4 tsp of sea salt in a few ounces of boiled and then cooled water. Put in cup, stick ear in said cup. If thats too difficult or irritating, just soak a cotton ball in that and hold it on the piercing for awhile. The stuff they give you is crappy and really not sterile anymore after being used a few times.

Good idea.. duh.. that's how I would treat a puncture wound anywhere else... epsom salt soak to draw out infection! This might work. I've been trying the ear-antiseptic + neosporin around the hole, which seems to work for a while, but then it gets icky again.

Thanks for pointing out the obvious!

[chai]

When my daughter had her ears pierced, the earrings they used were too short for her ear lobes and she had a terrible time with the healing process. I took her to the doctor and she said that if the earring is too tight, air cannot get in to help the healing process, so your earrings might be too tight.
Good luck.

[AppJumpr08]

I would guess you're allergic to the steel. When I got my navel pierced I had the same problem - oozy, swollen, sore - but NOT infected. I switched to a gold post (OUCH!), and it healed within days. When my ears got pierced, it was with gold posts and I had no problems. To this day I can't wear surgical/stainless steel, or anything with nickel - only silver and gold.

[sketcher]

I agree with the idea you might have an allergy or sensitivity. Try gold. My ears do the same exact thing with the wrong metals.

[NBChoice]

I have major issues with piercings. I had to have my bellybutton re-pierced 3 times because it kept on rejecting, now finally it's fine. I had my tragus pierced and it took about a year to heal. And even now it still gets infected occasionally, along with my lobe piercings. Best thing I did to help it: I stopped messing with them. I don't touch them, I don't play with them, I don't clean them. I haven't had a problem unless I'm constantly messing with them. And if that does happen then I just pour some witch hazel on the piercing and let it air dry. Works like a charm.

[ddashaq]

I am allergic to everything except sterling and gold, so you might try a different metal. Despite having had the piercings since I was 7, if I wear anything other than gold or silver, my ears go nuts and get nasty in a matter of hours and they have been healed for nearly 30 years.

[Shanona]

When I had my ear pierced, they told me that the mistake most people make is rotating the earring. She told me that your body makes the crust for a reason (keeps the "wound" clean) and that you should leave it there. She said the more you rotate it, the more debris you actually introduce into the area. She also said to use the sea salt in warm/hot water as it worked best. I hope it goes well!!!

[goeslikestink]

I got my ears pierced in mid-November, and they're still not healed.

I clean them 2x a day with antiseptic after washing my hands, and be sure to drip the solution down the post into the hole and really get underneath the back with a Q-Tip. I'm thorough. I rotate them when I clean them. Posts are stainless, nothing weird. I'm normally a good healer otherwise. But after about 8 weeks now both ears are alternately sore/oozy/gross. (eww sorry if that is TMI!) As soon as one seems to be healed, the other one starts getting gross. They are, fortunately, NOT getting seriously infected. No redness, swelling, serious discharge or anything. But I'd like them to.. ya know.. heal.

Anyone have any experience with this?? Is this normal? WILL I EVER BE ABLE TO CHANGE MY EARRINGS?! Sigh. I thought this would be a piece of cake compared to my tattoo!

depends with the ear ring are gold or ss or crap metal as in non allergic

if gold then shouldnt be a problem,
clean with warm salty water with clean cotton wool bud just in front of the hole and just behind the ear and earing then move as in wiggle it, then reclean with cotton wool bud if you wiggle rather than rotate it will dislodge the dirt back and in front of the ear then move it a fraction then clean the actual ear ring where it was then back and in front again use plenty of salty warm water

[IneedanOTdayAlter]

I had my ears pierced about 10 years ago (as an adult). I could NOT get them to heal. I finally gave up, took out the earings, and let the piercing heal shut.

This Christmas my mom bought me beautiful diamond earings, and I just had my ears repierced right after Christmas. I started out using the supplied antiseptic pretty liberally, but I still started to have one ear get infected. I cured this by using Neosporin, and squirting a bead of it on my ear just above the hole. Then it "melts", and runs down into the ear. Applied too heavily, it is messy, but if you get the right amount, it works beautifully, and immediately cleared up my problems. I did it for about a week.

Now, they are pain-free and seem to be healed. I'll wait another few weeks before I try and put on my gorgeous new earings from my mom, however.

I quit using the antiseptic a few weeks ago, since it didn't seem to make the slightest difference anyway.

[Go Fish]

My ears have been pierced forever and I cannot wear anything but 14K gold (or higher). Go buy some gold earrings and see if they heal up. Small 14K gold posts are not that expensive.

This problem is actually more common than you might think.

[tazz001]

I to have an allergy to "cheap" earrings. Believe it or not, even gold annoys my ear lobes. Sterling silver is about the only thing I wear on a continous basis. It also took my lobes forever to heal, runny oozy gooey crusty nastiness....YUCK

Now my girls all have piercings (all over...I dont ask the oldest...shes 22...if she has any new ones...Momma just doesnt want to know). The guy who did their piercing said to use a contact lens saline solution on the new piercings. They all healed like a charm with no issues and they can wear the cheapest cutest stuff they can find.