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Unevenly Pierced Ears

metall

Brilliant_Rock
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Hi PSer's,

I'm not sure if anyone else has ever run into this problem, but a little while ago (make that almost a year ago) I went to GOG in search of a set of stud earrings and came back with some disappointing news. My piercings are not evenly spaced on each ear, making it so that studs look....pretty weird on me.

I have attached lobes (ie, no lobes) and my piercings were done almost 25 years ago when I was only about 5-6. I had always thought that my piercings were a little oddly spaced, but I never realized how much until I finally tried on a pair of 1/2 carat round studs at GOG. One of the lovely associates (I am so so sorry but I was so dazed I never caught her name) took a quick measurement for me and one of my piercings is about 1/4 inch off! I guess I never realized because I've always worn irregular shape studs (think hearts, cats, batman symbols etc) or 1/2 in to 1 1/2in hoops so it didn't show so badly!

When I asked what I could do to fix the problem, the only real "fix" would be to have a plastic surgeon stitch up either one or both piercings then once that heals re-pierce! The problem is when I went in for my consultation...my piercing is so small (i've never had an occasion to wear any type of gaged posts) the surgeon said he would actually need to CUT the hole to stitch it back up! (so I am now scared out of my pants)

I asked if it would make sense to have a second piercing done on the ear where it's further out so that it would look intentional...ie two piercings in one and one in the other...and was told that the spacing is just not far enough and I risk the double piercing eventually running together.

Alternatively, I could do nothing...but all future studs I get will have the posts offset so that the earrings will have the illusion of being the same distance from my face on both ears. Which makes the martini set studs I was after impossible.

So I guess my question for you PS'ers is has anyone had your piercings stitched up before? What was your experience? If you haven't been through this, WOULD you go for the "surgery" especially since they would have to cut first? I've done some research since and maybe I shouldn't have looked but if the stitches don't take...some of the images are....disturbing....I love bling...but I don't know if I'm willing to go under the knife for bling....

Any input is highly appreciated!
 
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amoline

Shiny_Rock
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Oct 11, 2018
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So, not quite the same situation, but my mother has a little bit of a birthmark-thing in one of her ears that makes it look like studs droop/hang a little more unusually on the one side than the other. Like you, she has not worn huge earrings so the piercings are small.

I can't say what I'd do or suggest in terms of what you actually should do, but I will say that it's something that bugs my mother a lot, but truth be told I don't think in all her life that she has had piercings has someone actually mentioned it. A quarter of an inch probably seems like a lot when you're up close or looking at yourself in a mirror, but remember that even people standing very close to you will be double, triple, or more of that distance. Kind of like diamonds, I suppose, I'm sure your ears are "mind clean" to everyone else. :lol-2:

In all seriousness, me, personally, I'd not go through that many steps for the sake of jewelry. But, for what it's worth, it sounds like one of those "bug you way more than anyone else cares" sorts of situations. Probably, people are way more interested in the jewels you're wearing than your ears! :))

Besides, what's someone going to do -- comment on it? "Boy, your ears don't look right!" - then to heck with 'em, because those kinds of people we don't need around anyway.

(Edit for typo)
 
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telephone89

Ideal_Rock
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Did YOU actually notice it, or only after someone pointed it out/measured it?
I would think if you haven't noticed *much* in 25 years it can't be that noticeable. Agreed with @amoline - this is probably something that will bug you more than anyone will notice.
 

monarch64

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I think it's an interesting quirk but like amoline said, probably not even noticeable to anyone except you. I have not dealt with this issue, but I can tell you (since you asked) that no, I would not go through with any surgical procedure for the sake of studs. Have you considered different backings for studs? Jumbo/monster backs? Or those As Seen On TV things that "prop" up your earrings? Dee*Jay made a whole thread about those somewhat recently...
 

TooPatient

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I wouldn't do a surgery for that. Potential for stitches not holding, scar tissue, etc just seems seemsmore than I would risk. For studs that it would he particularly noticable on, I might have my jeweler modify the setting/post to compensate. I suspect no one will really notice though. How often are you close enough and looking square on at someone? People move and tip their heads and stand looking a bit off or whatever anyway so I think you would seldom be in the position of having anyone look you straight on with you holding still AND have them the sort of person to notice jewelry AND have them the sort of person who can spot that small difference.
 

lyra

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There is a thread somewhere here where someone did go through with the surgery and repiercing. The results were amazing. I would do that if I were younger, and if I had, or wanted nice diamond studs.
 

asscherisme

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My piercings are uneven. Nobody has ever commented and it is only noticeable to me. So I vote for do nothing.
 

Arcadian

Ideal_Rock
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My piercing was done on the front porch!! They're uneven but meh, I don't care much. Honestly unless someone is really looking dead on, they can't tell. If you had a ripped piercing, that may be the case to have them stiched up.

I say get larger backs like la pousettes for the earrings. I got them and they do indeed help with the drooping/uneven look.
 

AGBF

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There is another thread on uneven piercings. Mine are quite poorly done because I had a dermatologist do them instead of going to a tattoo parlor and getting a piercer! None of my earrings fit right. I would not redo my piercings. I used to have 1.25 carat (each) studs and I decided they were too big, so I sold one and now I have ideal cut D color half carat studs. I have trouble putting all earrings into my ears. I would never in a million years consider surgery, though. I just struggle to put in earrings. :))
 

pearlsngems

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My left ear piercing is higher up on the lobe than my right ear piercing. For most earrings it doesn't matter. I only have trouble wearing a certain kind of leverback finding that squishes the left lobe but not the right.

I like wearing pearl studs. With pearls, it is not unusual for one stud to be very slightly larger than the other. In that case, I wear the larger one on the left ear. When I wire-wrap earrings for myself, I give the wire an extra turn for the left earring, so that the earrings hang equally low.
 

metall

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Thanks All! I always knew they were off, and honestly...it had bothered me for a while when I was in my teens. Then I had a tomboy phase and a phase where the piercings got infected every few months....so I wasn't wearing earrings for about 5 years. Then my grandmother gifted me some earring which have been in my ears ever since. They were irregular angular little things so it helped to hide the problem.

My darling FI offered me studs for our 12 yr (dating) anniversary, which is why I went shopping. I'm not even sure when it was brought it... but it was...and after having been 'evaluated' it just made me more conscious of it. Since the procedure seemed straight forward enough when she explained it, I went to the doctor.

I didnt expect there to be a knife involved! Or cutting! I'm glad to know my knee jerk reaction that surgery and a repiercing isn't worth it. And the practical side of me is pretty much going to heck with that nonsense. I was hoping if anyone has done it they could let me know if the surgeon i went to might also just no be so great if he would need to cut into it to fix it or if that's the normal procedure.
 

Dee*Jay

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My piercings are too low for my studs. The options were (a) get them repierced, (b) get smaller studs (HA -- like THAT was ever gonna happen!), or (c) have another glass of wine and get on with my life. I went with c. :cheeky:

Do whatever works for you.
 

monarch64

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@Dee*Jay can you post that thread about your As Seen On TV earring backs? I wonder if those would help @metall .
 

ice empress

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Hello @metall. I’m going to give you a different perspective, from a plastic surgeon’s POV.

Closing a piercing is a routine and simple procedure, and nothing to be weary about. It would take less than 30 minutes, including injecting the local anesthetic, sterilizing the field, performing the procedure, and applying the dressing. You are in and out in no time at all.

Unfortunately, there is no magic method to fix a stretched piercing hole, uneven piercing hole, stretched earlobe or torn earlobe, other than with a scalpel and stitches.

You would be able to repierce the earlobe 3-6 months thereafter.

If this has bothered you for as long as it has, you should get it fixed. ;)2
 
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Dee*Jay

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eapj

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I don’t have pierced ears and just reading this made me squirm! I’ll watch shows about surgery all day long but hearing or reading about piercings make me squeamish!

Anyway, back on topic. If it would make you happy and it’s a simple procedure like outlined above, do it! If it doesn’t bother you as much as you think it bothers others, leave it be.

I can fixate on things so I get it. :P2
 

LinSF

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Mine are uneven, one hole is closer to my head than the other... I dont know by how much. But the only person it bothers is me and maybe my mother. Haha. I have thick earlobes and so the hole will never close up on me, definitely would have to recut and heal. Im definitely not game for that in the name of vanity. I really only wear studs and so they more or less cover the difference and help mask the unevenness. That said, no one has ever noticed.

When I got my daughters ears pierced I freaked out because I thought they were a tiny bit uneven, which maybe they are BUT no one will ever notice. And I think that kids ears might grow differently than when first pierced anyway.

I'd bet it's a common problem, and that most people are uneven and dont even realize it.
 

MarionC

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Mine are uneven, one hole is closer to my head than the other... I dont know by how much.
I'd bet it's a common problem, and that most people are uneven and dont even realize it.

Mine are uneven too. But we are not perfectly symetrical anyway. If we started trying to fix all the things that were not exactly the same on left and right we would spend our lives at the the plastic surgeon’s. Lol
 

AV_

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After all this talkin', am I the only one who wishes to see?

OK, I am certainly not insisting - not least because it seems difficult, if not impossible to show both ears in the sane shot, at some angle where the position of studs could be seen precisely enough. Else, nobody ever will see both profiles at the same time, unless they tok pictures to overlay & compare; perhaps the plastic surgeon redoing piercing might do this & no one else ever.

rant

I do notice earrings, perhaps too much so since I am looking for a change of style - but have never paid attention to how matched the ears of strangers are!
 

House Cat

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The word “surgery” seems so severe. I’m sure this would be a very small procedure done in the doctors office while using a local anesthetic. Technically a surgery...but probably a ten minute procedure at most. Probably not a lot of money either. If this is something you are really considering, go for it!

If not, I can honestly say that I’ve never paid attention to whether or not someone’s earrings were symmetrical.
 

AV_

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Fun choice: small surgery versus big studs!

The word “surgery” seems so severe.

True this.

It makes my bp drop... & I am not rationally worried, even.
 

metall

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@AV_ it is a surprisingly hard photo to take...but let's see if the ones I've attached here help at all.

Looking straight on my face you really cant see my ears...and I have my smallest hoops on today. But I've tried to take some photos of my ear with the same finger as a reference. The right one is a little under two fingers away from my face (mind you I know my pointer and middle fingers are a little differently shaped at the tip) and the left is about one. Also sorry for the crap call phone photos, I used the front camera since I was having all the trouble with the side.

@LinSF I feel like you may be right...i had my ears pierced when i was around 5-6 and my ears have probably grown since, and the infections in the piercings when I was a preteen probably didnt help with shifting.

@House Cat 'surgery' probably is more severe a word than is strictly necessary...but I've been back and forth so many times...I'm psyching muself out a bit as well.

I'm pretty sure for right now I'm not going to go through with it, for a few reasons....its been so long, I'm a big ol' chicken, I'm just not that attached to what my ears look like, knowing how easily my piercings can get infected I'm not sure what giving bacteria a bigger area to infect would be a wise decision for me and this beside gives me an excuse to get diamond cuffs or more stones (irregular shapes hide the problem) and not just studs :mrgreen2::mrgreen2:.

But, I wondered if this was something a lot of people have dealt with, and whether anyone really did anything about it. If my piercings were uneven AND stretched I could see myself doing something about it...but as it is it just seems like a hassle - esp if @ice empress is saying 4-6 month wait/healing time :!:

Thank you everyone for your input! If anyone has actually gone through with it, I would still love to learn what your opinions were of the process. Who knows...the next time this crops up on my radar...as it seems to every few years...I might just go through with it. Until the I definitely with give the backs @Dee*Jay recommended up there a try!

20181213_084238.jpg 20181213_085914.jpg
 

anne_h

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Personally, if something like that bothered me a lot, I would go for the small surgery.

I saw something similar on a medical TV show... a woman had stretched out her piercings by wearing large items in them (think pencil thickness and beyond). As she grew older she wanted a more traditional look. So the surgeon removed the excess stretched out skin and stitched the lobes back together. She then had them re-pierced. The end result was a total transformation.

Anne
 

lambskin

Ideal_Rock
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My piercing was not optimal. SO I let it close up and had it redone. It still is screwed up as the second piercing channeled into the other piercing (the hole placement is different but the inside is not straight.) so putting in wires is really wonky.
 

baby monster

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My first piercings were uneven and that bugged me so I stopped wearing earrings and they closed up. Then I had them pierced again a year later. They're symmetrical enough to wear studs and leverbacks but not hoops. One piercing is at a slight angle so hoop on that side tilts outward. So I don't wear hoops. I would research this procedure to see if you can get comfortable with it. Or just get blingy hoops instead of studs.
 

tyty333

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I had my piercing surgically fixed. It was a pretty minor ordeal. Of course they need to cut to open the skin back up in order to suture it together so that
it can heal closed. My hole was slightly stretched open. He lasered through to the bottom of my ear then stitched it all back together. Had to wait 6 months
before re-piercing. Honestly, it was not a big deal for me so depending on how much it's bothering you, it may (or may not) be worth it.
 

stracci2000

Ideal_Rock
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Why don't you have another piercing done in the "correct" spot, and just ignore the higher hole? Or you could get a teeny diamond or colored stone to wear there, as an accent.
 

yssie

Super_Ideal_Rock
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A quarter inch or thereabouts it totally visually-fixable by finagling the drop of the posts on the back of the stud basket!!

No, your studs won't match exactly - the post on one would be higher than on the other - but they'll look to match up from face-forward (which is really the only view that counts for earrings!) and they'll be perfect for YOU and your ears exactly as-is :kiss2:
 
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