ear piercing... advice please

[Lady_Disdain]

Mystery solved!

They use a purple marking pen to dot location. The ink can thin and run

What a relief! I was worried, based on your original description.

I can't imagine why white gold would be the preferred alloy - American white gold usually contains nickle. The rhodium plating might help, since it would isolate the nickle. However, I would go for the basic alloys: 75% gold, 12.5% copper, 12.5% silver.

 

[Sky56]

Good to hear!

Niobium is another great non-reactive metal for pierced ears.

I can't ever wear sterling silver earrings. They cause itching and discomfort but I can wear sterling rings, bracelets, etc.

 

[TooPatient]

A little rubbing alcohol and all the purple is gone.

I've still got some teaching to do.... She actually used "sparkly" as a negative description!
She picked the aquamarine colored crystal (eck! Yes... I had to buy a "crystal") and was worried that it was "too blue" (it isn't) and then wrinkled her nose after seeing them in her ears and said "They're sparkly!"


Oh well!

She'll look around at school today and realize that they are SUPPOSED to be sparkly. She's wanted these done for awhile now and I know she'll love them. She is already starting to say they look nice


And...

Her b-day is Friday. I managed to find pearl studs (in white gold), "diamond accent" studs (in yellow gold -- so basically a little diamond chip), and some sterling silver dangly things for really great prices. Plus a set of generic stainless steel "colored crystals" because one minute she loves color and the next she hates it.

If she can manage to keep track of these and take care of them, I've got my eye on some things from Blue Nile.... and maybe even some WF earrings for her 16th b-day!

 

[TooPatient]

Good to hear!

Niobium is another great non-reactive metal for pierced ears.

I can't ever wear sterling silver earrings. They cause itching and discomfort but I can wear sterling rings, bracelets, etc.

Funny how the body works!

I was able to wear some sort of silver earrings but my silver rings all gave me rashes. Now I'm stuck not wearing any earrings because I can't find anything that doesn't cause my ears to turn bright red within minutes. I think I may have missed white gold? I know I've done various yellow golds and silvers and stainless steel.

I'll have to look around and see about niobium. I'd love to be able to wear earrings!

 

[Sky56]

Niobium is an interesting metal - it comes in single and multicolor finishes. Here you can see what I mean. This vendor is at a lot of events and fairs on the USA West Coast and his work and designs are the best I've seen in Niobium. Not all his earrings have Niobium wires, but it can be specified. I've worn Niobium and my sensitive ears tell me the claims are true for its non-irritant properties.

http://www.colorburst.com/catalog/hoops.html

 

[Sky56]

My guess is that the only earrings you would be able to wear are: Platinum, Niobium, Titanium

 

[TooPatient]

Update:

Well.... She wasn't as ready for this as I thought. Even with me constantly reminding her to clean she didn't do it often enough or well enough.

I took her to the doctor this morning (yes, on Yom Kippur) to have them remove the earring from her left ear. The top bit (the stone) had gone INSIDE her hole overnight and it was clearly infected. They had to inject a numbing thing into her ear and then fish it out

She's got the earring in the other ear (no sign of infection there) and the left one has a rather large hole that goes between blood clot filled and empty mega-hole

I am now supervising each and every cleaning of the infected ear (and non-infected since I'm standing there anyway) to make sure this is taken care of. We have a strong antibiotic prescription to start her on if needed and instructions to follow up with her GP later in the week.

So.... For the next months she'll be walking around with one earring.

 

[lyra]

For her sake, please take out the other earring as well. She'll never be able to have perfectly "matched" ears otherwise. It's far easier to get positioning right when starting with two blank canvasses. Also, you took her to Claire's to get pierced? There was lots of helpful information on why that would be a bad choice. I know for a fact that the jewelry choices they have for initial piercings does not meet the minimum standards as set forth by the APP that I linked early on. I've talked people out of having their children's ears pierced there, face to face, as they were about to have it done, after carefully examining the earring choices. The titanium is not implant quality, and the earring backs are not either. Many of the the piercing earrings have nickel alloys in them, or in the post backs.

I realize there may be somewhat of a fear factor about going to a real piercing shop. I totally understand that. But it really is in her best interests to have the best chance of having a successful lifelong piercing. They won't use earrings with backs. They will use a labret post with either a screw on or threadless front jewel. I highly recommend finding someplace that uses the brand Neometal. It is the easiest system to use, and also has real gold fronts that just pop on without having to even change the earring. I have these with about 10 different styles of fronts for one of my piercings. Same with my daughter. They don't need special care, or aftercare. You would just have to wait until both piercings heal over to have this done. You will also get very longterm advice and care from the piercer. Interview them on the phone.

Anyway, that's the best thing to do. Up to you to decide. Hopefully there isn't permanent scarring. Take care.

 

[distracts]

For her sake, please take out the other earring as well. She'll never be able to have perfectly "matched" ears otherwise. It's far easier to get positioning right when starting with two blank canvasses.

This isn't necessarily correct. I took out one of my piercings and let it grow over because I didn't like the positioning (it was a millimeter different between ears), and then had them match it to the one I liked over six months later. NOW I did measure with calipers and mark it for them. And get it done at a tattoo parlour. But imo the positioning was loads better the second time around when he had the healed ear to go off of.

TooPatient - did you get the H2Ocean aftercare spray? I am not kidding when I say that stuff is magic. One of my ears kept getting infected (dunno why, I was cleaning them well and regularly and the other one was fine) and it didn't stop and heal until I started using that. I saturated a cotton ball with it and held it on the ear for fifteen minutes and did that three times daily on the infected ear.

 

[TooPatient]

Distracts -- Yep. Got all the nice cleaning stuff you guys suggested.

Lyra -- I'm checking with her GP on what to do with the other. I have seen it done well (and poorly) both ways. One thing I am not sure of is if the other would close up at this point because the urgent care dr said it looked very well healed and may not fully close if we went that route.


The infection was definitely caused by her lack of cleaning. I have reminded her repeatedly to clean but she just wasn't doing it. Like there were times she would go 2 to 3 days without cleaning. When she did, it was once a day and so quick I don't think it was very thorough. She is also awful about washing her hands (like she never does even after cleaning cat boxes). So she used her filthy hands to touch her ears... I reminded and showed how to do correctly again and again.... Teenagers!

She had gotten better about washing and I thought she could manage (if i reminded her until it became habit).

 

[lyra]

Okay, your choice, although the use of piercing guns is actually being banned in different countries around the world, thankfully. Here is the most up-to-date information on aftercare for piercings:

Acceptable/Recommended Aftercare:

First and foremost, staying healthy, practicing good daily hygiene, and drinking a lot of water will help your piercing heal more than anything else.

Dry Healing

When dealing with a fresh piercing, it's better to focus on what NOT to do rather than what to do. Your body is an amazing healing machine and generally has no problem healing a piercing as long as the piercer has done their job correctly. Stay away from products like, Betadine, Bactine, alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, any form of soap, any sort of "ear care" solutions (ex: Clarie's), ointments such as A&D, Neosporin, Aquaphor, petroleum jelly, and Asprin paste. Don't touch your piercing, no twisting, no turning, no rotating, no picking, no submerging. It's best to keep your piercing dry, and utilize warmth for healing one or two times a day, this can be achieved with; a blowdryer, a heating pad, or heated gauze. If any sort of problem arises, leave it alone until you can visit your piercer.

And remember...

LITHA:

Leave It The Heck Alone

The ONLY thing that should touch a healing piercing is sterile saline solution (available at any pharmacy), if it is absolutely necessary to clean the piercing. Generally, you shouldn't use ANYTHING. Daily showers are enough. Hope that helps.

Edit, more info on piercing guns:

What is the APP Position on Ear Piercing Guns?

It is the position of the Association of Professional Piercers that only sterile disposable equipment is suitable for body piercing, and that only materials which are certified as safe for internal implant should be placed in inside a fresh or unhealed piercing. We consider unsafe any procedure that places vulnerable tissue in contact with either non-sterile equipment or jewelry that is not considered medically safe for long-term internal wear. Such procedures place the health of recipients at an unacceptable risk. For this reason, APP members may not use reusable ear piercing guns for any type of piercing procedure.
While piercing guns may seem to be a quick, easy and convenient way of creating holes, they have major drawbacks in terms of sterility, tissue damage and inappropriate jewelry design. These concerns are addressed below.

Reusable ear piercing guns can put clients in direct contact with the blood and body fluids of previous clients.

Although they can become contaminated with bloodborne pathogens dozens of times in one day, ear piercing guns are often not sanitized in a medically recognized way. Plastic ear piercing guns cannot be autoclave sterilized and may not be sufficiently cleaned between use on multiple clients. Even if the antiseptic wipes used were able to kill all pathogens on contact, simply wiping the external surfaces of the gun with isopropyl alcohol or other antiseptics does not kill pathogens within the working parts of the gun. Blood from one client can aerosolize, becoming airborne in microscopic particles, and contaminate the inside of the gun. The next client’s tissue and jewelry may come into contact with these contaminated surfaces. There is thus a possibility of transmitting bloodborne disease-causing microorganisms through such ear piercing, as many medical studies report.

As is now well known, the Hepatitis virus can live for extended periods of time on inanimate surfaces, and could be harbored within a piercing gun for several weeks or more. Hepatitis and common staph infections, which could be found on such surfaces, constitute a serious public health threat if they are introduced into even one reusable piercing gun. Considering the dozens of clients whose initial piercings may have direct contact with a single gun in one day, this is a cause for serious concern. Babies, young children, and others with immature or compromised immune systems may be at higher risk for contracting such infection.
Additionally, it is not documented how often piercing guns malfunction. Some operators report that the earring adapter that holds the jewelry will often not release the earring, requiring its removal with pliers. These pliers, which contact contaminated jewelry immediately after it has passed through the client’s tissue, may be reused on multiple customers without full sterilization. Few, if any, gun piercing establishments possess the expensive sterilization equipment (steam autoclave or chemclave) necessary for such a procedure.

 

[lyra]

On why inferior jewelry from piercing guns leads to embedded earrings and infection, from the APP again:

The length and design of gun studs is inappropriate for healing piercings.

Ear piercing studs are too short for some earlobes and most cartilage. Initially, the pressure of the gun’s mechanism is sufficient to force the pieces to lock over the tissue. However, once they are locked on, the compressed tissue cannot return to its normal state, is constricted and further irritated. At the least, the diminished air and blood circulation in the compressed tissue can lead to prolonged healing, minor complications and scarring. More disturbingly, the pressure of such tight jewelry can result in additional swelling and impaction. Both piercers and medical personnel have seen stud gun jewelry completely embedded in ear lobes and cartilage (as well as navels, nostrils and lips), even when pierced “properly” with a gun. This may require the jewelry to be cut out surgically, particularly in cases where one or both sides of the gun stud have disappeared completely beneath the surface of the skin. Such consequences are minimal when jewelry is custom fit to the client, allows sufficient room for swelling, and is installed with a needle piercing technique which creates less trauma and swelling.

 

[momhappy]

Distracts -- Yep. Got all the nice cleaning stuff you guys suggested.

Lyra -- I'm checking with her GP on what to do with the other. I have seen it done well (and poorly) both ways. One thing I am not sure of is if the other would close up at this point because the urgent care dr said it looked very well healed and may not fully close if we went that route.


The infection was definitely caused by her lack of cleaning. I have reminded her repeatedly to clean but she just wasn't doing it. Like there were times she would go 2 to 3 days without cleaning. When she did, it was once a day and so quick I don't think it was very thorough. She is also awful about washing her hands (like she never does even after cleaning cat boxes). So she used her filthy hands to touch her ears... I reminded and showed how to do correctly again and again.... Teenagers!

She had gotten better about washing and I thought she could manage (if i reminded her until it became habit).

Sorry to hear about her infection, but glad that you are on top of it.
I'm also glad that you addressed the fact that this is about a lack of care and not about where she had her ears pierced. Piercing infections can happen to anyone - no matter where they get their ears pierced.

 

[Gypsy]

Please listen to Lyra.

She's really spot on here.

Okay, your choice, although the use of piercing guns is actually being banned in different countries around the world, thankfully. Here is the most up-to-date information on aftercare for piercings:

Acceptable/Recommended Aftercare:

First and foremost, staying healthy, practicing good daily hygiene, and drinking a lot of water will help your piercing heal more than anything else.

Dry Healing

When dealing with a fresh piercing, it's better to focus on what NOT to do rather than what to do. Your body is an amazing healing machine and generally has no problem healing a piercing as long as the piercer has done their job correctly. Stay away from products like, Betadine, Bactine, alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, any form of soap, any sort of "ear care" solutions (ex: Clarie's), ointments such as A&D, Neosporin, Aquaphor, petroleum jelly, and Asprin paste. Don't touch your piercing, no twisting, no turning, no rotating, no picking, no submerging. It's best to keep your piercing dry, and utilize warmth for healing one or two times a day, this can be achieved with; a blowdryer, a heating pad, or heated gauze. If any sort of problem arises, leave it alone until you can visit your piercer.

And remember...

LITHA:

Leave It The Heck Alone

The ONLY thing that should touch a healing piercing is sterile saline solution (available at any pharmacy), if it is absolutely necessary to clean the piercing. Generally, you shouldn't use ANYTHING. Daily showers are enough. Hope that helps.

Edit, more info on piercing guns:

What is the APP Position on Ear Piercing Guns?

It is the position of the Association of Professional Piercers that only sterile disposable equipment is suitable for body piercing, and that only materials which are certified as safe for internal implant should be placed in inside a fresh or unhealed piercing. We consider unsafe any procedure that places vulnerable tissue in contact with either non-sterile equipment or jewelry that is not considered medically safe for long-term internal wear. Such procedures place the health of recipients at an unacceptable risk. For this reason, APP members may not use reusable ear piercing guns for any type of piercing procedure.
While piercing guns may seem to be a quick, easy and convenient way of creating holes, they have major drawbacks in terms of sterility, tissue damage and inappropriate jewelry design. These concerns are addressed below.

Reusable ear piercing guns can put clients in direct contact with the blood and body fluids of previous clients.

Although they can become contaminated with bloodborne pathogens dozens of times in one day, ear piercing guns are often not sanitized in a medically recognized way. Plastic ear piercing guns cannot be autoclave sterilized and may not be sufficiently cleaned between use on multiple clients. Even if the antiseptic wipes used were able to kill all pathogens on contact, simply wiping the external surfaces of the gun with isopropyl alcohol or other antiseptics does not kill pathogens within the working parts of the gun. Blood from one client can aerosolize, becoming airborne in microscopic particles, and contaminate the inside of the gun. The next client’s tissue and jewelry may come into contact with these contaminated surfaces. There is thus a possibility of transmitting bloodborne disease-causing microorganisms through such ear piercing, as many medical studies report.

As is now well known, the Hepatitis virus can live for extended periods of time on inanimate surfaces, and could be harbored within a piercing gun for several weeks or more. Hepatitis and common staph infections, which could be found on such surfaces, constitute a serious public health threat if they are introduced into even one reusable piercing gun. Considering the dozens of clients whose initial piercings may have direct contact with a single gun in one day, this is a cause for serious concern. Babies, young children, and others with immature or compromised immune systems may be at higher risk for contracting such infection.
Additionally, it is not documented how often piercing guns malfunction. Some operators report that the earring adapter that holds the jewelry will often not release the earring, requiring its removal with pliers. These pliers, which contact contaminated jewelry immediately after it has passed through the client’s tissue, may be reused on multiple customers without full sterilization. Few, if any, gun piercing establishments possess the expensive sterilization equipment (steam autoclave or chemclave) necessary for such a procedure.