I once had pierced ears and now ... :(

[CountAllVotes]

:hi:

Yes, I once did. However, I have fallen into a state of somewhat of a severe depression (I guess; lasting for several years) and I just had not felt like wearing my earrings anymore. I totally forgot about them and my pierced ears (first piercing done at age 11 by a dentist! *ack*).

I have a fine collection of earrings, many of rare Indian turquoise, Santo Domingo, Zuni and the like. I tried to put them on and the holes have closed up. I did not think it was possible being the ones I had done at 11 years old were done almost 40 years ago, but they are closed up as well as another set of piercings done at about age 22 (also closed up).

Any advice on what to do? I could *ack* force the earrings back through the holes that you can still see but I don't know if this is a good idea or not. Could I develop an infection by doing this? Where does one go to get their ears pierced/re-pierced (if this is the right term) if they'd like to start over again?

What do y'all think other than I am mighty stupid for letting them go so to speak?

Thanks for any advice! :D

[Dave Reynolds]

1. I'm a little out of touch,

but a lot of mall places offered piercing several years ago. I would not recommend shoving an earring through the old hole (not for any particular reason other than OWWW!).

[CountAllVotes]

3. yeah I'm admittedly out of touch too

I had the second set done at a mall back in the late 1970s. It did not hurt but I never see them doing this at the mall anymore (there is only one mall in the area I live in).

I can feel the OUCH too.

Thanks for letting me know I'm not the only one out there that is out of touch. That is what happens when you start getting old I suppose.

[miss_kitty]

2. I'd go to a doctor that does it

when you're in your 20's any old trashy booth will do. But when you get to be our age, it's best to go to the people who sterilise their tools.

On Edit: you have scar tissue that a competent doc will avoid

[CountAllVotes]

4. is it worth it given the scar tissue?

I had two holes in each ear. What type of doctor would I go to to have this done do you know? I really wouldn't dare ask a dentist again! *eek*

I suspect it could be very painful to have it done given the amount of scar tissue. It could be difficult to avoid it I can see also.

:dem:

[miss_kitty]

7. hmmm-"is it worth it?"

It just all depends if you think paying say $20 to risk the cosmetically attractiveness of your earlobes as they are today, and myriad of diseases and infection that is possibly not killed off on mall piercing equipment and spend thousands on the ensuing medical bills to keep the infection from going into your brain, OR if paying a little more up front in a doctors office where people get training in college on sterilising, autoclaving and shit like that. Plus they have malpractice insurance if they fuck up your lobes.

I'd opt for the latter. That's just me though.

Ask your GP or look in the yellow pages for a medical professional who pierces.

[CountAllVotes]

11. thanks for this information

I had no idea it could become that serious if not done right. Now I'm scared. :scared: I guess I'll have to check around and see what my options are. The dentist was likely a good idea at age 11 it seems!

Thanks again! I had NO idea!

[miss_kitty]

14. I agree with Mr "everywhere" who posted below

Go with a needle piercing, That's how my first two were done. Ask people you know with piercings where they got theirs done. And if it was by needle or gun.

[fleabert]

22. a professional piercer (usually practices alongside a tattoo artist) also

is thoroughly trained on autoclaving and proper sterilization techniques. and they know nothing but piercing, I'd rather go to a specialist than a generalist. What do doctors know about decorative piercing?

[miss_kitty]

24. Well off the top of my head, a plastics person would know quite a bit

and were aren't talking nipples, belly buttons or glans (all places an experienced plastic surgeon could deal with easily and quickly as well), but some earlobes whith a little scar tissue from a previous piercing.

However, I do believe what you say. I think it's good to check out a few places and find out from people who have used those places how it all went...also ask the prospective piercer what their experience is with piercing near scar tissue.

[fleabert]

26. that's true.

I just have a lot of respect for professional piercers and tattoo artists, and think they sometimes get forgotten. It's like an esthetition doing permanent makeup...why anyone would get it from them, I don't understand; it's tattoos- go to someone who specializes.

my piercer knows a lot about scar tissue and past injuries in relation to new piercings- I'd trust them before a dr. since dr.'s are trained in manipulation of the body with the knife, they aren't specialists in the placement and ethetics of permanent piercings. They do know about technically piercing the skin, though.

just my opinion.

[jonnyblitz]

5. go to a piercing studio and get it done right.

I am pierced "everywhere" and those are the places to go to. you really don't want to go where they use a piercing gun. you want to go where they use a clean, sterilized needle everytime.

[miss_kitty]

8. "Everywhere"?

vewwwy intewesting!:evilgrin:

[jonnyblitz]

13. yep

every place you could imagine and probably then some..:P

[miss_kitty]

15. oh, I have a very vivid imagination

}(

[xultar]

6. WOW I'm going through the same thing. I haven't worn jewelry in a year

I take anti depressants but I haven't managed to muster up any of the energy to wear jewelry.

[CountAllVotes]

9. well after a year, I could still get them in but they bled

and then ... I rather forgot. I guess the depression is why. I don't feel that depressed anymore and I look at these beautiful earrings (once said to me by someone when I was VERY overweight, "Well you wear nice jewelry" (some compliment huh?)).

I'd just like to start wearing them again. I ran into a nice man today that had some nice turquoise earrings on and I became angry at myself for letting it go and allowing them to close up.

Does getting them re-pierced with a needle hurt a lot? The dentist that did it injected both earlobes with novacaine, that much I do remember - cost was $11. in 1969. I just hate pain, part of the reason I tend to be so depressed too much of the time as I live in chronic pain.

Maybe I can find a place locally in the phone book. I don't know of any doctors that do it. The staple gun thing I had done in the late 70s and they healed up fast and it was painless. However, this was before AIDS and other things were around.

The last thing I need is some sort of an infection!

[MrSlayer]

10. I rarely wear my earring.

But it's simple enough to push through, there's just a tiny layer of skin in the back you have to poke the post through. It doesn't hurt, the holes never really close.

[CountAllVotes]

12. let it go for nine years

and you'll be in the same boat I'm in now - closed up tight. :(

[MrSlayer]

17. I let it go longer than that.

And still no problems. Of course all cases aren't the same but I just pushed it through with no problem. Give it a try with a nice thin one. It's usually the back of the hole that's the problem, when you get it in to that point put a finger behind it and give it quick push, should pop right through.

[tjdee]

18. Me too--except now they itch like crazy with earrings in them.

About six/seven years, they still go in if I do some wiggling. Of course, I have a different problem.

All earrings itch now. Real, fake, whatever. I used to be able to wear fake (I've always been poor, yippee!!) but now, even if it's gold/sterling silver give it a minute or two and my earlobes itch so bad I have to take them out.:(

[CountAllVotes]

27. well .............. update here ..........

Update!

:woohoo: :woohoo:

Thank you! I went and looked at my earring collection again and it made me really sad they they could not be worn. I contemplated giving them to a relative (one that I really don't even know).

However, I decided to look for the thinnest gold posts I have and soaked them in alcohol and made sure they were ultra clean and I did what you suggested and they popped right back in! No pop noise, no nothing! No pain and most importantly no bleeding either. My earlobes are a bit tender at the moment, but nothing much.

So it worked. Thank you for giving me the courage to give it a try and I'll never let them close up (well apparently they weren't really closed up! :D ) and let them go again for the rest of my life! :)

So I am "back in business" once again! One question however, how long should I leave them in? Any ideas body piercing people out there? :D

:party: !!

[hatredisnotavalue]

16. experience talking here

I had three holes in one ear in 1977. One of the holes got infected and I now have a lobe the size of Rhode Island. The infection went into my neck and then into my shoulder, causing me problems 25 years later. My teenagers say there is no way they are getting any piercings after looking at my one misshapen lobe. I still have two holes on each ear, but putting anything big in them is not pleasant.
Solution: I wear really big bulky necklaces and small hoops in my ears. I try not to draw attention to my earlope that is misshapen. Take you ear jewelry and have it made into necklaces.

[CountAllVotes]

19. wow that is awful!

:hug: I am sorry this has happened to you and I will certainly keep your suggestion in mind. The jewelry I have is very beautiful and was also very expensive when I bought it years ago. It is likely worth a lot more now. I like necklaces just fine too and I do wear them.

Yikes! I never thought of such a possibility and I have a compromised immune system so I really cannot afford to mess around, especially at my age!

[hatredisnotavalue]

20. Really don't risk it.

Wear your hair over your ears and a great necklace. Trust me this style works. You dont want to get sick over something as silly as fashion. :)

[fleabert]

21. go to a professional piercer. period.

anyone that brandishes a 'piercing gun' at you, RUN the other direction. They are cheap for a reason. Get a professional piercing.

[khashka]

23. You have a couple choices....

You could force the earings through. Even if you don't get an infection, they'll be sore and inflamed for awhile.

I'd suggest visiting a professional body piercer (not some 16 year old girl at the mall with a piercing gun). Everything will be sterilized and they can explain how to take care of the repiercing so it does NOT become infected.

As for being mighty stupid for letting them go? Not at all. We've almost all done that at some time....


Khash.

[yellowdogintexas]

25. I have had a thin membrane close over on the back of

my ears when I have gone for long periods w/o earrings.

My solution is to select the highest quality gold earrings I have (post style)with the thinnest posts. Soak them in alcohol, then slather them with Neosporin and very gently push them through. Then you have to just leave them in for a while. You can turn them to keep them from sticking. If the ear starts to feel irritated, more Neosporin, please.

Oh yeah the earrings I use for this rehab are always the very lightest weight ones. You don't want heavy jewelry while you are coaxing your earlobes back to life.

My daughter is a professional piercer and she does not do standard basic lobe piercings at all. The needles she uses are a higher guage and would leave a hole that is larger in diameter than is suitable for your average jewelry. They send people to the mall for the first earring piercing. She does industrials, and cartilage, nose, lip, "everywhere"
etc.