Earstretching.net

Okay, I'll definitely get some sort of oil and use it once they're healed. I wish I woulda counted the weeks between my stretches before, like I said even sometimes 2-3 months would pass before I could get new jewelry and it would still sting, oh well. What's done is done, I'm just trying to help it. Just did the first salt soak today, and I woke up in the middle of the night and had some pretty bad crusties come off the back, a small one or two off the front. There was also, in the nook where the earlobe meets your neck, a patch of what felt like dried oozy stuff, so I got that off as well. After I swabbed after the soak, there was a little oozy substance I removed, but the swelling is pretty much totally gone, the hard ball thing is still there so that's still a little concerning. Do (either) or you know exactly what that is? Gonna look it up a little more now but it's so weird...

Can you describe the "hard ball" a little better, it may be a small blowout.

It's located underneath the actual hole in location on my earlobe. It's approximately 1.5 times the size of the thickest part of my pincher, and doesn't hurt to poke it. The only thing that hurts is my actual hole, such as if my pincher turned upward and I had to turn it back down it's painful.

Does it seem like a "lip" coming from the hole or is it a round bump? Is there any way you could take a picture?

I was also thinking it could be a blowout but it could also be hypertrophic scarring, usually just referred to as "the bump" with piercings. It's not too common in lobes or with stretching (it mainly happens in cartilage piercings) but since you're using pinchers which can move around a lot that might be it. It's caused by friction from jewelry. I had a bump like that when I wore a circular barbell in a fresh lobe piercing, and it got bigger and bigger until I changed the jewelry. Sea salt soaks will help, and you can also try a hot compress with a chamomile teabag.

Just adding this point in here, I have an industrial piercing with what i thought originally was a keloid (probably not what you have) then I split my barbell into two and over 2-3 weeks it went away. It was a pressure bump, I just put my long bar back in now its back. I also got the same thing on my lobes when I wore spirals, Im assuming that just because of the shape of pincers, that while you sleep you could be creating the same thing... soooo if you can not diagnose it as a blowout I would recommend waiting it out or switching to a different style of earring.

It's really amazing advice these ladies provide.. ultimately the key is to wait and be patient. It's not a race, and it's seems sad that everybody is trying to get a saucer in their ears after 2 months. One lobe may comply but you have 2 and they will prolly heal at 2 diff. points.

corazon_de_oro wrote:Does it seem like a "lip" coming from the hole or is it a round bump?

Basically just a round bump, inside my earlobe, located directly underneath the pincher. (I know, I'm trying to get it in a better state before fooling with the jewelry.) Other than the bump which makes my earlobe larger than the other, everything's back to normal size. Woke up this morning with far less crusties, but still there all the same. Already got one salt soak done today, so I'm just hoping they're doing their job for sure. Chances are later today I'll hold a hot rag up to it; no teabags but hopefully it will help as well.

@Kaiser, it may very well be. If you saw earlier in the thread I have every intention of removing the pinchers and placing the plugs, but at the moment I can't get them out, so when I can I will definitely be doing that.

@apollo, they have definitely been a great help. I was having such a freakout when I woke up with it but I'm sticking to the soaking regimen and seeing improvement. I appreciate everyone who has and continues to contribute, you guys are awesome.

I am thinking the bump could also be a pimple or boil .. Ive gotten some pretty unpleasant pimples on my lobe a few times before I found out what was causing it .. turns out it was not rubbing the oil in enough and letting some oil sit on my lobe .. I started making sure I rubbed the oil in real good and any oil My ear didnt soak up I blot off with a q tip and I dont think Ive had one since

it sounds just like what you are describing - I had a bump in My left lobe ( which is My best lobe ) it hurt like crazy and at first I thought something was wrong with the piercing but on further examination I saw it was actually in between my top and bottom lobe piercings .. I did the sea salt ( which soothed it ) and hot water compress that made it feel better was well ... but it never came to a head or popped -- My body just reabsorbed it after a week or to .. I hope thats what happens with yours aswell

good luck and keep us updated and keep working on getting those pinchers out... try after a good long soak or shower and try to work some oil inside the hole and hopefully you can ease them out - My worry is since they arent able to move they could become fused and thats a big problem that you dont wanna deal with - plus you really need to get them out from time to time to clean all the old skin cells out of the fistula ( to prevent the old ear cheese )

ViolentJayne wrote:My worry is since they arent able to move they could become fused and thats a big problem that you dont wanna deal with - plus you really need to get them out from time to time to clean all the old skin cells out of the fistula ( to prevent the old ear cheese )

They will move, which is good, it's still just very painful. I think the bump is getting smaller so maybe so I'll def keep ya'll updated! And I really appreciate all the help, seriously. ^_^

Okay, took a shower and managed to get them out. The right hole seems to be healing beautifully, and the left (problem) one was completely blocked by pus. I cleaned out what I could and put the plugs in, and wiped a little more pus and blood off the back. They're now both in, and I plan to do a salt soak here soon (was too lazy earlier). The little hard ball is still there and I can't tell if it's still decreasing in size, but it's definitely smaller than what it started as.

Also, when I removed the pincher and was cleaning out the left ear, the hole itself did look a little raw, and once the new jewelry was in stung for a second or two. Not sure but planning on taking them out the next time I shower and letting the hot water run into each piercing (like after I've shampooed so there's no contamination).