Wood Allergy!?

«« Small Font Tattoos?    nose bone in new piercing »»

Thursday August 14th, 2008 @ 1:04 AM

Filed under: Ear

Hello! I’ve had my ears stretched at a 0g for years. Recently I bought some wood tunnels on a trip to Seattle almost a month ago. I had worn them just about every day since I got them with no issues, taking them out only for showering. Yesterday morning I took them out to shower and rushed out of the house for work without them… as the day went on they became very swollen, red, itchy, hard, and warm to the touch. Though my ears hardly look anything like the picture above, they are still very swollen, itchy, and starting to peal this morning.

I was unaware of allergies and dangers of wood body jewelry, and was not informed by the seller; most likely because I did not purchase these from a Tattoo / Piercing shop. Is there a way to tell what kind of wood they are made out of just by looking at them?

Is there anything I can do to help reduce the swelling and dryness. Any Oils? or if sea salt soaks would be appropriate. Any information would be great.

Thanks!

If you had an allergy to the wood you’ve been wearing for the last month, I’d think you’d have seen it very quickly.

Wood jewelry must be maintained regularly to keep your lobes happy about wearing it. Regular oiling is a must to keep the jewelry hydrated.

Why your lobes became swollen and red after not wearing jewelry for the day may just simply be a result of them being able to breathe and have some circulation pumping to them.
In the meantime, you should keep your earlobes clean and moisturized - I like jojoba oil, personally. Try wearing a more biocompatible material like implant grade steel, titanium or glass and see if that makes them feel better.

Posted by Lexci Million | Permalink | Leave a comment | Trackback