Sensitivity to CBR metal?

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Tuesday October 14th, 2008 @ 9:09 AM

Filed under: Ear

About two and a half months ago, I got my ear pierced. Nothing crazy, just a conch with a CBR. Even though I’ve followed all the rules (no touching, washing with Satin, sea salt soaks) it still hasn’t healed. I can’t sleep on that side, it’s tender to the touch, and the skin around the area is redder than I think it should be (it’s definitely redder than my other, non-pierced, ear).

I’ve always had a sensitivity to base metals. All my earrings are gold, sterling silver, or surgical steel, and I usually don’t wear them for longer than one day. Is it possible that the metal of my CBR is causing my problems? Could I switch to a gold/sterling CBR? Do gold/sterling CBRs even exist? Or should I just take it out, let it heal, and mourn it?

A conch piercing will be nowhere near healed in ten weeks. It can take up to a year to fully heal. My preferences for conch piercings is to heal with a bar rather than a ring as a bar is less likely to get knocked around. If you have been trying to sleep on that side then that will also account for the redness. So long as the exudate is not a greenish brown yellowy colour and that the pain is only tender rather than excruciating and your’e not running a fever then I would suggest being patient, staying off that side and continuing with the twice-daily seasalt soaks. If anything, have the jewellery switched out to a sterile bar by a piercer and see if that elleviates some of the tenderness.

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