Friday November 7th, 2008 @ 10:02 AM
Filed under: Ear
I got my inner conch pierced about 4 weeks ago. Prior to this I’ve only had my earlobes pierced (3 times). I know that I have issues with nickel.
The piercing process was fine and I had no issues (I was pierced with a regular needle and got a 14g barbell put in because I heard barbells are better for healing), but for the past week or so my piercing has begun to act up. There is a reddish bump on the back of the piercing and whenever I go to clean it, it bleeds slightly.
I’ve been cleaning it thoroughly using Bactine twice a day and Spectro Gel once a day in the shower. I have also done a few sea salt soaks which helped greatly with getting rid of the minor pain I experienced in the beginning.
Is there an issue I should be aware of? I don’t think it is infected because I clean it regularly, so I was worried it may be rejecting. I heard that bleeding piercings is a bad sign. Is there anything I should do?
Thanks in advance.
You made a good choice with the barbell. They definitely heal faster than rings. I prefer to do conch piercings at a minimum of 12ga, as I find they are a bit more durable and seem to heal a little better, but a 14ga conch piercing is definitely “healable”.
I would suggest changing your aftercare routine. Stop the Bactine for sure and it’s probably best to stop the Spectro Gel as well. Neither of those products are going to help your piercing heal…your body has to do the healing. In most cases, chemical cleansers will actually interfere with your body’s ability to heal. At this point it sounds like you are using too many things, too often, on the piercing. In addition, the action of moving the jewelry around in the piercing (which I’m assuming you’re doing to rinse the cleaners off/out) will serve to irritate your piercing.
The bump you have, and the bleeding you are getting, is an indication that your piercing is irritated.
I would suggest doing warm sea salt soaks on the piercing twice a day. Try to soak the piercing for about 5 minutes AFTER you shower. I think you’ll find that fewer products, less often…and a reduction in irritation from moving the jewelry…will make a big difference.
Good luck!
+6 / 6 votes 
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Posted by Derek Lowe | Permalink | 1 Comment
Sunday October 26th, 2008 @ 4:33 PM
Filed under: Ear
i’m planning on getting my outter conch pierced at a 00ga. i went to theclosest shop that i trust and he said he could pierce it at a 4ga and taper it to a 00ga. thats a huge stretch i know and it would hurt alot but in terms of safety is it alright to do that? i’m not sure if he is going to pierce it with a needle or a biopsy punch since that makes a diffrence and now that i think about it i’m not sure if he meant taper it immediatly or stretch it over time.
Piercing or punching at 4g and immediately tapering to 10mm is not a practical idea in my opinion. Doing this will be likely to hurt a lot; not to mention having that kind of pressure on a fresh wound will carry the likelihood of excess scarring and prolonged healing times.
If you want to go big right off the hop, have an experienced piercer punch at maybe 8mm (respectively, your anatomy allowing) and immediately taper up to 9mm or 10mm jewelry. A little bit of pressure (1mm or 2mm) will minimize bleeding and shouldn’t instigate any excess scarring. Bigger tapering jumps will likely become more problematic and painful.
Stretching cartilage piercings to large sizes can be completely fine, but it should be undergone slowly with caution and care. Stretching too quickly can cause the same problems mentioned above, even if the piercing has some age.
+12 / 14 votes 
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Posted by Russ Foxx | Permalink | 5 Comments
Thursday October 23rd, 2008 @ 9:43 AM
Filed under: Ear
I had my ear pierced about a month ago, and I am developing keloids around almost every piercing. The keloid on the bottom is looking really bad. I originally was using castille soap and saline solution to clean it, but lately i’ve been using just saline soaks bout 2-6 times a day. They barely hurt. The rings look like they are tight against the ear, but they’re not very tight. I am switching them to barbells today because the ear is starting to swell slightly (not from blood, but from these keloids) and the rings are starting to get too tight. Any ideas? My piercer has said that he is not sure what is going on, because besides these keloids, everything else is fine.
Other pics:
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=qn00g9&s=4
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=4hqy45&s=4
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=2vs0shh&s=4
Judging by those pictures I’d say that the jewellery is too small. The major problem I see here, though, is far too many not-that-easy-to-heal piercings in one sitting. As you are having issues I’d be inclined to say you’d be better off retiring three and concentrating on healing the remainder. The bloodiness of the bottom one has me concerned a little. Do you suffer from any kind of nickel allergy? Getting your piercer to switch out the jewellery is a definate must. Either for barbells or oversized rings. Ditch the soap and stick with seasalt soaks and stay off that side.
+8 / 12 votes
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Posted by Tiff Badhairdo | Permalink | 13 Comments
Friday October 17th, 2008 @ 8:20 AM
Filed under: Ear
So ive recently started stretching. i stretched from a 14g to a 6g in about two months and i have a blow out. i havent worn any jewellery in my ears for about a month and im still about a 10g. any suggestions on how to get rid of my blow out.
anything would be helpful.
Why is it so many people seek a cure rather than going down the tried and tested and wholly reliable prevention route? Blowouts are totally preventable. There is a wealth of information, not just on bmezine but across the ‘web on how to stretch safely.
Keep your jewellery out, massage your lobes daily with something like vitamin E oil or Holey Butt’r and when they have returned to normal -ish then start again. This time keep each size in for a minimum of two months before stretching again and don’t skip sizes. You have damaged your lobes so there’s every chance that you won’t be able to look forward to nice, large gauge lobes in the future.
+29 / 33 votes
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Posted by Tiff Badhairdo | Permalink | Comments
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.
+8 / 8 votes
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Posted by Tiff Badhairdo | Permalink | 2 Comments
Saturday September 27th, 2008 @ 12:01 AM
Filed under: Ear
Hey
I have wanted my outer conch pierced for quite a while now, but i’ve always been scared of anyone coming anywhere near me with a needle
Anyway, I was wondering if there are any veins or nerves in that area of the ear, or anything else that i culd cause damage to
Thanks in advance
I’m afraid we are not a ‘how to’ guide on self piercing. What I can say, though, is that you will have a far easier ride if you do pluck up the courage to visit a professional. I’m sure I can speak on behalf of my colleagues when I say this, but we do get our fair share of needle-phobics through the door. A good piercer will be able to do a grand job of putting you at ease, giving you time to relax, talking you through the procedure, answering any questions and making your piercing experience a pleasant one. If you are that nervous then pop down to your local, reputable studio and have an informal chat with the piercer, then book in for a later date. If you go to a good piercer, the one thing I can guarantee is that it won’t be half as bad an experience as you fear.
+10 / 10 votes
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Posted by Tiff Badhairdo | Permalink | 3 Comments
Saturday September 20th, 2008 @ 12:23 PM
Filed under: Ear
Is it possible that my body can not handle piercings?
All my piercings seem to get infected.
I clean with sea salt and warm water twice a day for the first couple of weeks and then once a day from then on.
I always make sure to rinse them out after washing my hair.
I’ve recently been on 500mg of Flucloxacillin to clear up a lobe infection, and it has helped, but the infection is still there. (I’ll be seeing my doctor again shortly.)
It would also seem that an infection is starting to develop in my other lobe too.
I really don’t know what to do. Should I keep trying to get them to heal, or just give up and take them out?
Thank You
If you are continually getting wound infections that are troublesome to clear up, even with antibiotics, it very much sounds like something else is going on here. It could well be that you have some form of systemic infection and unless that is adequately treated there’s every chance that you will continue getting the same problem every time you get pierced.
When you see your doctor it may well be worth bringing this up in conversation and discussing removing the jewellery at a certain point within your drug therapy and not bothering with any kind of piercing until you and your doctor have worked out what is going on and it has been adequately treated.
+11 / 13 votes
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Posted by Tiff Badhairdo | Permalink | 7 Comments
Saturday September 20th, 2008 @ 11:58 AM
Filed under: Ear
Hi there! Firstly, apologies for sounding like an idiot - I’m a relative newb to piercings!
I had my tragus pierced about 10 weeks ago. In theory it should be healed, although I understand it can take longer. I’ve cared for it with hot salty water. It’s not bleeding or leaky and the crusty bits are small and rare. It’s not painful but I am aware of it which is slightly uncomfortable. Plus, I’m getting the bulgy/flappy bits around it. I had this with my navel piercing too and occasionally get it with my tongue bar. With my navel, it was recommended I change to titanium - it healed right away! I don’t have titanium or surgical steel in my tragus - I can’t remember what it is. Does this sound normal?
I have tried going to my piercer but on asking when they close I was told “when the last person leaves” and they said “after two months, it will be healed”. Problem is, I don’t even know what jewellery I need if I do change it myself. What do I do re sizes? How do I know exactly which jewellery is made for traguses? (I know some will be specific but some say you can use the tragus bars in various body parts!)
It was pierced with a weird bar - it basically twirls up behind my tragus? I really cannot use a BCR, so I am only looking for other options. The piercing is the regular one, not the vertical.
I called EVERY piercer in the vague vicinity before I got this done - the ones I went to were the best, and came recommended. The two places who pierced me previously have shut down as has the shop who recommended titanium for healing purposes. So I have no clue who to go to for advice, hence posting here…
Any help on this would be greatly appreciated!
xxxxx
Hmm.. what you are saying is not giving me warm, fuzzy feelings about this studio.
Everything sounded normal with regards to the healing process until you described the ‘bulgy, flappy bits’.
Firstly, a tragus piercing will not heal within eight weeks. You are looking at between eight to twelve MONTHS. Secondly, I’m not too comfortable with the jewellery you describe. Without seeing it I can’t be sure but it sounds like you are describing a nostril screw. Thirdly, the raised tissue around the piercing sounds like irritation which is most likely caused by the jewellery.
I would suggest finding a reputable studio (it sounds like you might have to travel) and having them switch it out for a titanium flat-backed labret stud and then leaving it be for a minimum of eight months. Twice daily warm seasalt soaks are good.
+8 / 8 votes
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Posted by Tiff Badhairdo | Permalink | 5 Comments
Wednesday September 10th, 2008 @ 7:54 AM
Filed under: Ear
I have read a couple of conflicting estimates of the largest gauge that one can stretch their earlobes to while keeping the option open of returning to the gauge originally pierced at; 2 gauge and 6 gauge (both on the BME wiki), which seems to be quite a difference. Before I start on my stretching voyage, I’d like to nail down the outer limits for the sake of being able to change my mind later.
Although I know the answer to this question is likely to vary from person to person, what is the largest gauge that the average person with healthily and safely stretched earlobes can go to and still be able to downsize all the way?
Thanks!
I’m afraid that is one of those ‘how long is a piece of string’ questions and the answer is ‘equal lengths from the centre’!
Seriously, it’s impossible to say. It varies greatly from person to person. Some people can stretch up to and beyond 10mm and have them shrink back down in no time. Others can go as far as 4mm and still have a noticeable hole there. My advice with regards to stretching? View it as a permanent modification. Earlobe reconstruction is painful and expensive.
+12 / 12 votes
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Posted by Tiff Badhairdo | Permalink | 3 Comments
Saturday September 6th, 2008 @ 9:35 AM
Filed under: Ear
Hey there 
I have finally started the process of slowly stretching my ear. I am now up to an 8ga and have decided that for now I will limit how far I will ultimately go to a 4ga to give me good odds of it being reversable later.
The trouble is now that I have actually started, a 4ga looks tiny! So now I’m looking at another approach. I want to know how successful silicone skin coloured plugs, claw ended diamond plugs, etc… have been for most? I mean, what are some common problems people face in terms of how others judge them and any tips/tricks for avoiding these problems, whether that be through covering it up or whatever.
Any advice is muchly appreciated
Thanks
Michelle
Hi Michelle,
Common problems that people face in terms of how others judge them, is simply that, people will judge you. They’ll judge you based on what Body Modifications you have. They’ll judge you for the clothes you wear. They’ll judge you for the music you listen to. They’ll judge you on every single thing they could possibly judge you on. You cannot avoid peoples judgment, because for those who judge, there’s always something for them to judge on you.
One thing I learned early on, is coming to grips with that. That no matter what I do, someone will always judge me. So the best thing to do is just “suck it up” and either ignore the judgments or laugh it off due to their judgmental ignorance.
Now if you’re talking in regards to: “I don’t want to lose my job” type of judgment and you’re looking to be minimalistic in the jewelry you wear in your lobes. One hard part will be to find jewelry that is the EXACT color tone of your skin type. Some people have had success with the solid silicone plugs, and some no matter how hard they try, it will still be visible. I even know of some people who’ve obtained certain jewelry and with the use of makeup and a lot of time, have been able to somehow blend their skin color tone onto the jewelry,etc…
Ultimately though, and I don’t mean this in a harsh way, when it comes to other people judging you based on your physical appearance…You just need to suck it up and deal with it…The sooner people realize that, the sooner they won’t simply be bothered by people staring, or making rude/inappropriate comments,etc.
Heck I get stared/commented at DAILY for my scarification sleeve, my tattoos, and how I dress/look,etc. This even occured BEFORE I even started modifying my body, back when I used to experiment with my clothing (ie: fishnet shirts, polk-a-dot tights, tattered and torn army combat pants,etc,etc,etc)… The best thing to do is grow a thick skin and don’t let their ignorance phase you. The only people you should care about, in terms of their opinions are…Yourself (most important individual’s opinion is your own)…Then very close family and very close friends…And even then the best thing to do is take their comments/opinions and simply analyze them and compare and contrast them against your own. Then self-assess them all and see if any of them are correct/right (your opinions, and the others)…But ultimately you should just follow your gut instincts on your opinions and your opinions alone.
Also stretch ear lobes are becoming quite a norm these days, at least in pretty much every mid-sized town/city,etc. The concept of judging somebody harshly because they have stretched lobes is very outdated and circa many years ago, back when it wasn’t that common. Sure its not on every single person, but a large number of individuals have stretched lobes of some form or another.
+19 / 21 votes
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Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | 13 Comments
