Piercers, ho! (Who you calling a ho?)

[kitchen_kink]

So, when I was around 16, I got my ears pierced in the way that girls who are 16 and live in New Jersey do: I went to the mall.

This means that they were pierced with a gun.

I've come to understand that gun-piercings, where an earring is shot directly into the earlobe, are inferior to needle-piercings, in which a hollow needle is used and an actual bit of the lobe is removed before an earring is inserted.

I've come to believe in this inferiority, basically because for as long as my ears have been pierced, my earring-holes have been attempting to close every time I don't have earrings in for more than a day. I often did not wear earrings, basically because when I did wear them (whatever they were made of; it didn't matter), my ears would hurt and get red and nasty.

I discovered last year that consistently wearing captive-bead earrings of a slightly larger gauge than I was used to opened the holes and kept them happy and uninfected. So that's what I do now.

However, I also like to change my earrings from time to time, and sometimes leave my earrings out as a result, and then I get the hole-closing and the irritation...

You see my issue.

So what I'm wondering is, would anyone out there be willing to perform, or recommend someone who could perform, a proper needle-piercing through the holes that are already in my ears? I'd prefer it be cheap or for trade.

Thanks!

Comments

[darxus.livejournal.com]

Piercing needles often don't remove anything, resulting in a U shaped hole. Biopsy punches make the happiest piercings - a cylindrical blade that does remove stuff.

[harlequinaide.livejournal.com]

I dunno. I got pierced with a gun and although I only put an earing in for a day or two every six to nine months my holes don't close up. Different bodies work differently.

Not to say that a needle wouldn't work better for you, just rejecting the notion that one solution is catholic, ever.

[goat.livejournal.com]

*nodnod*

I got pierced with a gun, and haven't worn earrings in years, and I'm sure that I could open them back up fairly easily. This might be because I had them done when I was so young, though.

My nose ring, however, is doing much better this time around (the first time was with a gun, this time with a piercing needle).

[ladytabitha.livejournal.com]

"is catholic"...?

To Marlene, there, have you increased the gauge at all, or just kept it at $slightly_higher?  I've been considering going that route as well, because (a) I don't mind wearing my earrings always, s'long as they're stainless steel or something, and (b) my lobes dislike earrings in them, and I'm wondering if that'd help.

[dietrich.livejournal.com]

Hm...not exactly sure what you mean, but I'll answer as best I can.

My gauge is small from the gun-piercing - I generally wear wire-earrings or narrow post ones. But the captive-bead ones (that I bought with you!) I got are of a slightly higher gauge. I don't think that wearing them has physically increased my gauge at all, if that's what you mean, because I take them out and then the holes relax again and get smaller.

But the answer is yes: wearing the larger gauge surgical steel rings, after a day or so, made my ears not hurt at all ever. If I just leave them in, I don't even know they're there most of the time. I just put them in, then washed the area with saline solution once in a while for a few days.

This is no guarantee at all, but it did help me and my lobes have disliked earrings as well, for years, whether they were surgical steel, gold, silver, or whatever.

That said, I have been wearing different earrings or no earrings for a few weeks now (photoshoots and, well, spring and wanting to wear funky jewelry), and I put the steel ones in again last night, and ow. I'm sure it'll stop hurting by tomorrow, though.

[moominmolly.livejournal.com]

catholic (adj.)= universal, worldwide
Catholic (adj.)= of or relating to this really big church that is currently ruled by a mean man in a funny hat.

[harlequinaide.livejournal.com]

"is catholic"...?

Yep - As in "universal." Not the most well known definition, but the original, and my favorite.

[dda.livejournal.com]

Ob. pedantic: Perhaps you mean lower gauge, which would mean bigger holes? :-)

For another data point, I had one hole done with a gun and one hole done with a needle by a professional piercer. I know the "gun hole" will start to close if I leave the stud out for a day but I believe the "needle hole" does much the same thing. It is a big hard to tell since the "gun hole" has a larger post in it than the "needle hole"; I'll check more thoroughly next time I take them out.

[dietrich.livejournal.com]

Ah yes - I do mean a lower gauge. (How damnable confusing.)

[sunstealer.livejournal.com]

I was just thinking of that word today, in that usage. How strange. And I haven't forgotten your story either. I've been a bad beta-reader though...
Bad beta!

and as far as the actual subject of this thread goes, you could put in a gauge one step larger than the one you currently have in, thereby expanding the hole slightly. then, when you took it out, the hole would contract slightly but not be as apt to close (leaving you with a hole that wouldn't look to the eye to be much, if at all, larger, but less annoying in the care department). I too had mine done with a piercing gun at first and they always wanted to close until I started to gauge them out.

[lachesis.livejournal.com]

Not that it's helpful, really, but when I was 16 I pierced my own second holes with a thumbtack (right ear) and embroidery needle (left ear), and they've never closed or done anything negative.

Three body piercings however (in varying places), and nary a one to be found now.

So, yeah, it's a body thing I guess.

[harlequinaide.livejournal.com]

That's okay, I had the submit it already. Just enjoy it. :-)

[bolteroo.livejournal.com]

(I came to your journal through Catlings...)
Needle piercing is not superior because it removes part of the lobe, but piercing needles are wider than piercing studs, so the hole opened with needle piercing is larger.
Do you know what guage captive bead ring you are currently wearing?
I would suggest stretching up to 16ga. or 14ga. and leave them in there for at least 3 months, preferably 6 months straight (no cheating)--then you should be fine.

[kitty-scarboro.livejournal.com]

i got my top ear holes repierced for free (except for the price of my hoops) by a local piercer (Tribal Ways) who was trained but needed practice. it was actually the most painless pierce i have ever received.

you could call the local (trustworthy) shops and ask if they have any newly trained piercers who need practice.

also, you could stop in and ask them questions about your holes. most piercers are quite willing to answer questions.