Sore ears (haven't even stretched yet)….

[Brainwashed]

So I had my ears pierced since I was a baby probably with a piercing gun. For like 2 years or so I haven't worn earrings. I put in some earrings on Wednesday (they're just fake studs with butterfly backs) and they have been hurting my ear. I took them out just now but when I touch my ear it hurts. I want to stretch my ears tomorrow since I got my kit today but my ears hurt.

[hiptocode]

Consider wearing an earring for the first time in two years your first stretch. Congratulations!

Now proceed as such, sea salt soaks, get yourself some jojoba or emu oil, take care a couple times daily to clean and oil gently. Wait at the very VERY least 3 weeks to stretch up to 16 or 14 gauge at the most.

After two years a few weeks is not long to wait. And as I am sure you have read here and other places: go slow.

Be persistent but careful, pain is not part of the process, and if you have pain you body is telling you to slow down.

Have fun!

[Brainwashed]

Consider wearing an earring for the first time in two years your first stretch. Congratulations!

Now proceed as such, sea salt soaks, get yourself some jojoba or emu oil, take care a couple times daily to clean and oil gently. Wait at the very VERY least 3 weeks to stretch up to 16 or 14 gauge at the most.

After two years a few weeks is not long to wait. And as I am sure you have read here and other places: go slow.

Be persistent but careful, pain is not part of the process, and if you have pain you body is telling you to slow down.

Have fun!

Alright. I'm just going to use different backs for them because the butterfly backs are painful. Yay for my first stretch lol.
I'm going to buy some sea salt. I already have a organic stretching balm.
So to massage them do I take out my earrings? And also do I start massaging after I've done this "stretch"? How many times do I massage a day and do sea salt soaks?

[hiptocode]

Sea salt soaks generally 1-3times a day. Don't start massaging until the soreness is gone.

You can take out or leave in the earrings for the sss, I would still get a jojoba or emu oil. Vitamin E oil is great but very thick and sticky. An oil would be easier to get into the hole and slippery-er for stretching. Although some people swear by the stretching balm/butter.
So after sss put some of your oil (or butter if you decide that works best for you) gently on the lobes and on the earring posts and get it in the hole. You may not want to start with the oil until the pain goes away.theth

Why do you link th backs are bothering you? You can get a different type at a piercing kiosk at the mall.

[corazon_de_oro]

My gunned piercings that I had from ages 9-13 NEVER healed and were constantly sore. Most earrings are made from pretty crappy metals and you might have an allergy. Like hiptocode said, putting in the earrings was also a stretch so that might be why they're a little sore too.

Don't stretch in three weeks, especially to 16G or 14G. Since you're probably at 20G right now, 18G is the next size. But since your lobes are sore/irritated, you should really wait a couple months before you try to stretch. In the meantime, do sea salt soaks every day (make sure they're no saltier than 1/4 teaspoon salt per one cup water or it'll do more harm than good) and don't do oil massages until your ears stop being sore.

[Brainwashed]

Sea salt soaks generally 1-3times a day. Don't start massaging until the soreness is gone.

You can take out or leave in the earrings for the sss, I would still get a jojoba or emu oil. Vitamin E oil is great but very thick and sticky. An oil would be easier to get into the hole and slippery-er for stretching. Although some people swear by the stretching balm/butter.
So after sss put some of your oil (or butter if you decide that works best for you) gently on the lobes and on the earring posts and get it in the hole. You may not want to start with the oil until the pain goes away.theth

Why do you link th backs are bothering you? You can get a different type at a piercing kiosk at the mall.

Alright. It's just that the butterfly backs always get stuck and I have to pull to remove them with hearts badly. I read from other places that that's common with those types. So I don't really like them. But it may be an allergic reaction to the metal.

[Brainwashed]

My gunned piercings that I had from ages 9-13 NEVER healed and were constantly sore. Most earrings are made from pretty crappy metals and you might have an allergy. Like hiptocode said, putting in the earrings was also a stretch so that might be why they're a little sore too.

Don't stretch in three weeks, especially to 16G or 14G. Since you're probably at 20G right now, 18G is the next size. But since your lobes are sore/irritated, you should really wait a couple months before you try to stretch. In the meantime, do sea salt soaks every day (make sure they're no saltier than 1/4 teaspoon salt per one cup water or it'll do more harm than good) and don't do oil massages until your ears stop being sore.

True. I'm thinking I'm probably allergic to the metal.
I think that the earrings are 18g because I compared them to my other earrings that I had when I was a kid and they seem a bit thicker. But for sure I will wait. I think the soreness might have to do with the metal. So I'm going to buy some different earrings…
Does the water have to be cold or warm?

[corazon_de_oro]

Hmm, are they by any chance the studs they actually use with the gun? Because those usually are a little thicker for some reason.

And for sea salt soaks, the water needs to be hot. I either boil tap water and let it cool or just pour bottled water into a coffee mug and microwave it. It shouldn't burn you, but it should be pretty hot.

[hiptocode]

Try some sterling silver, 24k gold or high quality surgical stainless steel. Nickel is a common allergien, so try to find nickle free earrings. The bell shaped backs are easy to remove, they do not catch on the groove on the end of the post.

[Brainwashed]

Hmm, are they by any chance the studs they actually use with the gun? Because those usually are a little thicker for some reason.

And for sea salt soaks, the water needs to be hot. I either boil tap water and let it cool or just pour bottled water into a coffee mug and microwave it. It shouldn't burn you, but it should be pretty hot.

Which are you talking about…the ones I tried aren't the one from when I got my ears pierced. And the other one that's smaller is gold but I only have one and they are tinnier.
Ok.