my ears have closed up but still may be infected.

[AmyMuncherB]

I recently had an ear infection and so I took my taper out when I went to sleep so it didn't crust over, but its healed up.. And may still be infected any help?

[Imnotasif]

You just closed in the infection, it's better to let the infection run itself out and keep it clean, I suggest putting it back in so the infection can heal.

[ast.riske]

Indeed, if your ear healed completely, you may have just gotten yourself an abscess. An abscess is an infection that is completely enclosed under the skin. (I am not a doctor, so this may be too general or not quite the definition, but you get the idea.)

If your ear hasn't closed completely, put jewelry in the piercing that will fit without forcing it. This will keep your fistula open and give the infection a place to go. Do sea salt solution soaks twice daily (morning and night) with 1/4 teaspoon of salt in 1 cup of water. This solution is very similar to the salinity of your tears and will help to keep your skin moist and healthy while you are soaking your lobes.

Heat the water until it is warm, but not uncomfortable to the touch. Soak your ears for 5-15 minutes. This will help to draw out the infection and encourage blood flow to the area. Leave your jewelry in to do this. Once you are done soaking your ears, give them a quick rinse with fresh (unsalinated) water to rinse any salt off your skin.

You should see improvement within a week or so if all goes well. Good luck!

[AmyMuncherB]

Thanks, Yeah i couldnt get an earing through it, but the i cleaned it and i could get it throug halfway.. but then it bled.. so then i cleaned it again,(After wiping the blood) i could get it through, fully but now i cant :/ Its completely closed up but not infected i dont think, cause it doesnt hurt anymore..

[ast.riske]

This may be a blessing in disguise. If your ears have, indeed, healed shut, you might be better off letting them heal up completely and then having them repierced at a larger size, which will allow you to get a bit of a head start on your stretching. I had mine pierced at 10g and looking back I have no regrets. You still have to wait a solid 4-6 months before your ears are completely healed before stretching them, but that is about the same amount of time it takes to go from 18g to 10g safely. Your piercer may choose to even stretch you to a 9g or 8g to put pressure on the wound so it doesn't bleed too much. You shouldn't notice any difference in healing time.

Anyway, I'm sorry you had a bad experience to start, but perhaps this will lead to better things for you in the near future. : D