Just got my ears done. advice?

[bc09]

I had been wanting them done for a long time but couldn't do it because I was in the Army for 8 years. Now that I'm out I can finally do what I want.

So it's Wednesday. On Monday, I went into a tattoo/piercing shop with absolutely no holes in my ears. I had never had them pierced before. I talked to the owner of the shop and told him I wanted my ears pierced/stretched.(btw I have always had pretty decent size ear lobes that hang, unconnected)

I walked in knowing NOTHING about the process or how long it takes. He told me that the smallest jewelry he had was a 4g. He warned me that he could do it that big, but it could hurt.

Well I agreed to do it, and he pierced me and used what I assume was a taper, to stretch me up to a 4g. From what I remember it was a very long piece of metal that was small on one end and bigger on the other. It actually almost didn't hurt at all.
He warned me that going this big, could tear a little, and right ear did fine and didn't bleed at all. The left ear tore just a tiny tiny bit and bled a little. He said this was kind of expected and wasn't too worried about it.

When he was finished he put the jewelry (acrylic) in and told me how to take care of it, and said if I wanted to go bigger, I should wait 3-4 months then come back and see him.

Well it's been two days and I still haven't had any pain. I've been cleaning them 2 or 3 times a day and the holes look fine.

Since getting them done, I've read all kinds of horror stories about going this big so fast, etc etc.. Then again, I've heard people doing this same thing, or even bigger, and they turned out just fine.

The only odd thing about my ears at the moment, is that my ear lobes (at the very bottom) look a little bruised. There's just the slightest discoloration from the hole, down to the bottom of the ear lobe. Is this normal? Or a sign that it will get worse?

I went to a different piercing shop with my gf and the only person that could talk to me was one of the apprentices. She seemed a little inexperienced but told me she would recommend taking them out, letting them heal, and starting all over with the smallest piercing, waiting 3 or 4 months, then stretching one size at a time, waiting 3 or 4 months in between. She also kept telling me to come into HER shop for all of this, which made me feel like she was just trying to get my business and $$.

I know that this advice is obviously the BEST way to do it, but since I've already come this far, I really don't want to start over. Then again, I don't want to become a horror story either.

[HiMyNameIsMegan]

I honestly think the first person who done your ears was just after your money. Getting them pierced like that then stretched is so wrong ! Poor ears. You could have went to a piercer and got them pierced at 6g. He also shouldnt have put acrylic in a fresh piercing. You don't have to go to a piercer everytime you want to stretch you're ears you should have done your research! I don't know if i'm sounding bitchy but getting pierced like that then stretched right away you could end up with problems when you go to try stretch the next time.

[bc09]

lol, you don't sound very bitchy. I understand what you're saying. I wish I had done some research before hand, but I figured a professional would know better than I would.

Anyways, I'm asking for advice on where I should go from here.

My plan so far is to just keep taking care of them and see what happens. I'll pull them out and let them heal at the first sign of trouble. But so far, they seem to be okay.

ALSO, should I stick with the acrylics or get something different?
The chick at the second shop I went to said if I insisted on keeping them in, then I should just give them a couple of months to heal with the acrylics instead of agitating them by switching out the jewelry.

I really only plan on going to a 0 at the most. Honestly I love the look of them but I could never go huge like some other people. To each, his own of course.

[Drrob]

Hi Bc09,

There isn't anything wrong with having them pierced and stretched at the same time, my local piercer usually does a similar thing - the initial piercing is a 3.2mm hole and stretched to a 4mm hole with a taper and that is fine.
I myself had a larger gauge blade needle initially and like yourself had not been pierced before.My piercer did advise however only being prepared to pierce a 4mm/6 Gauge hole to begin with.
I do however worry as the previous reply said that acrylic is not the ideal substance to have as an initial piece of jewellery and would always recommend Titanium or Medical grade surgical steel.
The bruising is fairly common on a large gauge piercing but if mine is anything to go by it will heal up easily enough.
But all ears are different so things cannot be guaranteed from person to person.

Regards
Dr Rob.

[bc09]

So I should consider switching the jewelry out then?

[Drrob]

This is where it could get tricky - personally I would advise leaving it in and seeing how it goes as the only possible problem would be infection due to the construction of the acrylic however removing it so soon after having it pierced maybe worse.
I would be tempted to just leave them in and monitor how the healing progresses, look for any excessive weeping or similar un-natural things.
Maybe Hardware who is another forum member and a piercer by trade could give you some advice.

Regards
Dr Rob.

[HiMyNameIsMegan]

Getting pierced with a large needle then stretched at a size which is quite near the needle size i would say is ok. Do you know what size you were pierced at ? The piercer saying it could have tore is making me think he pierced you at a small size then forced a larger size of jewelerry in which is not a good thing! Are you taking the jewelerry out to clean ? In my opinion you're piercer should have known to put a better type of jewelerry in a fresh piercing. I would go look for advice in a better piercing shop and maybe ask them to switch the jewelerry to a better type of material.

<3

[bc09]

He definitely warned me that those acrylics where the smallest set of jewelry he had. I told him to go for it, bc at the time, I didn't know the downside to acrylics.

[Drrob]

I am a little surprised you did not ask what he was going to do but maybe I am just a little more curious than most.
I knew exactly the type of needle being used, what size it was as it was shown to me.
What sort of jewellery is it as I do not think you have said, it could be a spiral, or a single flared tunnel.
After reading Megan's reply it does sound like you were indeed pierced with a slightly small needle, this would explain the bleeding and tear to one ear.

These are my thoughts anyway.

Regards
Dr Rob.

** Here is a photo of my 6 Gauge Blackline Titanium Tunnel...http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fb ... 7521026692 "

[corazon_de_oro]

Nothing wrong with being pierced at that size (except the immediate stretching part), but acrylic in a fresh piercing? There's no way it could be sterile because it'd melt in an autoclave. And 4G was the smallest they had? That's a little strange... that piercer sounds very, very shady. I suspect maybe a tattoo artist who sees piercing as a side job? Not saying tattoo artists can't be good piercers, but I personally prefer piercers who just pierce; they tend to take it more seriously because it's their job and not just an extra thing to make money.