problems with right ear

[firebutterfly]

I am having a problem when I stretch up, but it is only my right ear that has the problem. This first happened when I went to a 8g. (I use surgical stainless pincers). Left ear goes perfectly well...but the right gets hot and swollen and feels infected hours after the stretch. I take out the jewelry and sss, then massage it with triple antibiotic ointment and put the 10g. back in. Then it is totally fine the next morning, so I go ahead & put the 8g. back in, and it is all good.
Yesterday (after waiting just a cpl days shy of a month with 8g.) I got a pair of 6g. pincer and put them in (not all the way to the thickest part though)...everything went smoothly...until about 4 or 5 hours later. Once again the right ear is painful, hot, and swollen. I repeat the sss and ointment ritual and put my 8g. back in....and as I type this (the morning after) the right ear feels just fine again. Later on today I plan on trying the 6g. again.
Anyone know what this is all about??? I am not forcing the jewelry...there is no bleeding & no pain at the time of stretching, and I am anal about cleaning the jewelry & my ear before I put it in. This only first started with the 8g. stretch. Thanks in advance

[corazon_de_oro]

If you have a problem with a stretch like swelling, irritation, etc. you need to wait a LOT more than day to stretch again. At least a few weeks, but the longer the better. Also, stop using the ointment and stop doing the massages. Ointments can harbor bateria and it doesn't allow the piercing to breathe, and massaging will just irritate the tissue more.

Also, a month wasn't long enough to wait before going to 6G. You should be waiting at least 6-8 weeks between sizes, and 6G is a hard stretch anyway.

I'd also suggest getting some tapers and single-flare or no-flare plugs instead of pinchers. Plugs won't move around in your ears like pinchers can, and the movement might be why you got the swelling and pain after the stretch.

[firebutterfly]

Thanks Corazon. I definitely think your on to something with the plugs instead of the pincher also. Do you have to have a taper to put plugs in? I am seriously a newb (even though Imma old chick...lol), I appreciate any & all advice. Love the stretching experience

[ViolentJayne]

you put the taper in first to open the hole then slide the plug in directly after . kind of like a shoe horn lol

[ViolentJayne]

oh and Im 30 . and new to stretching to only been at it since about feb so dont feel bad lol

[firebutterfly]

Thanks