I THINK I MAY NEED HELP?

[Omgduhangie]

I just recently stretched from an 8g to a 6g. It hurt to put the 6g, but stupid me still put it in and now my right earlobe is swollen and warm to the touch. I had crust around my O-rings (i think it was dried up blood) I took my taper off and cleaned it in solution and there was some green fluid in my hole. What's wrong with my ear?What should i do!? Thanks in advance.

[StrickyCub]

Take it out and downsize back to 8g.
I didn't know this myself until I came to these forums, but too many websites and "piercing information websites" say that stretching should hurt.
It shouldn't hurt. When your ear is ready to go up a size you'll know.

Just do sea salt soaks twice a day, let your ear heal up and wait at least 6 weeks before you try to stretch again, probably even longer. But it really depends on how well you take care of it and how fast of a healer you are.

Sea salt soak= 1/8th to 1/4 a teaspoon of sea salt mixed with a cup of warm water.

Also don't play with your jewellery while it's healing. If it hasn't improved after downsizing and doing SSS for 2 days, you should see a doctor to make sure you haven't developed an infection.

~Zack

[corazon_de_oro]

Agreeeeed. Sea salt soaks will really calm your ears down. Just make sure it's not too salty or it'll do more harm than good; a good rule of thumb is that it shouldn't be any saltier than your tears. 8G to 6G is a pretty tough one... it was my only painful stretch (not excruciating, just stung a bit) and I'll admit that I probably should've downsized after going through with it, but I waited about two and a half months so I was getting impatient. But my advice to you would be to wait, wait, wait. After your lobes heal (stop getting crusty and are no longer sore) you can start doing some oil massages to make them more stretchy. After you get out of the shower, just remove your plugs, take a small amount of oil (you can use emu oil, vitamin E, jojoba, bio oil, naked oil, etc) and massage it into the holes for a few minutes. To make the stretch easier you could try taping, or using a really gradual taper like this: http://www.bodyartforms.com/productdeta ... 9&index=13 followed by some rounded single-flare plugs.

[Omgduhangie]

Thanks! My taper goes back in and out easily on both ears, should i take them out while doing the sea salt soak?

[StrickyCub]

Leave them in while doing the sea salt soaks, otherwise during the healing process it can irritate the skin taking them in and out.

[Omgduhangie]

Thank you so much, you have been a lot of help!

[StrickyCub]

You're welcome, I went through almost the exact same thing when I went to 6g as well It was simply due to misinformation on the internet.
However my ears have recovered nicely now and I'm waiting for some nice 6g Double Flares to come in the mail to replace my stainless steel tunnels that keep falling out lol

[Hardware]

I agree with everything said above...
Tapers should not be worn as jewelry while the earlobe is healing though. If I were you, I would find some surgical steel plugs. The tapers are gonna get knocked around and prolong the healing.

[magalo le matelot]

The tapers are gonna get knocked around and prolong the healing.

I don't understand why everyone say this? I wore tapers all the way from 1 mm to 20 mm, and I don't even know how they could knock around. It never happened. They are so close to your head. I don't think its the problem, unless you wear 2 inches long steel tapers.

[corazon_de_oro]

I don't think it's TOO big of a deal at like 8G and below to wear tapers, but there's still the possibility of them getting knocked. Especially if you sleep on your side; they can go sideways and put extra pressure on a fresh stretch.