n00b question time

[koicarp]

Hi Guys & Gals,

Ive started stretching my ears and im currently at 10g. Ive waited a month or longer between stretches and my ears are getting on pretty well.

A few questions, when i clean my ears (3 times a day sea salt soaks) how long do I need to do this for, the whole time im waiting to go up a size or for the first few weeks?

When I first got my ears pierced about a year ago i had a bit of trouble with the length of the studs being too short, my lobes swelled up and my piercer changed them for longer bars, my ear lobes seem to be pretty thick and ive only ever got on with bars or rings.
As i said, right now im at a 10g (solid bar with O-rings) the bar's wearable area is fairly long at about 10mm, but as i go up to 8g, 6g, etc the bars get shorter, im a bit worried about them being too tight on my ears. Anyone else some across this?

Thanks for reading

[Deano]

Sea salt soaks should be done until the lobe is healed. After they are healed, you should massage your lobes with some sort of oil, I use vitamin e and it is a true miracle worker.

As far as length, most jewelry of the same style and from the same manufacturer will be nearly the same length, no matter the gauge, and usually only fluctuate by about a mm either way. I just have some single flare SSS tunnels in right now and I have MORE than enough room on the back side. Unless you get double flared plugs, I doubt you're going to have to worry about room for swelling. And, of course, you shouldn't be wearing double flares until your lobes are fully healed, anyway.

Hope this helps.

[ggallenfan]

I have been doing what call alcahol test. I take some alcahol around jewelry and if no burning and its been at least a week. Then time to stop sss. Start massages

[ireland896]

Rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide can cause tissue burns and increase irritation, which slows down healing and increases the chances of developing scar tissue. You never want to use alcohol for any reason, healed or not.

[Deano]

Not only that, but alcohol tends to dry out skin pretty severely.

[Acacia]

+1 to staying far away from alcohol, don't ever put it on your ears.

I do sss for about a week, sometimes two, depending on how my ears feel. After sss I always, very gently, rub some oil on, so that my ears do not dry out, since soaking /washing/ cleaning the ear removes the natural oils from the skin. But I only start massages after about 2 weeks or more.

[koicarp]

Thanks alot for all the info, ive been warned about alcohol in the past.

Do you guys use cotton buds too? Thats what I like to do to clean away any crusties that might be hanging around lol.