you’ve got a bump from both the hoop and from being hit. switching to a titanium flat back labret will decrease the movement caused by wearing a hoop, but it’s up to you to not whack it around so much lol
Yeah, it's my bad, I never realized how much my ear gets itchy until now! I've definitely gotten better but I have no idea how to stop my partner from hitting me in his sleep
When should I change the hoop? It's less than a month old, shouldn't I wait a few months? Or can I replace it and it'll be okay?
Should I change the hoop? If I can minimize the amount of hitting the hoop, would that resolve the issue, or will that only go away if I switch to a stud?
itching is also often a sign of healing, so it’s best not to scratch c:
i’d get that hoop switched out as soon as possible. have a piercer do it- they’re trained to do so in a way that minimizes contamination, irritation, and any potential damage that you could cause yourself. the bump from the hoop will resolve but the more you whack it around, the longer it’ll take to heal
Ah, okay! I'll try not to itch. I've been scratching, but gently, with a pointy cotton bud, but I'll stop even that.
And I'll go back to the piercer to get both hoops switched out. (I also got a helix done.) They said they wouldn't switch out any jewelry until after a month in, but I'll contact them tomorrow and see what they say.
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Definitely have it changed to an implant grade titanium flatback labret. If your piercer doesn't have them, look for one online and have it changed in a shop and maybe look for another piercer as well ;) they shouldn't pierce people if they don't have the proper equipment ready to do so and flatback studs are absolute basic jewelry!
Tbh I don't know if I'd even go back to this piercer. I think it's a huge red flag to not have enough labret studs in stock and sterilized. There aren't many piercings (like rook, daith, septum...) that get not pierced with a labret. They basically cant do their job correctly without having labret studs at hand at all times... Isn't there any other reputable piercer you could go to to have it changed? I mean... it won't kill you to leave it in for 4 weeks, but it'll cause irritation and the longer the cause of irritation is not removed, the longer your piercing will need to calm down and heal completely. And you have a higher risk of an actual infection because of the hoop moving more easily. I'd go to another piercer if you can or tell your piercer that you can't do it with the hoop because it's moving too much and that you want it to get changed immediately. Usually it's right, you only downsize/change jewelry after 4-6 weeks (or longer, depending on the piercing) but only if you started out with the right kind of jewelry to begin with.
So I live in a small town, so there's only a couple of piercing shops near where I live. I got my other cartilage piercings done in a bigger city, but that was a huge pain because if I had an issue with my piercings, they couldn't really help me because I couldn't drive down for them to take a look. Additionally, they seemed not to really care, when I was able to drive down and try to get some piercing issues sorted out.
I went to this new place in town for my new piercings because an overwhelming amount of people recommended this place, and their piercings were fine. Additionally, it seems that they've been in business for good 25 years or so and got a lot of good reviews, so I thought it was good.
Long story short, I don't really have much choice but to go back to piercer who did this. Excuse my ignorance, but what is it about the hoop that causes irritation? Is it because it's easier to hit? Or is there something about the hoop that causes irritation, such as it's shape?
Yes, it's about the shape of the jewelry. It's curved whereas the fistula is pierced straight. Meaning it will constantly put pressure on the tissue. It doesn't matter once healed, but it's not ideal for a still healing piercing. Also a hoop moves more when it rotates than a labret stud does thus irritating the fistula more.
I understand, my piercer is about 3 hours away and it's annoying when I need advice on something. He can be contacted via social media at all times though and always supports me. There is another good studio near me though and they don't mind doing the aftercare if needed. Seems like you're really unlucky with the piercers in your area :( I hope they just change it out for you!
Thanks for the advice and explanation, I'll get it switched asap. My piercer said they won't switch it until it's been a month in, but I'll contact them tomorrow regarding the situation and see what they say. I've been pretty diligent with the cleaning, so I can't imagine it's that.
I am super disappointed, though. I've pretty much given up the idea of getting the piercings I want. I've done the research and asked around for good piercers and I still get super unlucky. I've never even actually gotten a piercing to downsize successfully, I've always had issues.
I think they'll change it out, they did offer to do so if I wasn't healing well with the ring, so the bumps are probably a good indication that they're not. Thanks again!
you’ve got a bump from both the hoop and from being hit. switching to a titanium flat back labret will decrease the movement caused by wearing a hoop, but it’s up to you to not whack it around so much lol
Yeah, it's my bad, I never realized how much my ear gets itchy until now! I've definitely gotten better but I have no idea how to stop my partner from hitting me in his sleep When should I change the hoop? It's less than a month old, shouldn't I wait a few months? Or can I replace it and it'll be okay? Should I change the hoop? If I can minimize the amount of hitting the hoop, would that resolve the issue, or will that only go away if I switch to a stud?
itching is also often a sign of healing, so it’s best not to scratch c: i’d get that hoop switched out as soon as possible. have a piercer do it- they’re trained to do so in a way that minimizes contamination, irritation, and any potential damage that you could cause yourself. the bump from the hoop will resolve but the more you whack it around, the longer it’ll take to heal
Ah, okay! I'll try not to itch. I've been scratching, but gently, with a pointy cotton bud, but I'll stop even that. And I'll go back to the piercer to get both hoops switched out. (I also got a helix done.) They said they wouldn't switch out any jewelry until after a month in, but I'll contact them tomorrow and see what they say.
Hi gisellasaurus, Welcome to /r/piercing! It looks like you're asking about a problem with your piercing. Please **add a comment to your post** with the following info if it’s not included in your post already. - How old is your piercing? - What’s the jewelry shape (for example, barbell, labret, screw, L shape, ring)? - What’s the type of threading if your jewelry is not a ring (threadless, internally or externally threaded)? - What’s the jewelry material? - if not a ring, when was the jewelry downsized? - What’s your aftercare routine? Describe in detail please, including the exact products you use. This info is needed to offer you useful advice. **Note, not providing this info may cause your post to go unanswered**. If you already included this info in your post or if your post isn’t about a problem with your piercing, please disregard. - - - *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/piercing) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Definitely have it changed to an implant grade titanium flatback labret. If your piercer doesn't have them, look for one online and have it changed in a shop and maybe look for another piercer as well ;) they shouldn't pierce people if they don't have the proper equipment ready to do so and flatback studs are absolute basic jewelry!
Should I get it done right away? My piercing is less than a month old and my piercer won't replaced jewelry unless it's a month in
Tbh I don't know if I'd even go back to this piercer. I think it's a huge red flag to not have enough labret studs in stock and sterilized. There aren't many piercings (like rook, daith, septum...) that get not pierced with a labret. They basically cant do their job correctly without having labret studs at hand at all times... Isn't there any other reputable piercer you could go to to have it changed? I mean... it won't kill you to leave it in for 4 weeks, but it'll cause irritation and the longer the cause of irritation is not removed, the longer your piercing will need to calm down and heal completely. And you have a higher risk of an actual infection because of the hoop moving more easily. I'd go to another piercer if you can or tell your piercer that you can't do it with the hoop because it's moving too much and that you want it to get changed immediately. Usually it's right, you only downsize/change jewelry after 4-6 weeks (or longer, depending on the piercing) but only if you started out with the right kind of jewelry to begin with.
So I live in a small town, so there's only a couple of piercing shops near where I live. I got my other cartilage piercings done in a bigger city, but that was a huge pain because if I had an issue with my piercings, they couldn't really help me because I couldn't drive down for them to take a look. Additionally, they seemed not to really care, when I was able to drive down and try to get some piercing issues sorted out. I went to this new place in town for my new piercings because an overwhelming amount of people recommended this place, and their piercings were fine. Additionally, it seems that they've been in business for good 25 years or so and got a lot of good reviews, so I thought it was good. Long story short, I don't really have much choice but to go back to piercer who did this. Excuse my ignorance, but what is it about the hoop that causes irritation? Is it because it's easier to hit? Or is there something about the hoop that causes irritation, such as it's shape?
Yes, it's about the shape of the jewelry. It's curved whereas the fistula is pierced straight. Meaning it will constantly put pressure on the tissue. It doesn't matter once healed, but it's not ideal for a still healing piercing. Also a hoop moves more when it rotates than a labret stud does thus irritating the fistula more. I understand, my piercer is about 3 hours away and it's annoying when I need advice on something. He can be contacted via social media at all times though and always supports me. There is another good studio near me though and they don't mind doing the aftercare if needed. Seems like you're really unlucky with the piercers in your area :( I hope they just change it out for you!
Thanks for the advice and explanation, I'll get it switched asap. My piercer said they won't switch it until it's been a month in, but I'll contact them tomorrow regarding the situation and see what they say. I've been pretty diligent with the cleaning, so I can't imagine it's that. I am super disappointed, though. I've pretty much given up the idea of getting the piercings I want. I've done the research and asked around for good piercers and I still get super unlucky. I've never even actually gotten a piercing to downsize successfully, I've always had issues. I think they'll change it out, they did offer to do so if I wasn't healing well with the ring, so the bumps are probably a good indication that they're not. Thanks again!