I pierced my ears 8 weeks ago. I feel a lump in my ear & it hurts to put my earrings back in. is this normal?

Question

I pierced my ear lobes. I think the lumps might just be scar tissue but im not sure. It makes it hard for me to get my earrings back in sometimes and it usually takes numerous painful attempts before the earrings eventually get back in. Should I be worried or will the lumps just go away over time. Does anyone know how long it takes to go away?

Answer 1

I had the exact same thing. I still do, after 24 years of having my ears pierced. You probably have sensitive skin and may be allergic to the metal. You shouldn't actually have removed your earrings at this point. It's too soon and you need to give your ears time to heal. By removing them too soon, you allow the scarring to happen *inside the hole,* rather than keeping the channel open with the post of the earring. So, you're probably right; you might be feeling some of the scarring going on.

But don't worry. Here's what you do: Clean your ears with an alcohol soaked cottonball or pad. Clean your earrings thoroughly with alcohol, paying special attention to the posts. Get some antibiotic ointment (like Neosporin). Squeeze a little bit out onto a kleenex. Run the posts of your earrings through the ointment, picking up a good dab of it. Put your earrings back in and leave them in for the next two months. The ointment makes the earrings glide in easier, so you won't feel as much pain. It also gets inside the holes where there could be a little infection setting up. If your ears are red, swollen, itchy, and sore to any degree, you most likely have an infection. No worries. Just keep your earrings in, keep cleaning them DAILY with the alcohol (while they're still in your ears), and use a q-tip to dab more ointment on your ears, making sure to get some on the earring post. Then push the earring back and forth through the hole as best you can to distribute the ointment on the inside.

When you are finally past the healing phase, make sure to wear only pure gold or silver earrings. Anything with nickel in the posts will most likely make your ears swell up and get the hard lumps in them. That's what happens to me. When it does happen, I just use the same cleaning/ointment treatment as above and my ears are back to normal the next day.

Good luck!

Answer 2

You'll need to give us a bit more information – for example you say that YOU pierced your earlobes, if that is the case then you are not a professional and as such we'd need to know exactly how you went about doing this.

If someone did it for you then did you have it done professionally or with a piercing gun, with the latter then it could be any number of things as piercing guns are unsafe – you may be looking at flesh damage, infection, etc.

Ear lobes take 3-4 months to heal, if you only had them pierced 8 weeks ago then you simply should not be removing the earrings, it could stop your ears from healing correctly and also you could be allowing for infection – if infection occurs you need to keep the earrings in, otherwise the infection will become trapped.

Chances are this is left over fibrous connections collagen and elastic in the scar tissue that was forming, make sure to keep your earrings in and be sure they are the correct jewellery (titanium studs or rings ideally), keep your ears clean and use a little cocoa butter of jojoba oil to massage the lobes to help break down the lumps.

I would recommend if it is causing you problems, particularly if you were foolish enough to pierce your ears yourself or have them done with a gun, then you go to see a professional, go to a studio with a good reputation and they will be able to help you.

Answer 3

the lump in your ear is normal. i've had my ears piersed for 3 years now and i still have it. what the lump is is it is the hole that they peirsed through and the skin is edging it so it feels a bit like there is a small pebbble in it. totally normal.

the having pain when putting earings in that is totally not realated. that might be a minor infection.

the singhs or an infection are

sore ears
redness around the earing hole
and pain to the touch


if you have these simtoms it is still
nothing terrable i've had a bigillion of those. for that do all of the following;

(1) put in a good pair of silver or gold earing and none of that crap you get at clairs. ( ps when you do wear that crap from claires for a long time it could infect your ears. )

(2) wash you ear lobes every morning and night for a month with hidrogin peroxied. and also leave in the earings do not take them out! the first time you do it listen for bubbling noises thats how you know its infected.

(3) dont take the silver or gold earings out for at least another two good weeks after that month.

after that you should be good as new but remember that to keep them from getting infected again to wear the silver or gold earings to bed.

Answer 4

I only got my ears pierced a bit over a year ago, so I can remember it pretty well. When I took the earrings out for the first time, I did have a little bit of trouble.
Also, sometimes after a few days of wearing dangling earrings, especially heavier ones, the area around the hole feels a bit stiff. But I think that's normal, it's protecting itself.

So just make sure to wear studs when you can and keep cleaning them. Like I said, it's been over a year and I still clean mine every few weeks quickly, just to be sure.

Answer 5

it's perfectly normal..I had the same thing. Just keep it clean and don't play with it- that's how you get it infected. If it starts to turn red or actually starts to hurt then talk to your mom/dad or who ever and see if they feel it's something to worry about. Since we can't see it, it's hard to say for sure, but by what you say, it sounds normal..... good luck!

Answer 6

more than likely it is cartilage scar tissue.it might get some better but probably not alot. you might have to consider letting them close and having them redone later or having pierced above or below the scar tissue.

Answer 7

ur not sposed 2 take the earing out for atleast 4 months or they will get infected

Answer 8

It's probably a scab - make sure you are keeping it clean.

Answer 9

This doesn't sound normal. Sounds like they may be infected.