Need advice changing my earrings for the first time?

Question

6 weeks ago today I had some guy poke holes in my ears. My aftercare leaflet says I should wait 6 weeks before changing the studs, and always wear 'post type' earrings for the first 6 months.

Yesterday when I was undressing I caught one the studs with my t-shirt and it stung like hell - about the same as having it put there in the first place. Does this mean it is not healed yet and I should wait longer, or would that hurt anyway.

If I get creole hoops with straight pins, do they count as post earrings?

As I am supposed to wear post earrings all the time (including when in bed) for 6 months, would wearing body jewellery (labrets I think they are called) be possible or are they too thick to fit through normal size ear piercings? I don't want to end up with massive holes. Most nice earrings are not designed to be slept in and could come out to easily.

I really do want to change them (ear piercing studs are crap) but only if my ears are ready

Also, does changing them hurt?

Answer 1

1] you must wear good quality [ gold or surgical steel ] earrings the first six months. Buy a pair of quality thin hoops, they will go with most everything and be comfortable.
2] Don't use body jewelry - they are not all the same size
[ diameter ] and won't fit comfortably.
3] don't change them if your ears are sore. It will hurt if you
take them out, and hurt even more when you put new ones in.
Put a dab of Bacitracin on the holes, and then twirl the earring so it is spread around. I'd wait at least a week after any soreness.
4] don't wear cheap earrings except very occasionally [ only on holidays ] because you can develop reactions to the various metals [ some of them look very nasty ]

Answer 2

Since you have just injured your ear piercing, I would suggest you wait a while longer to make sure it is completely healed. Meanwhile, just keep cleaning the area with the solution or with the sea salt soak.
If you like to wear dangly earrings, or large hoops for example, it is a good idea not to wear them to bed since they might fall out or get bent (if they are hollow). Get a pair of high quality studs (either 14kt gold or surgical steel) that you can switch into for bedtime. The dangly, cute earrings from Claire's (or other cheap jewelery stores) usually are not good quality earrings and might irritate your ears; there is such a thing as metal allergies. I would suggest only to wear those when you really need to and not for long periods of time.
Body jewelery would not fit into the ear holes, the diameters are probably too big and stretching them will hurt, you will also end up with larger ear holes.
As long as you don't feel pain when touching the injured ear hole, it might be okay to switch earrings. Just be careful and clean about it.

Answer 3

No it won't, the wound is too fresh... Think of it this way, if a pipe was stuck through you arm, would you want to pull it out just to replace it with another? Leave the earring for the recommended amount of time and then change it.

Answer 4

If you tore one of your lobes yesterday, you might want to wait a little while longer to change them out. Any kind of body jewelery that you try to put in those holes is going to stretch them out and that hurts. You should not have any pain just going from normal earrings to a new set. Just put your piercing studs back in when you go to bed and then change them again in the morning.