Okay, so I’ve been thinking about getting my ears repierced for ages. My old holes, the ones I got done as a kid at some dodgy mall kiosk, had pretty much closed up. Or at least, one of them had, and the other was just a stubborn pain to get an earring through. I was so over it.
Deciding to Go For It
I kept seeing cute earring stacks on people and felt a bit left out. For a while, I debated just letting them be, but then I thought, why not? It’s a small thing, but it’d make me happy. I did a bit of research, mostly just remembering what it was like the first time. The main thing was, I definitely didn’t want to go back to one of those piercing gun places. Heard too many not-so-great things about them since my childhood. This time, I wanted to do it properly. The thought of doing it myself was tempting for a hot minute – you know, save some cash, feel a bit brave. But then common sense kicked in, or maybe just a memory of how much even a well-done piercing can hurt if it gets infected. So, I decided, nah, professional all the way this time.
So, I looked up a few local tattoo and piercing parlors, read some reviews online. Found one that seemed clean and had good feedback. Still, I was a little nervous. It’s a needle, after all!
The Big Day – Getting it Done
Walked into the studio, and it was super clean, which was a good start. The piercer was really nice and talked me through everything. I told her I just wanted to reopen the old holes in my lobes, nothing fancy. She took a look and said one was pretty much gone, and the other was still there but probably a bit crooked from years of forcing earrings in. We decided to aim for the original spots as much as possible.
Here’s the process, as I remember it:
- First, she cleaned my earlobes with an antiseptic wipe. Really thoroughly.
- Then, she marked the spots with a little purple pen. She let me look in the mirror to make sure I was happy with the placement. I was like, “Yep, looks good!”
- Then came the needle. She used a brand new, sterile, hollow needle for each ear. She told me to take a deep breath in and then breathe out as she did it.
- The first ear: a quick, sharp pinch. Not gonna lie, it stung! But it was over in like, a second. My eyes watered a bit, haha.
- The second ear: same deal. Pinch, sting, done. Maybe a tiny bit more sensitive this time, or maybe I was just anticipating it more.
- She then inserted these simple, sterile starter studs. Titanium, I think she said, because it’s good for healing.
First Impressions & Immediate Aftercare Chat
My ears were definitely throbbing a bit afterwards. And red. But it wasn’t too bad, honestly. Less painful than I’d built it up to be in my head. The piercer gave me a whole speech on aftercare, which was way more detailed than what I got as a kid. Basically:
- Don’t touch them! Unless you’re cleaning them, hands off.
- Clean them twice a day with a sterile saline solution. She even gave me a can of it. Just spray it on, front and back.
- No twisting the earrings. Apparently, that’s old advice and can irritate the healing tissue.
- Be careful with hair, clothes, sleeping. Try not to snag them.
The Healing Process – Weeks of TLC
So, the healing journey began. For the first few days, they were definitely tender. Sleeping was a bit tricky; I’m a side sleeper, so I had to be super conscious of not lying on them. I used one of those travel neck pillows, putting my ear in the hole, which actually worked pretty well! What a lifesaver that was.
I was super diligent with the saline spray. Twice a day, every day. It felt a bit cool and soothing. I avoided swimming pools, hot tubs, and definitely didn’t try to change the starter earrings. After about a week, the initial redness and swelling went down a lot. They still felt a bit tender if I accidentally bumped them, but mostly okay.
I think it was around the 6-week mark that they started to feel pretty normal. The piercer had said to wait at least 6-8 weeks for lobe piercings before even thinking about changing jewelry, and maybe longer. I actually waited about 10 weeks, just to be safe. I was so paranoid about messing them up!
Changing the Jewelry – The Next Milestone
When I finally decided to change the starter studs, I was a little nervous again! I made sure my hands were super clean, and I cleaned the new earrings too. The first one came out okay, and the new one went in without too much trouble. Phew! The second one was a little trickier, felt like I was fumbling for ages, but I got there. It was so nice to finally wear some of my own cute earrings again!
Looking Back – Was It Worth It?
Absolutely! My ears feel great. No more struggling with half-closed holes. I can wear all the earrings I want without any pain or irritation. It was a bit of a process, sure, especially the healing part where you have to be patient. But going to a professional made all the difference. Clean environment, proper technique, good advice. If you’re thinking about repiercing, or even piercing for the first time, I’d say do your research and find a good, reputable piercer. Don’t skimp on that part. It’s your body, after all! My little repiercing adventure was a success, and I’m super happy I finally did it.
