So, you got a piercing, took the jewelry out, and now you’re worried the hole’s closing up? Yeah, I’ve been there. Happened with my second earlobe piercing a while back.
My Little Freak Out Moment
I thought it was totally healed, you know? Must have left the earring out for maybe a couple of days, maybe longer, my memory’s hazy. Went to pop it back in, and nope. It just wouldn’t go through easily. Felt super tight. Honestly, I started to panic a little. Really didn’t want to lose that hole and have to get it poked again.
What I Tried First (and Shouldn’t Have)
My first reaction? Just try and force the earring back through. Big mistake. It hurt, not gonna lie. Felt like I was re-piercing it myself, almost. I did manage to get it in, but my ear was pretty sore after. Knew right away that wasn’t the smart way to handle it.
Figuring Out a Better Plan
Okay, forcing it was dumb. Had to come up with something else. Getting it re-pierced was my last resort. I remembered reading somewhere, or maybe a buddy told me, the key is just keeping something in the hole pretty much all the time, especially if it’s trying to close up on you.
My Simple Routine That Worked
Here’s the actual process I followed:
- Found the Right Jewelry: I got myself a really basic, thin stud earring. Think it was titanium or maybe surgical steel – just something plain, smooth, and that wouldn’t cause irritation.
- Made it a Habit: Every single night, no exceptions, before I went to sleep, I’d put that simple stud back in. Didn’t matter if I wore fancy earrings during the day or nothing at all. That stud went in.
- Kept it Clean: This part’s important. Before putting the stud in, I’d clean it and my earlobe. Usually just gentle soap and water, rinse really well. Sometimes, if it felt a bit grumpy, I’d use a saline soak or spray I had leftover from when it was new.
- Consistency is King: The real trick? Doing it every single day. Seriously, no skipping. I kept this up for weeks. Maybe even a couple of months, I didn’t really track it perfectly. Just kept going until I felt confident the hole was stable and wasn’t going to instantly try and shrink the moment the earring came out.
How It Is Now
It’s way better these days. The hole stays open fine. I definitely don’t need to wear something 24/7 anymore. But, you know, if I haven’t worn earrings for maybe a week or so, I’ll still make a point to slide one through for a little while. Just poke it through gently, maybe leave it in for an hour or overnight. Still give it a quick clean when I do that, just good practice.
My Takeaway
So that’s my experience. Keeping that little hole open boils down to being consistent, especially early on or if you’ve let it go too long without jewelry. Don’t jam things in there forcefully. Keep the area and the jewelry clean. And just regularly put something simple back in until it behaves itself. It’s not complicated, just takes a bit of patience and sticking to the routine.