Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I had the one typical ear piercings set done when I was 14 -- absolutely NO problem with them at all.
The second set I had done, my right ear lobe would not heal for anything. I never had any infections, but if I took out the earrings, that one was closed within hours. And I'd have to rejam the earring through. Not nice at all.
After two years I gave up, pulled out the second studs and let the second piercing heal.
No scars at all. Wasn't meant to be.
Now -- the first set -- I went through a phase of no earrings at all for several years. Left one was very resistant to having them put back, and if I wore ANYTHING other than 14K I was in pain -- red and irritated and ITCHY beyond belief. Since I'm also not wearing yellow gold anymore, I had to find something in white gold. I found a pair of tiny baby hoops with hinged post type closings.... and bought them for like 10 bucks on ebay. I soaked them clean and sanitized them well -- put them on (some resistance on the left side) and acted like I just had them done. Pulled them out and cleaned them several times a day for the first week, and wore them to bed, and played with them often -- which was something the nurse who did my these first piercings said to do. I would wash my hands well, and move the earrings back and forth and up and down and around -- so the skin wouldn't heal around the post, it would heal open. I did this for a couple of months and now I can wear silver again, which is good because I have a number of silver earrings that I love.
And I wear those little hoops ALL THE TIME -- they're cute and perfect for work -- I'm a janitor, and jewelry isn't really expected. And better than that -- they are easy to sleep in unlike studs -- I sleep on my side and the post digs into my head.
I think this is funny, I'm 47 and have worked in very conservative fields (engineering, politics, etc.) and someone with a couple extra holes in their ears has never been an issue. Honestly, I can't think of anything more tame.
To add to it, DH has tats from his shoulder down to his forearm and he is extremely conservative, well traveled and smart as hell.
Do some of these people never travel or get out?
__________________ ____________________________________________
My posts as a Mod will always be in red.
Be sure to review Terms of Service: TOS
And check this out: FAQ
Moderator: Relationships Forum / Hawaii Forum / Dogs / Pets / Current Events
My 16yo daughter has that exact look, she was inspired by Kendall Jenner.
The upper three had to be done at a tattoo place because it's not a simple piercing, and it took many months to heal, at least five. They also got infected, with large bumps on the other side of the ear (I'd see this is her hair was up and I was standing behind her. She had a double piercing on the lobe and then added a few more herself (ugh).
My take on the whole thing is that is for the young, under 25 crowd. Not a good look for a middle aged person.
I allowed it since it can be undone, unlike a tattoo. I also told her that once she got the three cartridges done to never ask for another piercing. That's it. Of course she now wants her belly button done, to which I said no way.
I think this is funny, I'm 47 and have worked in very conservative fields (engineering, politics, etc.) and someone with a couple extra holes in their ears has never been an issue. Honestly, I can't think of anything more tame.
To add to it, DH has tats from his shoulder down to his forearm and he is extremely conservative, well traveled and smart as hell.
Do some of these people never travel or get out?
I have seven piercings in my left ear, had them for over 30 years. Never been an issue with work. I only wear diamond stud in the bottom & top holes these days. Never had any infection problems & the top piercing was not painful. Got my nose pierced over ten years ago, don't wear diamond in it during work, no one's ever even mentioned it, but get many compliments when I do wear it.
Sounds like some people have problems with multiple piercings. Others, not so much.
Gauges are a different story. My niece was told they'd heal back up. Did not. Now she has these large, folded-in holes in her ears. It's been almost a year, so I think this is the way her ears will look forever.
She also pierced her lip, her tongue, her eyebrows. She has taken them all out now but you can still see the dark spots on her lip and eyebrows though they aren't nearly as noticeable as the unusual ear holes..
By the way, it does seem like multiple piercings and tattoos aren't being judged as harshly as they were in the past.
Sounds like some people have problems with multiple piercings. Others, not so much.
Gauges are a different story. My niece was told they'd heal back up. Did not. Now she has these large, folded-in holes in her ears. It's been almost a year, so I think this is the way her ears will look forever.
She also pierced her lip, her tongue, her eyebrows. She has taken them all out now but you can still see the dark spots on her lip and eyebrows though they aren't nearly as noticeable as the unusual ear holes..
By the way, it does seem like multiple piercings and tattoos aren't being judged as harshly as they were in the past.
I had a friend who stretched his ears to a size 2. His ears look horrible now.
I don't want to stretch my ears, but I do like that multiple studs piercing look.
My two cents, go to Outer Limits at The Lab, no no, The Camp. Oh and while you're there, can you get me a Peach tea with Lychee jelly at Milk + Honey. Sorry, got a bit distracted. Talk to a piercer there. They would know everything.
Since you've never had piercings (ear), I would do one at a time. I have two in each ear, at one point, I wore nothing in the upper hole for over 5 years and it never closed up. My XH stopped wearing something for almost 10 and it didn't close. I think it closing would depend on where it is (lobe vs cartilage), length of time, and your skin. I also had my navel pierced, got tired of it, pulled it out. It closed up pretty fast. However, it also scarred (but I tend to scar easily now that I'm older).
I did have a third hole in my ear. Very upper part of the lobe, not even through cartilage. That sucker HURT LIKE HECK!!!! I couldn't sleep on my side. When my hair got caught in it, I wanted to cry. Talking on the phone was painful too. Months went by and nothing. I think I finally pulled it out because I couldn't handle the constant pain. You can't even tell anything was there and it closed up. I'm such a wuss (and I handle pain pretty good, just not on my ears, LOL).
Seriously though. Contact a shop. I suggested Outer Limits because they have a good reputation. Talk to them about it. If you go for it, definitely do one at a time and wait until the previous one heals completely. That way, chances of infection is lowered. Once healed, sweat/swimming shouldn't bother it at all. Not sure how it could be affected prior.
Personally, if you're young, who cares. As you get older, you may want to pull them out, or not. If you don't, yes, in the corporate world, you may get judged for it. But then again, you're judged for everything anyways. You just learn to deal with it.
ETA: I did want to say, one time my ears got really infected. I mean bad. There was a big lump and I couldn't get the earring out. Had to go to the doctor, they numbed me up, pulled out the earring and had to slice open my ear for the pus to drain. My piercings didn't close up or scar either. So, it can survive something bad. Just not sure how common that is.
My two cents, go to Outer Limits at The Lab, no no, The Camp. Oh and while you're there, can you get me a Peach tea with Lychee jelly at Milk + Honey. Sorry, got a bit distracted. Talk to a piercer there. They would know everything.
Since you've never had piercings (ear), I would do one at a time. I have two in each ear, at one point, I wore nothing in the upper hole for over 5 years and it never closed up. My XH stopped wearing something for almost 10 and it didn't close. I think it closing would depend on where it is (lobe vs cartilage), length of time, and your skin. I also had my navel pierced, got tired of it, pulled it out. It closed up pretty fast. However, it also scarred (but I tend to scar easily now that I'm older).
I did have a third hole in my ear. Very upper part of the lobe, not even through cartilage. That sucker HURT LIKE HECK!!!! I couldn't sleep on my side. When my hair got caught in it, I wanted to cry. Talking on the phone was painful too. Months went by and nothing. I think I finally pulled it out because I couldn't handle the constant pain. You can't even tell anything was there and it closed up. I'm such a wuss (and I handle pain pretty good, just not on my ears, LOL).
Seriously though. Contact a shop. I suggested Outer Limits because they have a good reputation. Talk to them about it. If you go for it, definitely do one at a time and wait until the previous one heals completely. That way, chances of infection is lowered. Once healed, sweat/swimming shouldn't bother it at all. Not sure how it could be affected prior.
Personally, if you're young, who cares. As you get older, you may want to pull them out, or not. If you don't, yes, in the corporate world, you may get judged for it. But then again, you're judged for everything anyways. You just learn to deal with it.
ETA: I did want to say, one time my ears got really infected. I mean bad. There was a big lump and I couldn't get the earring out. Had to go to the doctor, they numbed me up, pulled out the earring and had to slice open my ear for the pus to drain. My piercings didn't close up or scar either. So, it can survive something bad. Just not sure how common that is.
great post, great advice as usual, Psi!
Thanks a million!!
I will contact a piercing place, and pierce one ear first!
People are so stuck up and narrow minded.
That said, you have to keep that in mind. What kind of jobs are you wanting. The same narrow minded people here are the same that do the hiring. You have to cater to their small minds. Facial tattoos and or piercings (including the ear) are going to exclude you from a lot of stuffy office jobs.
Want to work outside, run your own business, work for little pay, then do what ever you want.
I have my eyebrows pierced and both sides of my lip. I took them out, because of aforementioned narrow minded idiots, a while back and they are imperceptible. My ears, on the other hand, are noticeable. I have 4 in each ear. You can see them from a mile away.
That has not kept me from getting any jobs so far.
If you have great social skills, unlike myself, you can get away with a lot more.
Normal ear piercings are not going to keep you from any job. Excessive or abnormal piercings are going to make it harder for you.
I'm going the start my own business route.
I'm not narrow minded. I don't like the way it looks and I see no reason why anyone should want to mutilate themselves in a painful fashion.
That's all.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
