You've gotten your ears pierced, you've followed your after piercing care and left the earrings in your ears for the recommended amount of time, now you're having a grand time accessorizing your new ear piercings. Except for one problem...
Your piercing closed up, what now?
A piercing closing can be a confusing and frustrating phenomenon. It can happen with piercings that you've had for months, years even, and it can happen to anyone. So today we're going to discuss why different types of ear piercings close up, how to avoid this with proper ear piercing care, and what to do when it does happen.
Why do piercings close up?
When you get pierced, what you are doing is essentially creating a tiny wound in your body that will in time heal to form a hole, allowing for the insertion of jewelry. Piercings close up when that wound is given time to heal together, effectively sealing off the hole at one or both ends. Different types of ear piercings require different amounts of healing time, during which it is advised to not to remove your starter studs as this may allow the hole to close off.
The best earrings for newly pierced ears are ones that will enable your body to heal naturally and quickly, and are primarily hypoallergenic earrings made from titanium, niobium, or pure gold.
What to do when ear piercings close up:
If you suspect your piercing has closed, there are a few steps you can take moving forward.
How do you know if your piercing has closed? For starters, you may be able to insert an earring in partway, but you cannot manage to find the opening on the other side. This indicates a partially closed piercing. In this case you may still be able to feel the "tunnel" when you grab hold of the piercing, and it means that a thin layer of skin has healed over the hole at the other end. This is a case where you may be able to reopen the piercing, more on that later.
In the other scenario, your piercing may have closed up completely. This is more likely to happen if you take your earrings out for too long during the initial healing stages. To avoid the urge to remove your earrings, be sure to wear the best earrings for ear piercings: hypoallergenic, non-irritating earrings that are safe for your skin and body.
If you have a partially closed piercing, an easy fix is to go to a professional piercer and get the piercing reopened. We don't recommend doing this yourself (though it may be tempting) to avoid pain, infection, or crooked piercings. A professional can use a tool to go through the original piercing and reopen the part that has healed over. Reopening a closed piercing is a great option because only part of the piercing has to heal once it's been opened.
Repiercing closed piercings is a bit different. These are scenarios where you cannot even get an earring partially into the hole. You should wait at least three months after noticing the piercing closed up to ensure it is fully healed, and then visit a professional to repierce the spot. You can get piercings done in the same spot twice, and some professionals say this is a good option for re-establishing piercings as the small bit of scar tissue will support the piercing and be less prone to infection.
After getting piercings reopened or repierced, be sure to follow proper aftercare procedure and choose the best earrings for repierced ears. Hypoallergenic earring options are going to be your best bet as they will allow your body to heal without irritating the skin around your new piercing.
