Ear piercings have always been popular. Many parents like it when their child looks beautiful and fashionable. Since ancient times, Europeans have pierced the ears of women, but in the modern world, ear piercings are performed on both sexes.

Before you get your ears pierced

Some parents leave the choice in deciding such an issue as ear piercing to the children themselves. But there are quite a few of them.

Most people want to see their babies beautiful. And few of them think that ear piercings require specific care.

The presence of an earring in the ear will attract the attention of not only others, but also the child himself. He will begin to touch the earring, thus disturbing the wound.

Many experts do not recommend piercing children's ears at an early age (up to 3 years). But according to studies, it has been established that when the ears are pierced at the age of more than 11 years, the likelihood of keloid scars at the puncture site increases.

Doctors warn parents that there are points in the ear that are connected to various organs and systems: teeth, eyes, facial muscles, tongue, inner ear. Accordingly, it is an unsafe procedure. It is performed on the lobe, where the points responsible for vision are located. If the puncture attempt is unsuccessful, painful irritation of the organ associated with this point may occur.

Psychologists say that ear piercing should be done before the child reaches 1.5 years of age. After all, small children do not yet know strong fear, and they quickly forget about pain. Many doctors believe that the ideal period for ear piercing is 8–10 months. The main thing is that the child must be absolutely healthy.

Watch our video to see how a child’s ears are pierced:

The procedure is, of course, painful, but in early childhood everything is quickly forgotten. An adult child undergoes the procedure consciously; he understands that he needs to endure mild pain. In modern salons, ears are pierced with a special “gun”.

This special tool shoots disposable needles (stud earrings, which are made of surgical stainless steel. Thus, the ears are pierced very quickly, almost painlessly. After this procedure, there are practically no complications or consequences.

After ear piercing, the earring (made of surgical stainless steel) can be replaced with another one. Parents are usually interested in which metal is preferable to purchase earrings from. Experts believe that earrings made of high-grade gold are best suited for a child. In this case, the likelihood of developing an allergy is minimized.

You can also buy silver earrings. This metal is considered hypoallergenic. But you can put them on after the wound has healed. If you put them on immediately after a puncture, the metal will oxidize after contact with blood. With this reaction, an oxide is formed, which interferes with wound healing. This is how it can develop.

When choosing earrings, you should give preference to light earrings. It is necessary to ensure that the product for the child does not contain alloys that provoke. Nickel is the most common cause of allergies. This metal is even found in gold. If it comes into contact with the wound, severe suppuration may begin, caused by the accumulation of bacteria.

What to do if your child’s ear begins to fester

The first thing that needs to be done when a puncture suppurates is to eliminate the factor that provoked the onset of the inflammatory process. If suppuration began after changing the earrings, you need to wear the old ones, in which there was no inflammation.

1. Wear earrings during the day. They need to be removed before going to bed.
2. Take careful care. The wound should be regularly treated with anti-inflammatory agents.
3. Contact your doctor. This must be done in cases where the festering lasts for a very long time. This may indicate that the puncture hit a vessel, an important point.

Suppuration after ear piercing

Causes of complications

Ear lobe piercing is considered a surgical procedure and must be performed by a professional. During the puncture, it is necessary to observe the rules of sterility. Violation of sterility in most cases is the main cause of wound suppuration. There are also a number of other reasons that provoke wound suppuration:

1. Moisture entering a fresh wound. Experts do not recommend getting the wound wet for several days after the puncture.
2. Transferring certain ears before piercing (,).
3. Incorrect care. The specialist recommends treating wounds during the first days with. You also need to move the earring.
4. Squeezing the earlobe with the earring lock. Most often, suppuration develops when using stud earrings. Their locks fit too tightly to the puncture site, and secretions from the wound accumulate under them, in which bacteria multiply.
5. Poor quality earrings. Very often, earrings contain metal that provokes allergies (nickel). Changing earrings can cause suppuration even in a healed wound.

Treatment

If the puncture site becomes suppurated, the cause should be determined. If this fails, visit a specialist. He will help you find out the cause of the wound infection and offer the optimal, effective treatment option.

Medication

To treat a wound that is festering, you should use an antibacterial ointment:

• "Miramistin".

Ear piercing is an important event in the life of every girl. For parents, this procedure raises many questions regarding the most favorable time for piercing and subsequent care of their children's ears. There are cases when the wound does not heal for a long time, blood or pus is released from it. What to do in such situations so that the child’s joy from having jewelry in his ears is not spoiled?

How do children's ears get pierced?

The three modern methods of ear piercing are needle, System 75, and gun. You should choose one of them after visiting a doctor who will study the anatomy of the child’s ear and the characteristics of his body.

Needles for children's piercings are rarely used, although a wound from a needle used by an experienced master heals faster than from a gun. The thing is that in this case the tissues of the lobe do not tear, but seem to move apart.

Stages of ear piercing with a gun:

“System 75” is a more advanced method of ear piercing, which uses a device that resembles a stapler. The working part of this device is disposable, that is, sterile. The needles used are sharpened in a special way, facilitating quick and even punctures.

There is no noise during the procedure, meaning the child will not be scared. The main task of parents who have chosen this puncture technique is to ensure that the specialist uses disinfected instruments and sterile gloves when working.

Stages of puncture using System 75:

• marking and disinfection of the lobe;
• installing a disposable cartridge;
• placing the working area above the mark and piercing the skin while simultaneously installing the earring by pressing the trigger;
• hole processing.

How long does it take for a wound to heal after a puncture?

It is impossible to determine the exact time it takes for children's ears to heal after piercing. Everything is individual and depends on the age of the baby, the state of his immunity, the presence or absence of contraindications and the correct treatment of the earlobes.

Experts note that on average, the wound after piercing in children heals within one and a half to two months. It should be remembered that treatment of pierced ears should not be stopped for 4-5 weeks after the procedure, even if rapid healing is observed.

The time of year has a direct impact on the healing time of wounds after piercing. In winter, healing may be delayed due to the constant wearing of a warm hat, which will touch the earrings.

Ears will take longer to heal in children under 2 years of age, who constantly strive to grab the earring and rub their ear. For this reason, mothers of such babies should more carefully monitor the treatment of puncture sites and ensure that the lobes are more often at rest.

How to care for the puncture site?

It is very important to follow all ear care recommendations given at the salon where the piercing was performed. Wind and cold air can cause prolonged healing and problems. For this reason, your child should wear a hat. In summer, girls usually wear special headbands made of thin knitwear. In addition to the wind, they will perfectly protect against dust and dirt getting into the wounds.

The most difficult thing to care for is the pierced ears of children under two years of age. They often touch new jewelry with dirty hands and pull on it. For this reason, experts recommend sealing a fresh wound with special medical glue. This remedy will go away on its own after a certain time, but the healing process will not be prolonged, and the wound will not get infected.

If there is heavy discharge from piercing wounds, you can use ointments such as Miramistin or those containing chlorhexidine (Chlorcin, Depantol, Hexicon). The names of these products can often be found in instructions for caring for pierced ears.

What to do if complications arise?

Inflammation, suppuration and hardening of the puncture site are complications during healing. If they are present, you should not even think about self-medication. The necessary assistance can only be provided after examination by a doctor. If the wound becomes infected, there may be an increase in body temperature and a general deterioration in the child’s condition. In this case, timely assistance from a professional is required. If you put off visiting a doctor, there is a risk of developing serious complications that require long-term treatment.

The lobe is red and swollen

A swollen and red ear after it has been pierced should be regularly washed with potassium permanganate until the swelling disappears. It is important to move the earrings carefully during processing. Hands must be disinfected. Usually, when using a weak solution of potassium permarganate, the swelling disappears after a few days. The photo shows what a swollen lobe looks like after piercing.

Doctors often prescribe the use of antibacterial ointments:

• Levomekol;
• Tetracycline ointment;
• Celestoderm.

If the child's ear is very bothersome, you can use painkillers. Children are allowed to be given ibuprofen or paracetamol based products in an age-appropriate dosage.

The wound is bleeding

If blood comes from the wound at the very beginning, this is a completely normal reaction of the body to damage. However, if one or both lobes continue to bleed after 2-3 weeks, you should be wary.

Discharge from the puncture wound should not normally be bloody after a few days. Usually they have a transparent color, as lymphatic fluid comes out - the so-called ichor. If the wound bleeds for a long time, an unpleasant odor appears and the color of the discharge changes, it’s time to sound the alarm, since most likely an infection has occurred.

There are cases of so-called hyperemia, when the area around the wound is filled with blood, and the lobe becomes very red due to impaired blood flow in the vessels. Lumps may form on the earlobes, which are very painful and bleed when pressed. The reason for such seals lies in the trauma of the vessel during puncture, which provoked the inflammatory process.

Also, bleeding from the wound can be a consequence of an allergy to metal or a reaction to inserting earrings with a larger hook diameter than the puncture itself. The only solution to this problem is often to remove the jewelry.

Whatever the cause of the discharge from the wound, it must be removed to prevent the ear from festering. To do this, you can wipe the earrings and studs with a solution of potassium permanganate and hydrogen peroxide. The use of Chlorhexidine or Miramistin is also recommended.

The puncture is festering

Before taking measures to treat earlobes that have begun to fester, the cause of this should be determined. If the discharge of pus was noticed due to the change of earrings, the old ones should be returned immediately.

Regular treatment of the wound with hydrogen peroxide and medical alcohol helps prevent the suppuration of a fresh puncture. If the cause of swelling and suppuration of the kidneys lies in infection in the wound, you cannot do without serious medications.

For treatment, use Chlorhexidine, Celestoderm ointment or Zinc ointment. With the help of these remedies, inflammation is relieved and healing is accelerated. Among the folk remedies for treating the ears, aloe juice, tea tree oil, sea salt solution and calendula tincture are often used.

Treatment should produce results in 7–10 days. Otherwise, you need to consult a doctor, who may recommend removing the earrings and treating the earlobes until they are completely healed. A second puncture can be performed after 2–3 months.

Why do gold earrings make my ears rot after changing my jewelry?

It also happens that a child’s ears healed perfectly while wearing salon earrings, but when gold ones were put in, they began to swell and fester. What is the reason?

Experts identify the following factors that can provoke this phenomenon:

1. The child has a special sensitivity to gold (allergy). Such a case requires abandoning gold jewelry and replacing it with others (for example, made of medical metal).
2. Irregular wearing. If earrings are rarely worn, the puncture site may gradually tighten and shrink. For this reason, regular wearing of jewelry is recommended.
3. Selecting the wrong model. The earrings may be too heavy or have a very tight, uncomfortable clasp, which can cause the earlobe to become inflamed.
4. Incorrectly performed puncture. If the puncture site is determined incorrectly, there is a risk of damage to the vessel, which will cause constant pain in the ear. This situation requires wound healing and re-puncture later.

The decision has been made - the child will have his ears pierced. Usually this decision is not easy for parents. And all the more natural is the desire of mothers and fathers to learn a little more about children's piercings. The greatest concern is the “after” period. We will tell you in this article how a child can endure the consequences of a mini-operation and how to help him.

About children's piercings

There is no consensus among doctors regarding ear piercing in childhood. There are many competent and not very competent opinions, judgments and hypotheses. Most pediatricians are inclined to believe that piercing the baby’s earlobes will not cause much harm if there are no obvious contraindications. These include diseases of the heart and hematopoietic system, mental illnesses and epilepsy, diabetes, skin problems, allergic reactions, hearing and vision problems and immunodeficiency.

Dermatologists warn about the possibility of developing allergic contact reaction to metals, which are contained in jewelry alloys. And reflexologists say that ear piercing can cause irreparable harm to the baby’s health, because the most important nerve active points that regulate the activity of many internal organs are concentrated in the earlobes.

Ophthalmologists urge you to be extremely careful, because some points on the earlobe are responsible for the child’s visual acuity, and otolaryngologists warn about possible hearing problems if the baby had certain prerequisites for this before the piercing.

There is no consensus on the age at which a child’s ears should be pierced. Parents independently determine when to do this. Most doctors say that it is better not to touch the ears until the age of three due to the child’s weak immune system, and due to the fact that due to the child’s early age it will be difficult not to injure his earlobes by accidentally touching jewelry.

The only thing that all doctors agree on is the answer to the question whether it is possible to pierce ears at home. Under no circumstances should this be done, since piercing is a minor surgical intervention, and any such intervention must be carried out under sterile conditions so as not to infect the child and avoid complications.

There is a wide choice of methods for piercing ears in offices and beauty clinics. These include traditional punctures with needles, and more bloodless and painless, and most importantly, quick methods - punctures with a “gun” and the American disposable device “System 75”. There is no point in piercing a child’s ears at home with a gypsy needle dipped in vodka, with the risk of infecting the wounds, as was done several decades ago.

Modern methods are less traumatic, since the “stud” earring, made of a special medical alloy, also acts as a needle during the piercing process. Thus, the earring instantly appears in the ear and is automatically fastened. Much more difficult and takes longer care, which is a prerequisite for a successful ending the whole idea.

How to care for pierced ears?

After the ears are pierced, the piercer usually tells the parents how to care for the wounds so that a proper and painless tunnel in the ear is formed faster. The process will indeed require concentration and mandatory adult supervision. First of all, this concerns the treatment of wounds. The puncture sites should be treated daily, 3-4 times a day. It is best to carry out the procedure in the morning, lunch and evening.

The mother should carry out the treatment only with clean hands. Hydrogen peroxide or any other antiseptic - Miramistin, Chlorhexidine - is instilled into the wound. Children should not treat their ears with alcohol or alcohol-containing solutions.

After instilling the antiseptic, the earring is carefully moved back and forth if it has a bow (such earrings can be inserted into ears pierced using the traditional manual method using a piercing needle). If the puncture was made using modern methods - with a “pistol” or “System 75”, then there is a “stud” in the ear. After instillation of the antiseptic, it is slightly moved back and forth and carefully scrolled clockwise.

For some time after ear piercing, some changes should occur in the child's life. The girl does not need to be bathed for the first 5 days after the puncture. This also applies to visiting the bathhouse, sauna, and swimming pool. There is no need to take your child to a public pool for the first 3-4 weeks after the puncture. With water, pathogenic bacteria and viruses can enter the wound; water chlorination agents can cause serious inflammation. For the first five days, it is better to refrain from washing your hair. There is no need to swim in the sea or river for a month.

While the holes in the lobes are healing, proper hair care is important. It is advisable that the hair does not come into contact with the wounds. A girl with a short haircut has nothing to worry about, but if her hair is long, it is best to keep it constantly tied up in a high hairstyle - a ponytail, a bun at the back of the head, a basket braid. You should be very careful when combing your hair; you should not touch the earring with the comb.

It is better to leave physical activity and active entertainment for later. While running, jumping, playing sports, or dancing, sweating increases, and sweat (a rather caustic substance) causes additional inflammation in unhealed wounds of the earlobes. If the child is small, it will be quite difficult to ensure that the baby does not touch her earlobes with her hands, but this should be done.

It is better not to touch medical “studs” or exchange them for other earrings for at least a month and a half.

During this time, if the wounds are properly cared for, the holes stop hurting, are covered from the inside with an epithelial layer, and you can change the first earrings to any others without much fear. The main thing is that these other decorations are completed made of high-quality gold without nickel impurities so that they are not bulky and heavy and have a comfortable and reliable clasp.

It can be psychologically quite difficult to remove the medical “studs” that have already become habitual during the first month for the first time. Mom is scared because she is afraid that she will not be able to insert other earrings into her ears and cause severe pain to her daughter. If you do everything carefully, it will not hurt the child. You can remove the carnations in the following way:

• Prepare hydrogen peroxide and a piece of clean gauze or sterile medical bandage.
• Wash your hands, treat them with Miramistin, place the child’s head on your lap.
• With one hand you should grab the front part of the earring, and with the other hand, the stud clasp and slightly begin to pull the clasp towards the edge. It is important that the second hand at this moment securely fixes the earring stem so that it does not move in the ear and does not cause pain to the child.
• A common problem is the tight fasteners of medical “studs”. Get ready for the fact that it will not give in easily, especially since most of these earrings fasten with two clicks.

• Sudden movements are prohibited. Only smooth and careful, but decisive movements. It is important to distract the child, calm him down so that he does not jerk his head or resist. Inaccurate movements can lead to injury to the earlobe.
• After the clasp is removed, you need to carefully remove the stud rod with a twisting motion, lubricate the lobe front and back with hydrogen peroxide and leave the child alone for 15-20 minutes.
• After this time, the lobe is lubricated with peroxide again, and new earrings are treated with it. Using the edge of the earring bow, carefully feel the hole and carefully insert the bow into the earlobe. If at the same time droplets of ichor or pus appear, it’s okay. After inserting the earring, it is fastened and the lobe is once again treated with an antiseptic.

If you can’t do it yourself, you can go to the clinic or office where the piercing was performed, where the “studs” will be removed and they will help you insert new earrings into the child. There is usually no additional charge for these services.

Possible complications

There are usually no negative consequences when a child’s ears are pierced if the mother did everything responsibly and correctly - she took her daughter to a good licensed clinic, the punctures were done in sterile conditions with sterile instruments, and the subsequent care was correct and thorough. However, even with proper care, a child’s ears sometimes fester after a piercing. This indicates that the wound has become infected. A small amount of pus that is released during treatment or during movement of the earring in the ear should not cause serious concern. It is enough to additionally lubricate such a wound several times with Levomekol or Baneocin ointment.

If the ears are very festered, the earlobes look very swollen and are painful on palpation, if the skin has changed color and has become purple or grayish, you should definitely show the child to a doctor. The temperature after ear piercing sometimes rises, as people say, “due to nervousness.” But if the rise in temperature did not occur immediately upon returning from the cosmetologist’s office, but a few days later, against the background of suppuration, then this also indicates either about the addition of a bacterial infection, or that the child’s body “does not accept” a foreign body, and the immune system rejects the earrings with all its might.

If the ear is inflamed and red, but there is no pus, this may indicate a possible allergic reaction to some component of the alloy from which the jewelry is made. Ignoring the contraindications that exist for piercing can lead to complications from a vulnerable organ or body system. If the child suffered from otitis media before the manipulation, and the parents still decided to pierce his ears, then deterioration in the hearing organs is possible. The wounds do not heal for a long time and can become very inflamed in children with diabetes mellitus and diseases of the cardiovascular system.

Ophthalmologists say that an incorrectly selected puncture point, if it is shifted down towards the cheeks, can lead to decreased vision and even the development of glaucoma.

The likelihood of complications is also affected by the time of year. In the summer heat, the child sweats more, it is dusty outside, which increases the likelihood of suppuration and inflammation. In winter, another problem awaits the baby - the effect of cold on pierced ears also does not have the best effect on the healing of the wound. In addition, during the cold season, children wear hats, scarves and sweaters; mechanical injury to the ear is possible if the earring gets caught on clothing.

It is best if the rehabilitation process after piercing falls in May or September.

How to help a child?

If complications arise, the child should be treated by a doctor. Unauthorized prescription of drugs, especially antibiotics, is unacceptable. All that parents can do is treat the wound with an antiseptic without alcohol and take their daughter to an appointment with a pediatrician, who will decide whether the earrings need to be removed and immediate treatment started, or whether the child can be helped without removing the jewelry from the lobes.

Simple steps will help reduce the likelihood of negative complications: Safety measures that all parents can take:

• a small child cannot understand the full value of an object inserted into his ears, and therefore you need to be more careful that the baby does not try to remove the earrings;
• you should buy earrings with a reliable and strong clasp to prevent spontaneous opening of the earring, because a small child can swallow or inhale it;
• You should not buy your child earrings with pendants and pointed elements, this will only increase the likelihood that the child will catch the earrings on a toy or something else, pull and severely injure the earlobe until it completely ruptures;
• earrings should not contain nickel, otherwise there is a high probability of developing an allergic reaction.

Piercing a child's earlobes is a common occurrence. Ear piercing is a surgical operation with a small area of ​​intervention. If it was performed in violation of the rules or subsequently insufficient care was provided for the wounds, the healing period increases. Normally, it is up to 6 weeks, but the exact time - how long it takes for the ears to heal after a piercing - depends on the personal characteristics of the body, the instrument used and the thoroughness of care. The healing time may be reduced to 3 weeks or increased due to complications that arise.

After a piercing, a child’s ears may take a long time to heal for the following reasons:

1. Contact of the earlobes with water in the initial period after piercing.
2. Some illnesses suffered before the manipulation, for example, eczema.
3. Improper care of the holes in the initial period, which led to infection.
4. Squeezing the earlobe with a fastener, which caused the formation of suppuration.
5. The decoration is made of low-quality material, which provoked the development of an allergic reaction.
6. Premature replacement of jewelry - when changing earrings earlier than 6 weeks have passed since the piercing.

The first stage of treatment for non-healing holes is to determine the root cause - only after identifying the provoking factor does it become possible to achieve a positive result from therapy.

How long does it take for ears to heal after a piercing?

The duration of the healing period for a child’s earlobes depends on the following factors:

• accuracy and professionalism of the master;
• piercing method used - needle or gun;
• careful adherence to the rules during the healing period;
• the season of the year in which the puncture occurred.

A child’s earlobes, provided there is no influence of negative factors, heal in 3-6 weeks. If the punctures were infected, and the infection was not noticed in a timely manner, or they are constantly injured, then the ears will heal no earlier than in 2-3 months.

Complete healing may not occur due to an allergy to metals - when a child has an increased sensitivity to nickel, the wound may not heal even because of wearing gold earrings.

Important! Before getting a piercing, it is advisable to undergo a metal allergy test.

Often, ears do not heal when the lobes are pierced in winter. This is due to the fact that the wounds are constantly exposed to hypothermia and are regularly injured when wearing warm clothes and a hat. Thus, the lobe tissue cannot regenerate normally, and the healing period increases.

What to do if your ears don't heal

If you follow the rules of caring for your earlobes during the healing period, the likelihood of complications occurring is minimal. However, if the ears do not heal for a long time, you can take the following measures:

1. Use, which has a beneficial effect on the speed of healing of wounds when they become infected - you need to use the product 3-5 times a day.
2. Before applying Levomekol, it is necessary to treat the wounds with an antiseptic solution - Chlorhexidine or hydrogen peroxide. It is undesirable to use medical alcohol - its prolonged exposure to the wound can lead to a chemical burn, and alcohol vapors can provoke intoxication of the body.
3. There is a possibility that the ears do not heal due to inappropriate jewelry - the earrings may be too heavy or made of metal that is not suitable for the child. In this case, to save the hole, it is possible to replace the jewelry, but this must be done by a specialist.

Important! If you suspect inflammation of a fresh puncture, you do not need to wait until the situation becomes serious - it is better to consult a doctor immediately.

How to care for your ears after a piercing

Proper ear care in the period after a piercing involves performing the following actions:

1. Daily wiping of the earlobes with antiseptic solutions during the healing period - it is necessary to treat the holes 2 times a day with Chlorhexidine, hydrogen peroxide or another disinfectant.
2. Limit ear contact with water for a period of 3 days to a week.
3. Change your pillowcase to a clean one every day for the first week after the piercing.
4. Do not disturb fresh holes - except during processing, they cannot be touched.
5. After washing your hair, taking a bath or shower, you need to additionally treat your earlobes with an antiseptic.
6. If the onset of an inflammatory process is suspected, it is necessary to increase the frequency of ear treatments to 3-5 per day.

Normal healing of wounds is impossible if jewelry made from a low-quality alloy was inserted after the puncture.

Prevention

After complete healing and formation of the canal, hygienic care of the holes is required. The following manipulations are required weekly:

1. The healed hole must be treated with 3% hydrogen peroxide or another antiseptic solution.
2. Before changing jewelry, you need to disinfect the earrings in medical alcohol - this will prevent infection if the channel is accidentally damaged during the process of threading the bow into the hole.
3. It is advisable to remove jewelry during water procedures and sleep.
4. Earrings that are constantly worn need to be cleaned once a week.
5. Wearing jewelry in childhood is not recommended, since the child’s body is more susceptible to the effects of various allergens, which increases the likelihood of developing an allergic reaction and subsequent inflammation of the holes.

When a child’s earlobe becomes inflamed after healing, it is advisable to consult a doctor who will conduct an examination, prescribe the necessary tests and, based on their results, select the optimal treatment tactics.

Ear piercing is a procedure that does not require much time and, if you follow the recommendations of the specialist, does not provoke complications. But, if alarming symptoms occur, self-medication is not the best option, which can subsequently lead to significant cosmetic defects in the child.