Anyone with piercings? Need help

[Hyena]

Hi everyone! I just really need some kind words on this. It's one of my biggest, yet stupidest paranoias...

My ears are pierced six times - four in the lobes, two in the cartilage. The first ones I got ages ago (in the lobe) are fine and I don't have any problems with them.

I got the cartilage pierced not in a piercing studio but with a piercing gun. Everything went fine, they healed well, but I got them pierced like one month before my panic attack (and I didn't know I was having a piercing attack). After some time, I started obsessing the piercing gun had pierced some nerve and I was now suffering the consequences. I couldn't even trade my piercing jewel or even touching it without getting all anxious. Until someone told me there were no major nerves in the ears so it was just anxiety talking for me.

I eventually got better and my anxiety got under control. So I decided to get two more piercings in the lobe, again with a piercing gun. They healed fine, no problems.

Now that my anxiety got back, I am obsessing over this again!!
One of the piercings on my lobe started to bleed and I got all panicky. I can't even touch the ones in the cartilage without getting anxious again. The holes look kinda black because I didn't trade de piercings for so long, and they were metal, so got rusted. And I can't clean it! :( I'm so scared it's gonna infect me with something.

Today I changed my piercings back the sterilized ones I got when I did them (I am not even sure if they're the sterilized ones but I can't remember!) I cleaned them with alcohol and after some time (emerged in the alcohol) one started getting this orange rusty thing and now I'm scared to put them on. I can't leave the holes open for too much time though, I KNOW I am gonna regret it when my anxiety gets better again.

I jput on the other ones (in the cartilage) right now and now my face is getting so tingly and I feel weird. I don't know if it's anxiety or a real thing. ): is there any reason to be this scared?

[Sunflower2]

Hi Hyena,

I have 6 ear piercings including 1 in the cartilage at the top. Even though I got them pierced years ago they still can hurt if I lie on it wrong or have an earring in too tight. The one in cartilage took a whole year to heal as well. I've also had the holes go black from using metal earrings but I don't think it's dangerous. It can cause an infection but that would be around the area. I did get the cartilage piercing infected, and the area around it swelled up quite a lot more so you'd know if it was infected.

I got rid of the infection by soaking boiled salt water on it twice a day (let it cool down so it's still hot but not burning) on a cotton pad and holding it against the ear for 5 minutes. That will sterilise the area and also help it heal up hopefully! Once I did that it was back to normal within a week.

As for the earrings, can you keep in the original ones until you get new ones? I'd recommend titanium or steel earrings as these are least likely to give a reaction.

Do not worry, the body heals very quickly! :)

[pulisa]

I'm really surprised that you have piercings, Kimberley! Just goes to show how our fears sometimes get compartmentalised into certain areas and not others. My daughter has huge contamination issues yet will happily clean out animals (providing she de-contaminates afterwards!)

Sorry I can't offer any advice re piercings as the very idea makes me feel queasy:D

[Sunflower2]

Pulisa it is quite funny - I have no problems with needles or piercings at all, even having blood taken doesn't bother me! I am the same as your daughter in that sense too, I will happily walk about in mud all day and even go camping, but on the condition that I can wash my hands and my food is kept clean! :D anxiety is an odd thing really!