Help! My daughter's earring backing is stuck in her ear

[rella's fan]

Not sure where to post this, but has anybody ever had this happen? She's only 6 and I really don't want to take her to the doctor but don't know what to do and I really don't want to cause an infection.

 

[pigletto]

Actually.. I posted about this in a thread on the Family board a few months ago. I'll see if I can find it for you. I ahd the same thing as did my dd.
Basically if it is stuck there it is already infected. For me it was mild infection.. but my ear was basically trying to grow around the back. (Yuck)
A few things..
I am assuming it is a butterfly back? I find if they sit too close to my ear they get stuck.
You want to use earrings that are hypoallergenic in the future (although mine was white gold )
Can you soak it off? Hot water.. peroxide?
If not.. definately see the doctor. But chances are warm clean water will help unstick it.
Then try hoop earrings (little sleeper ones) and clean it a few times a day.

 

[Mrsduck101]

Not sure where to post this, but has anybody ever had this happen? She's only 6 and I really don't want to take her to the doctor but don't know what to do and I really don't want to cause an infection.

I actually had this happen to me when I was 9 (I will be 33 this month...)

My family Dr. had to remove it and it hurt. I would take her to the Dr. but make sure they numb it in some way. I let both of my earring holes close and had them repierced later, probably a year if I remember correctly. It taught me that I had to be very careful and take care of my ears much better than I had been.

Good luck!

 

[OhMari]

This happened to my dd when she was little. Try putting ice in a towel and hold it on the ear. Don't put it on directly and try not to put to much pressure on it. Try to get some of the swelling down. We had to go to the Dr. and get it out. Give her some Advil too for swelling.

 

[dansamy]

Been there. We pulled it out ourselves, but that's bacause I am a nurse and I try to stay out of the doctor's office if I can. We cleaned it really well with alcohol. And yes. That did hurt. But it was brief pain versus having an infected ear and a long hospital stay if it turned out to be MRSA. We kept her ears clean and dry and open to air for a few weeks. No earrings. After a year or so we repierced.

 

[Narnia]

My Daughter's did this we were able to get the backing off and thier was a huge whole. It healed but we made sure everyday to put an earing through just to keep it open. We did when we cleaned it everyday.

 

[Kaler131]

Poor kid! Good luck!

 

[tasha99]

Wow, I had no idea this was so common. This happened to my daughter---twice. The first time, I took her to urgent care because it was a Saturday, and I was sure it was in her ear lobe. The doctor treated me like I was nuts, and sent me home. Well, by Monday her earlobe was more swollen, and when I pressed on it, you could see the butterfly shape of the earring back. It had to be surgically removed (in the Dr's office, but it took maybe 20 minutes--it wasn't coming out). About a year later, she decided to try again . . . same thing happened.

I've let DD get a couple of other piercings, but only from a real piercing place (no more ear guns in the mall). She's gotten her nose and her eyebrow pierced with no problem. Still, her experiences with her ear piercings have made me say no no no to getting her tongue pierced (could you imagine? I will not be responsible for that happening, even though I think the day she turns 18 she may get it done).

OP--I would take your daughter to the doctor asap. If it's grown in there like my DD's, it can't be just pushed out. It wasn't a fun "surgery," but it isn't major, either. You can hold her hand the whole time.

DD had a local anesthetic and there was very little scarring (one reason it took a while was the doctor was very careful to remove it in a way that left no mark on the front, and a minimal one on the back of the lobe). Good luck, and btw your daughter may very well have a metal allergy. If your DD ever has her ears pierced again, it might be better to go to a place that uses a hollow needle that cores out a sliver of ear lobe. Ear guns push the earring in, but there's still as much earlobe there, so there's more pressure. (Maybe I'm assuming, but the eargun/metal allergy combination is what caused my DD's problem.)

 

[Cindy B]

It happened to my DD as well. My DH was able to get it out. He used alcohol and kept it clean and dry for a while also.

 

[Nicsmom]

It happened to my DD14 when she was six. Her dr. said it's pretty common. Who knew? We had to take her to the dr. The skin covered most of the back. The dr. froze her ear and cut it out. Very quick, not too painful because he froze her ear. She was scared of course. Good luck with it!

 

[pbharris4]

It happened to my DD14 when she was six. Her dr. said it's pretty common. Who knew? We had to take her to the dr. The skin covered most of the back. The dr. froze her ear and cut it out. Very quick, not too painful because he froze her ear. She was scared of course. Good luck with it!

When I was 5 the back of the earring stuck to my ear and the skin grew over the back. I believe my mom took me to the doctor, but it was pretty painful and we let my holes grow closed and I didn't get them pierced again until I was 11. It was pretty traumatic so just make sure to make your DD calm.

 

[Tisha_PA]

This happened to my oldest DD when she was 4. She was playing with her earring and pulled the back into her ear. It was really painful and she wouldn't let anyone touch it so I took her to the doctor and he popped it out in like 2 seconds.

 

[Janet Hill]

Happened to my daughter about 2 months ago. I put Emla cream on it to numb it and then pulled it out with tweezers. After this I just kept anitbacteria annointment on it and all is well now.

 

[ChristyJ]

This happened to my DD when she was 7...I can remember the panic I felt! We went to my SIL's for dinner right after I realized it was like that, and my SIL iced it and took it out. Her one ear kept showing signs of infection, so we finally let the holes close up. She's 9 now and hasn't asked to get them repierced and I'm not going to suggest it.

I might go to the dr. if the back is totally covered-hers was partially covered. No fun-I feel for you (and your daughter).

 

[bdcp]

It shouldn't happen if you take your earrings out every day. I was 14 when I got my ears pierced (by a doctor) and never had this or any problem. I think younger children just aren't responsible enough to take care of them alone. Sounds like the holes are larger than the children's earrings they are wearing. I would take her to the Dr. and then take earrings out every night. When you sleep on them they press into your earlobe.

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

Been there. We pulled it out ourselves, but that's bacause I am a nurse and I try to stay out of the doctor's office if I can. We cleaned it really well with alcohol.

I could have wrote this post. My DD was 3 when this happened to her. I did just what the pp did. My DD was very good and let me get the back off. We did a little at a time and when it got too much she told me to stop.

I let her holes grow in after that incident. She just turned 5 , 2 weeks ago and is buggin me to get them pierced again.

 

[momejay]

I had same problem with both my girls. My oldest, at the time was being shuffled around by the court system, she is my niece/daughter. She had to go to her father's 3 days a week & he had never taken care of earrings before & let's just say wasn't good at it. She was able to get it out herself while I was on the phone with her doctor. She has never worn an earing with a back since. She only wears hoops or the latch earings.
My younger one laid still & let us numb the area with ice. We could see part of the back & used tweezers to pull it out. I had put the earrings in her ears the night before, but she was afraid to loose them & kept pinching them tight. (They had Minnie on them) I threw a small hoop in right away & we cleaned the area twice a day. She was fine. As a teenager, she still refuses to wear stud earrings.

 

[mjkacmom]

This happened to my dd at this age, except we didn't catch it until it got infected and scabbed over - the pediatrician sent us right to the ER, so it could be numbed up before removed.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Sounds like the holes are larger than the children's earrings they are wearing.

Which is why you should get those ears pierced at a Tattoo Place instead of at the Mall.

So if you guys want a correct repiercing go to a place that does it for a living. It is with a needle but the hole is correct in size and placement. In addition it is less trauma on the ear, so less infection.

 

[SnowWtch]

I had this happen to me when I got my ears done at 12. My mother wouldn't let me do it any sooner. The skin grew over the backing of the earring and I remember using some ice and alcohol to loosen it and get it out. Then put some Neosporin over it and kept it clean. I also had trouble with the back part of one of the holes closing quickly even if it was just a day without earrings. I finally gave up and let them close completely. Not worth the pain of pushing the post through everyday.