ear piercing "growing out"

[sara3]

[sara3]

sorry, I have nowhere to write my question!!

my 15 year old daughter had her tragus pierced (cartlidge at the front of the ear) about 10 days ago. she needs to change the earring as she got in trouble at school, and went to a piercing shop today. the woman in the shop says it is "growing out" and didn't offer any more explanation.

any ideas?

[pericat]

Hi Sara - I googled tragus to see what it was - have 16 year old and want to be prepared - found story about a girl who got it done and copied selection from it as could not get whole thing, - After about two months, I noticed that I could see more and more of the bar, as, as I had feared, it was starting to grow out. By about seven months, there was nearly the whole bar showing, with about three millimeters still through my tragus. - that seems to me that the skin/flesh or whatever is growing and pushing the piercing out. I dont know this for definite but hope this is of some help.

[sara3]

hi pericat and thanks for that. I think I read the same article, but she had a vertical piercing.

I just can't see how it grows out. does that mean the ear changes shape? shrinks? I am confused!

her ear looks fine to me.

[pericat]

Sorry Sara - I have absolutely no experience of this - if it looks fine it probably just meant it was closing up

[k8bailey]

Hi Sara, not exactly the same but my BIL has had his eyebrow pierced several times over the years and all but one have 'grown out'. Not sure why it happens, but he is left with small scars in his eyebrows, which are visible because hair can't grow there. the earring will just get closer and closer to the surface of the skin until it falls out. I didn't know it happened that quickly though, I was pretty sure that my BIL's took months-years not just days.

Did you go back to where she got it done?

[sara3]

hi K8, and thanks for that info. she had it done (properly, I think!) while we were on holiday in Cyprus. she's going to a piercing place locally tomorrow to see what they say.

[tamborine]

Has she removed the jewellery & the hole closed? Or maybe the jewel stem is more visible due to swelling retraction.....if so, she needs a shortened stem.

[sara3]

hi Tambo :o)

the piercing was still in and looked absolutely fine to me. I've had to take it out to put a retainer in, so now it's a bit sore.. but it still looks okay!

[Doolallygirl]

Basically the body is "rejecting" it that's all. I would suggest not getting the area pierced again. I've had my tragus for nearly two years now and it hasn't migrated at all. Sometimes it just happens. It's like having a new kidney but on a really really small scale! It happens quite a lot to irregular piercings especially cartilage piercings I think?

[sara3]

thanks Doolallygirl (interesting name!). it just looks the same to me, doesn't seem to have moved at all. she still has a stud earring in it.

a new kidney, huh? it's a whole new world ;o)

[Doolallygirl]

If her school really doesn't like it she can buy a "retainer" earring which is made of clear plastic (not sure if it's actually plastic but it looks like it to me!). That way it won't be as obvious and she can still keep the piercing and change the earring at the weekends/holidays etc. Ebay have a huge selection if you put tragus and 1.2mm in the search engine. Labret studs can also be used in tragus piercings.

Although if the piercing is growing out or migrating like suggested I would double check with the piercest before spending any more money on earrings etc.