Hey everyone. Long time no post!

I wanted to ask a question before performing a stretch this weekend to 4g.

I had my lobes pierced at 8 and stretched up to 6 by a piercer back in January of last year. I had no problems at all. I've worn steel claws (http://bodyartforms.com/productdetails.asp?ProductID=1402) and steel plugs (http://bodyartforms.com/productdetails.asp?ProductID=903) since then. I like both. I never had any problems with my lobes or infections or pain or anything. However, my lobes are still, to quote from The Mummy, "juicy" on the inside. It's not like a clean hole that you can see through or something. Should it be? I'm just wondering. It still seems raw and red and moist in there. 

I just wanted to ask before my stretch. Is that normal? Or do you only get those clean looking holes like at larger gauges and after a long time?

Thanks in advance! 

 My ears aren't stretched to pretty big at all at the moment but if it's still 'raw' looking then I'm pretty you'll need to wait til it heals as it doesn't sound like it's fully healed yet.

If you don't mind me asking what did you do for aftercare? How often do you clean your ear lobes? And have/do they sustain any kind of trauma? 

 

And I second, if they look "juicy" and are raw leave them be! You really don't want to stretch unhappy/unhealed piercings. 

I don't recall doing a lot for aftercare. The piercer told me not to change anything out or even touch them for a long while. I think I put in the steel plugs sometime in August of last year and haven't done much after that. I clean my ears in the shower but that's really about it. No trauma or anything. They just don't seem healed all the way for some reason. They don't feel raw. When I take out the plugs its not painful and getting them back in is not any problem. They slide in and out easy. I use O rings on the back and front. It just doesnt look like a clean hole to me but I don't know what it should look like at that size. Should I be able to see straight through no problem?

Oh, you mean you just  can't see any light through it? If that's the case and your ears don't hurt, or feel wet (wet ear) then I would suppose you could give it a go. I couldn't see light through my ears without plugs in until I hit about a 2-0 maybe even 00, I don't remember, and even then, it was only a teensy bit. Even now, at 9/16 if I leave my plugs out over night I can fit them back in just fine in the morning, but I can't see any light through my ears before I put my plugs back in.

Thats not good at all I've had my second lobes since Dec 06 (pierced at 20g, Now 8g) and they are dry on the inside, as are my own 6g lobes

I'd try Sea Salt soaks to dry oujt your lobes and promote healing, perhaps your lobes just don'tagree with steel, Try some glass plugs or a change and see if they get better FIRST before stretching

Moistness isn't normal...if you don't experience any pain whatsoever, you might want to change to titanium or glass since you could be sensitive to steel(hence the wetness).

 The one time I did a sea salt soak my holes almost closed up on me.

I did one sea salk soak once, when I first switched out the glass plugs the piercer put in when I first got it done. I was going to put steel plugs in and I took the glass out and did sea salt soaks and really also soaked the plugs first. 

I have some conflicting info here. I'll consider going back to glass but I wore glass for the first 8 months. My ears seemed to leak alot back then. I was always cleaning those plugs. Then I switched the steel plugs and things seemed good. I think it was on this forum in fact someone suggested switching away from the glass. 

So I'm kind of unsure now.

 

did you do the sea salt soak without your plugs in?  That would be why the holes nearly closed up on you- if I'm not mistaken, you are supposed to do the sss's with the plugs in.  Also- when you get out of the shower, are you drying them really well with a q-tip/paper towel/tissue?  the moisture could just be from not properly drying.  I would do sea salt soaks, and drying really well and then see how things look.

How long ago did you get pierced? You are probably irritating your lobes by changing/removing the jewelry so often. Also, what do you mean by leaking? It's normal for healing piercings to secrete lymph.

someone here said that some people get "wet ear" from glass too, which I found very odd, because I didn't know that was possible, but I suppose if it happens then it is hehe. Maybe your just one of those people? Have you thought about switching to titanium? its lighter but also not glass hehe. Maybe just try wearing some plugs for a couple months and dont change them, maybe use some lube like emu oil to put the plugs in. I bet the bullet holes would be lighter, as there is less metal in there. Here's one for example, I'd play it safe and get just plain titanium... I've had reactions to anodized titanium, personally.

http://www.bodyartforms.com/productdetails.asp?ProductID=4076

I dont know 0.o its worth a shot hehe. I'd say try organics, its supposed to help ears be more healthy, and "wick away" moisture, specifically, maybe the bamboo, but if its not healed in there, they could harbor bacteria and that would be bad :(

good luck!

if you are having issues with glass, go back to metal. are you sure you aren't having a reaction to o-rings? is the rawness only on the inside of your lobes, or is it also around the hole?

when you do a sea salt soak, keep your jewelry in. there is no need to take it out, especially if you're still healing. 

I wouldn't suggest stretching when your skin is red and "juicy."

Your ears may be reacting to the steel. My ears are very sensitive to steel, even though the plugs I wear are 316LVM. I get lots of goo with them, so I have to clean and lube my ears much more often when I wear steel to keep them happy.

Try glass, titanium or niobium and see if that gets rid of the "juiciness," and then stretch when it's gone. It's better to be safe than sorry.