I decided to get my snug pierced in November time last year (6 months ago) so I went to Hull (because there are no good piercing Preston where I live, and I have friends in Hull to visit and I usually get a new piercing when I'm there because Pandemic is such a good piercing studio!
At A Glance Author Alice Wood Contact maliceyalice@hotmail.com When N/A Studio Pandemic, Location Hull, UK So I went to Pandemic and spoke to the piercer telling him what I wanted, signed the form, paid, and got my sticker and cleaning solution.
I then went into the piercing room to get it done, at this point the piercer told me that this piercing was a risky one and could be difficult to heal like the anti-tragus. I have already got my anti-tragus done and had no problems with it at all so I was not worried!
He then had a good look at my ear, and decided because it is so small that he would not be able to clamp it and had to do it free hand, this worried me a little bit but I totally trusted him, because he has done this before on some of my other piercings. He then got out the jewellery, which was a 1.6 belly button bar that looked huge in my eyes so I got the balls changed to the smallest ones that would fit (because I prefer smaller balls and bars to big thick ones) and he told me I could get the bar changed in a few weeks!
He pierced my snug and it all went well, it wasn't that painful for a cartilage piercing, but I felt a little light headed afterwards and so I got given a bottle of chilled water and a lollipop which sorted me out!
I'm usually really strict with cleaning and wasn't going to stop with this one, so cleaned it with hot salt water baths 2-3 times a day.
But never the less in a months time my head was aching loads and felt heavy, and I noticed I had developed a huge lump on the back of my ear (even though no part of the piercing came out here), so I emailed the piercer and he said it was caused by some fluff/dirt getting into the piercing and that I had to pop the lump and squeeze it till all the puss and blood came out of it and there was only clear liquid left.
They also sent me a care package in the post which contained cleaning soap, antibacterial wipes, salt, cotton wool buds etc etc. (this really impressed me as I don't know many piercers that would do all this for free, or so quickly)
So I sterilised a pin and tried to pop my ear but the lump was so big and hard I couldn't get it through, so I went to one of the piercers in Preston (OZone) to see if they would pop it for me! They did a really good job and although squeezing the lump was the most painful experience of my life, it really helped, my head felt lighter and the constant pain lifted.
So I thought this would be over, I continued cleaning it (front and back, because now I have a hole in the back of my ear from popping the lump) but it was still pussy.
I went back to Hull and Pandemic to see them, where I got my lump squeezed a little bit more (which feels worse than squeezing the most painful spot) and given more much free cleaning materials, plus a free needle in case it needs popping again, and a small bowel to soak my whole ear in. All this free stuff was really generous and I felt it did help to keep my ear clean and sterilized.
6 Months on and I have run out of the cleaning materials and popped my ear too many times to count, and I still have a pussing lump on the back of my ear (although it is a lot smaller, and less pussy now). I have changed the bar for a small 1.2 curved barbell (because the front of the piercing appears to be totally healed) and this helped the swelling go down a little bit, but even with cleaning and a smaller bar I still wake up with dried old puss in my hair and all down the back of my ear!
I love this piercing loads and really want it to heal, but I have totally run out of ideas, if anyone has any advise I would really appreciate it, because if it carries on like this I am just going to have to take it out, and even if I take it out I'm not sure my ear will ever heal! :(
Please help me if anyone has experienced this and got over it!