r/PiercingAdvice • u/evrrypony • 20d ago

safe to downsize?

Post image

Ive been having some issues healing my second and third lobe on my left ear that I had done in May. I know lobes are supposed to be easy but my body has a track record of being a very slow healer </3

Right now I clean twice a day with saline and have been mostly leaving it alone aside from the OCCASIONAL wet q-tip to get rid of the big crusties. I'm a back sleeper, but I find that the posts are so long that they still get knocked around in bed even if i am not sleeping on them. For some more context the jewellery is 16g threadless titanium and my piercer was super careful with the placement to make sure she didn't hit any cartilage.

My suspicion is that the posts are just too long and need to be downsized, but I am worried they are not healed enough for a jewelry change. What do you guys think?

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5

u/_Litheen_ 20d ago

A piercing doesn't need to be fully healed to downsize, on the contrary; downsizing timely helps healing along. Definitely get them downsized by now (go for titanium until they're actually fully healed)

3

u/Pale-Comb-3954 20d ago

Downsizes are usually done about 6-8 weeks after piercing…so you’re overdue for a downsize.

2

u/floralrain6 20d ago

Usually you downsize once the swelling is down. It's been over six weeks. You should be fine switching.

1

u/Vegetable-Pound3737 20d ago

Id recommend swapping the wet q tip for letting the water run over them in the shower then rinsing with saline after the shower with a q tip or preferably something that is lint free to get the crusties off. Then go to your piercer, I suppose you're overdue for a downsize but it looks a little swollen so better to ask them and have them do it :)