Industrial question.

[Tenshi_mod]

Hi everybody. I'm new to the forums and just got my first piercing (aside from my earlobes) this past weekend, but I have some concerns I'm hoping somebody can help me with.

Before I got the industrial piercing, I looked a lot of pictures and did a lot of reading on aftercare and what to look for in a clean place to get the piercing. I had a place in mind to go, but a roommate wanted to get her nose pierced as well and ended up convincing me to get it done at a place in the mall where they do hair/nails and piercing. She said she knew people who had gotten cartildge and naval piercings done there with no problem. The place was clean, he explained aftercare, and I stood outside the room and watched him do her nose before I went in.

So, here's my problem (if it is a problem): I had asked him about the outward curve in the top portion of my ear before I got the piercing, asking if it'd be a problem. He said no. About a day later, after the pain had died down, I began to suspect the bar was pushing back on that ridge. Now, four days layer, I'm almost certain of it.

My question is whether or not this is a fairly normal thing for industrials, or if it's something the piercer should have taken into account and made adjustments for?

[Illyria Jade_mod]

He pierced you both with needles, right?

How does your ear look? is it red or white right around the hole where you think the barbell is pushing? is the ear a different shape (even slightly) than it was before the piercing? is it still painful, or just irritating? Is it bleeding? have you been sleeping on it? what aftercare are you using?

Honestly, I'd suggest that you go see the piercer you really wanted to see, and have them take a look at it. If it is pushing on your ear, they'll either change the jewelry (industrials are typically easier to heal if you have 2 seperate pieces of jewelry like barbells or rings) or tell you that it needs to be taken out, then once it heals you can have it redone.

The other piercer may tell you that what you're feeling is normal. It's hard to judge over the internet, since we can't see the piercing and deal with it hands-on. Industrials are hard to heal, and this may just be part of the normal irritation.

So go and have it looked at by someone you trust...they'll be able to give you a better answer than we can! But if you answer my questions at the top, we'll have a better idea of what's going on and can give you some tips on what may be going on, or what to ask the piercer when you go in.

[Tenshi_mod]

I did get pierced with needles. Around the holes the piercing goes through is the same color as the rest of the top half of that ear - more pink than normal but not red. The top ridge of that ear looks more puffy than it did before. I think the curve the bar seems to be pressing against looks like it's a different shape, but to be honest, I didn't exactly pay a lot of attention to it before now. I have definitely noticed in cleanings however that the bar IS pressing against that part of my ear.

No blood except for a few spots a day or two ago, not sleeping on it because even the smallest amount of pressure hurts. I'd call it a pretty consistant ache when it's left undisturbed, stronger when I turn my head or am laying on my side (piercing up) to sleep, but not sharp pain.

The aftercare I'm using is from the sheet the piercer gave me. I wash my ear with antibacterial dial in the morning and at night, shifting the bar when I do and then again when I rinse. During the day between those two cleanings I clean it once or twice more with a q-tip and saline solution. My instructions were to clean three to four times daily like this for the first two weeks, then twice a day for four weeks after. I'm very careful about not touching the piercing unless I've cleaned my hands first, so it only gets fiddled with when I clean it.

Thank you so much for the advice. I am going to try to get to one of the piercers my more experienced friends had recommended to get it looked at.