:: Ear Lobes ::
Ear lobes are undoubtedly the most common piercings in the world. On every continent and in most cultures, ornaments of glass, metal, bone, wood, feather, plastic and stone are worn suspended from the ears. Some people do it mainly for aesthetic reasons, but many cultures have specific meanings or traditions associated with the piercings. The Zulu consider the opening of the ears to be essential for attaining an adult understanding of the world. The piercings mark coming-of-age. Many societies, from Indian Buddhists to the Mayans of Central America, associate long pierced lobes with wisdom and high rank. And almost everywhere, from the hill tribes of Northern Thailand to the streets of New York, the ears are a convenient place to wear and display wealth. What you wear in them tells others something about your social status and personal tastes long before you open your mouth.
For generations in this country, ear lobes were pierced at home, by mothers, grandmothers or sisters, passing the tradition down and adorning the younger members of the family. Holes were usually made using a needle and straw or needle and thread, which would be left in for a number of weeks, until the hole was set. The thread or straw was then removed and replaced with jewelry. (Incidentally, this is probably where the practice of turning jewelry came from. Your skin won't grow onto metal jewelry, but thread or straw is another matter entirely!)
In the interests of sterility and superior technology, the procedure slowly moved from kitchens and bathrooms into doctor's offices, where needles were again used to make decorative holes, albeit with a higher price tag. But in the past 25 years or so, the rite of passage moved yet again, finding a new home in the gift shops and kiosks of shopping malls. Now, excited third graders, sly middle schoolers and adults alike are often pierced with ear piercing "guns," which shoot a pointed stud through the flesh with spring-loaded pressure. But ear piercing guns have raised a whole new series of concerns about safety, from the questionable sterility of the equipment, to the quality of the jewelry they shoot and their inappropriate use on other body parts. Given the rising rates of hepatitis and other blood-borne infections, many people are starting to question the health risks of such casual piercing.
In the past ten years or so, another option has become widely available. With the advent of commercial piercing salons, clients can again get their ears pierced with sterile needles, and have sterile implant grade jewelry inserted by a trained professional. Furthermore, the range of jewelry choices has expanded monumentally, so that, instead of basic studs, you can choose rings or circular barbells of many different metals, colors and styles from the beginning. Provided they are made as body jewelry, rings are actually easier to clean and to wear during healing.
At Infinite, we pierce ear lobes as small as 18g, and as thick as 8g. (If you are interested in piercing thicker, please contact us.) The diameter of the rings depends on the thickness of your ear lobe. As far as procedure goes, we first clean and mark the area. Depending on the thickness of the piercing, we may clamp the lobe with forceps (to keep the tissue from rolling). The hole is made with a single-use sterile surgical needle, and the jewelry is slid through on the end of the needle. Although this sounds complicated, ear piercing this way is usually less painful than with a gun.
Ear lobe piercings usually take 6 - 8 weeks to heal, but should not be left empty during the first year, as they may still close up. Only once they are healed should you change the jewelry. Do not take jewelry out for daily cleaning, or any other reason, until the piercings are healed. During the first few months you will be cleaning them twice a day, and keeping dirty hands off them.
You do not need to turn the rings during the day. Moving them during regular cleaning will suffice. Remember, your skin will not grow onto implant grade metal jewelry. The old practice of turning your jewelry during the day applied to thread and straw, which are porous. If you continually turn your metal jewelry, all you are doing is putting the germs from your hands on the rings, and spinning these germs through the piercing. This is not helpful, and will probably result in infection. If you have not just washed your hands, stay away from your fresh piercings! Also keep dirty hair, hair products, telephones, and other peopleÕs mouths off your piercings until they are fully healed.
Ear lobes are extremely easy to stretch, and in most parts of the world, this is common practice. If you are interested in stretching your holes, whether for larger rings or for massive plugs, refer to the Stretching section of this site for tips and more info. If you are patient and take care of your holes, there is no limit to how far you can go.
