CAN EARRING HOLES EVER CLOSE?(SHOCKING ANSWER)

I’ll tell you a story. The time on the clock in front of me is 1.18 a.m. I have been trying to write an article for my weekly publication to no avail. Writer’s block is a real grinch. As a part of my coping mechanism, I start to bite my nails, pick my skin, touch my earrings. And then, as my fingers play around with my studs, a light bulb goes on in my head. Ding! I’m  gonna clean my earrings and my piercings! 

“At one in the morning, when everyone is asleep and the witches of the night are out to play?” The voice of reason asks. 

Don’t mind if I do! 

I head on to the bathroom to get cotton wool and anti-bacterial disinfectant. I remove the studs that have been in my ears since I pierced them six months ago. A couple of wabs with the cotton wool and disinfectant and they are as good as new. I place them on the sink. 

I swipe away at my ears and I can hear them ululating with gratitude. They are so happy to bid the bacteria they’ve been harboring goodbye. Evidently, the regular cleaning when I shower has not done enough to keep the piercings clean. I make a mental note to do this more regularly. 

Once done, I toss the used cotton wool in the bin and subconsciously turn on the sink tap to clean my hands as well as rinse the sink. By the time I remember that my studs were sitting there, it’s too late. They have done down the sink holes, never to be seen again. 

Cue horrified gasp! 

No biggie. I’ll just get a new nickel-free pair tomorrow and replace them. It should be fine, right?

Well, tomorrow turns into tomorrow which turns into tomorrow and before I realize it, a week has passed. When I finally cop a new pair, I try to put them on only to realize that my piercings have closed up!

Cue extremely horrified gasp!!!!! 😲😲😲

Earring holes can certainly close up. How quickly that will happen depends on your body and how quick it heals. If you recently got a fresh piercing, the chances of your ears closing up are much higher than someone who has had a piercing for years. The human body is complex and self-moderating  in that when you create a hole, automatically tries to heal that area. 

What Should I Do If My Piercing Has Closed Up?

If you’re lucky, you might find that only a thin layer of skin has formed. If this is the case, you might be able to reopen the hole by playing around with an earring and pushing it in until it pops out on the other side. A pro tip is to do this after you’ve showered because the skin is softer then. Then, you might want to disinfect your ear and everything you’ll use, including the earring. You could also try pulling the skin around the hole to make the piercing large enough to insert the earring. 

That said, please remember that piercings are extremely sensitive. We ultimately advise that you should seek the help of a professional. Again, if you’re trying to reopen your closed piercing and you’re not confident that you can do it safely, STOP AND SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP. 

If you’re unlucky like I was, you’ll find that the fistula has completely closed up. So you’ll need to wait a couple of weeks or months to re-pierce your ears in the same place. Personally, I just let it be, and it’s been three years of me walking around as an asymmetrical being, with two piercings in one ear and just one in the other! 🤣

To conclude, the simple answer is that YES, piercing can definitely close up. But it is difficult to put an exact figure out stating how long it will take for that to happen. The reason for this is that everybody is different, our bodies react differently to different situations. Two people could get their piercings done at the same time with the same tools. One of them will have their piercing close up in weeks, while the other could take months. It’s hard to tell, that’s the beauty of humanity! What’s known for sure is that newer piercings will close up faster than older ones. 

So whether you’re thinking about taking a break from jewelry or are simply wondering whether your piercing could close up, we hope this was helpful😁. As always, we’d love to hear from you, so leave all your questions, comments, and tips in the comment section below! 👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾