Can You Reopen A Closed Ear Piercing?

Maybe you forgot to wear your earrings a few too many times or simply decided not to, but now you're having second thoughts and are wondering if you can re-pierce your ears to open up the original hole. After all, clip-ons and magnetic earrings can be uncomfortable when worn for more than a few hours at a time. With the help of a professional, you can open up your pre-existing ear piercings without any scarring or new holes in your ear.

If you grab the portion of your ear where the original piercing was located, you should hopefully be able to feel a little knot where the old hole was. This likely means that the surface has closed, but the tunnel in the center of your ear still exists from the first time you got your ears pierced. Do yourself a favor and do not — I repeat do not — turn to YouTube or any other Internet source for DIY tips on how to re-pierce the hole yourself. For starters, it's very hard to see the hole on your own and also, you risk creating more scar tissue if you do it incorrectly.

Learn more: 11 Cartilage Piercing Truths To Know Before You Go Under The Needle

However, if you have a hole that closed up recently due to too many days of forgetting to put in your earrings, you may be able to gently push your earrings through if you do it slowly and gently. If you're feeling like you're unable to get the earring in on your own without pain, you should make an appointment with a piercing salon or your doctor to have them help you.

If you are currently in this situation and wondering what to do, here are a few tips.

If You Have A Recently Closed Piercing...

For those of you who simply forgot to put your earrings in the last few days, luckily it shouldn't be hard to re-open the piercing. Chances are, you have a thin layer of skin clogging the original hole. Be sure to wash your hands and properly sterilize the area and the earring your are trying to put in before you put your jewels back on. Then, gently wiggle the earring in. If you experience pain, don't force it — it may be a sign that your doctor or salon should be doing the work!

If Your Piercing Is Fairly New, But Closed Due To Complications..

If you had your ears pierced in the last six months and experienced a reaction to the metal in your earring or another reaction that caused the closure of the original piercing, it's probably best to see a professional about re-piercing.

If You Have An Old Piercing You'd Like To Re-Open...

If your piercing is older than six months, you should see a professional to re-open the tunnel. When long periods of time have passed since the original piercing, you may be dealing with more than just a thin layer of skin over the original hole.

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