I have not been able to wear earrings for the past 15 years, at least. I don’t know what happened but one day my ears just started getting really itchy and red almost immediately upon putting earrings on. This surprised me because I have had pierced ears since about sixth grade. It happened shortly after I got a piercing in my upper ear, the second one, with the first one being fine. This was in the days when you’d get your ears pierced in a kiosk at the mall.
Once in a while I’d try wearing a pair. I tried every hypoallergenic, niobium, gold and other type of post that people would recommend. No luck. I finally gave up. While at a show this past August someone across the aisle heard me once again bemoan the fact that I can’t wear earrings. We got to talking and told me that my ears were probably infected.
What? After 15 years? Still infected? They’re fine without earrings in them. Yep. She suggested I try putting bacitracin on my ears and my earring posts. That was four months ago and I kept forgetting. I was used to not wearing earrings.
This past weekend, while sitting at my studio show making earrings I was really longing to wear a pair. They’re cute and funky! I didn’t have bacitracin but I did have Neosporin. So I gave it a try. I coated my ear lobes and lathered up the ear hooks before putting them in too. Don’t worry…these don’t go on resale!
I was amazed that the itching didn’t start immediately. I patiently waited and it never came. I thought, this is too good to be true. I did that for the next couple days and I was able to wear the earrings the whole time. I sit here now, as I type, without using the Neosporin with earrings in my ears and no itching.
Am I cured? I hope so!