When it hurts to put an earring back in, the cause is usually mechanical. The post is going in at the wrong angle, the hole has started to tighten after a few days without an earring, or the end of the post is rough or thicker than her piercing. Less often, the skin inside the hole is irritated from the last pair. Each has a different fix, and none of them needs force. Our safety FAQ covers fit and care.
Why does it hurt to put my earring back in? Start here
Work through these in order.
When did she last wear earrings?
- Earrings were out for a few hours: go to "The angle"
- Out for days or weeks: go to "A hole that has started to tighten"
Does it hurt with every pair, or one pair?
- Every pair: angle, tightening or irritated skin
- One pair: go to "The post itself"
Does it hurt only going in, or afterwards as well?
- Only going in: almost always mechanical
- Afterwards too, with redness or itching: go to "Irritated skin inside the hole"
The angle
A piercing isn't always a straight line from front to back. Many run at a slight angle, up or down, or toward the face. If the post goes in straight, the tip catches on the inside of the channel and presses on skin rather than sliding through.
What it feels like: a sharp catch partway in, and relief when the post finds the exit.
What to do: have her tip her head so you can see the back of the lobe. Hold the lobe gently between finger and thumb, and angle the post slightly until it slides without resistance. If it stops, back it out and try a slightly different angle. A little warm water on the post can help it glide.
Why does my ear hurt when I put my earring on, if it's the same pair? Often it's the angle.
A hole that has started to tighten
A healed piercing is a channel of skin, and skin responds to having nothing in it. After a few days or weeks without earrings, the channel can narrow, especially in a piercing that's still fairly new. The post then has to open it slightly on the way through, and that's what hurts.
What it feels like: firm resistance along the whole channel, not a single catch, and soreness afterwards.
What to do: go slowly, with a clean, smooth, thin post. If it goes in with gentle pressure, leave the earring in so the channel settles. If it won't go through with gentle pressure, stop.
Never force a post through, and don't try to reopen a hole with anything sharp. That's a job for her piercer or her pediatrician, who can tell you whether the hole is still open. How quickly holes close, and why, is covered in Will her ear holes close if she stops wearing earrings?
The post itself
If one pair hurts and another doesn't, look at the post.
A rough or sharp end. Posts are cut to length. If the end isn't finished smooth, it scrapes the inside of the channel. Run a fingertip over it. You'll feel a burr.
A bent post. A post that's slightly bent drags along one side of the hole. Roll the earring between your fingers and watch the post. If it wobbles, it's bent.
A thicker post. Standard earring posts are commonly around 20 gauge. Some posts are thicker, especially on fashion jewelry and flat back studs. A thicker post in a hole that's settled around a thinner one will hurt.
What to do: set that pair aside. Don't file or bend a post yourself, because it rarely comes out smoother.
Irritated skin inside the hole
Sometimes it's the skin, not the earring. If the last pair irritated the channel, the skin inside is tender and the next post presses on sore tissue.
What it feels like: tenderness even when you touch the lobe without an earring, redness, itching or a little crust.
Why does my ear hole hurt to touch? A hole that's tender with no earring in it is reacting to something: residue, a rough post, or the metal in the last pair. Give it a few days without earrings, keep it clean and dry, and choose the next pair carefully.
Nickel allergy affects around one in five people in North America, and it builds with exposure. A reaction can start after years with no trouble at all, which we've covered in Why do my earrings suddenly hurt after years?
If her lobe is hot, swollen, very painful or discharging, or she has a fever, leave the earrings out and speak to her pediatrician.
When it hurts going in and stays sore
Pain that lasts after the earring is in usually means the back is too tight, the post is too short for her lobe, or the skin was already irritated. Slide the back out a little so the lobe isn't squeezed. If it's still sore the next day, take the earrings out and give the ear a rest. Pain while she's wearing a pair, rather than putting one in, is covered in Why do earrings hurt my ears?
What we do
When you hold a pair from a mall rack next to a precision-made pair, consistency is the difference. On a rack you'll often find one pair with a bent post, one with the stone set slightly off, and one where the color looks a little wrong. A bent or rough post is exactly the kind of fault that makes it hurt to put an earring back in. Ours are laser-scanned and checked for finish, and every post is finished the same way as the rest of the earring.
Every pair uses a double-notch post, so the butterfly sits on the lobe at the right tension, not too tight and not too loose. It's easy for her to put on, secure once it's on, and easy to take off.
S316L Surgical Steel, used on its own throughout the Polished Surgical Steel range, with nothing plated over it.
24K Pure Gold, which is pure 24 karat gold applied onto a S316L Surgical Steel core with Aunix™ 24K, our engineered gold finish, a gold-plating process.
Independently tested by SGS to ASTM F2923, CPSIA and BSEN 71-3, with nickel release not detected under EN 1811. Report BTO 341803/1.
A small, smooth design is the easiest to slide in, such as the Flawless Crystal Heart Stud Earrings in 24K Pure Gold. The steel range is on the Polished Surgical Steel collection, and the pillar on why her ears react to earrings explains the reaction side in more depth.
Questions parents ask next
Should I use lubricant to put her earring back in? A little warm water is usually enough. Avoid petroleum jelly, which leaves residue in the hole.
How long can she go without earrings before the hole closes? It varies with how old the piercing is. A newer piercing can tighten within days, while an older one may stay open for months or years.
Why does it hurt in one ear and not the other? Each piercing has its own angle and its own history. One may run at a sharper angle, or one may be slightly irritated.
Can she put her earrings back in herself? Many children learn to, with practice in front of a mirror. Butterfly backs are the easiest for small fingers.
Does a thinner post hurt less? Usually, yes, if her hole has tightened a little. A smooth, standard post slides more easily than a thick fashion post.
Related reading
- Why do earrings hurt my ears?
- Will her ear holes close if she stops wearing earrings?
- Why do my earrings suddenly hurt after years?
About the author. Matt Westmore is the founder of purepixxi. He came to children's jewelry from manufacturing and sourcing rather than marketing, which means he has walked the factory floors and knows what is actually inside a product rather than what a label says about it. purepixxi uses two materials only, names them exactly, and has them independently tested.
