A few days ago i upgauged my plug from a 3.4mm to a 4mm, and now it seems after 2 days the tissue surrounding the hole has become very, very sore and quite hard, it is also swollen.
I dont understand why this is and do you have any advice on what to do, to reduce the size. Or should i just take it out? I'm considering it as it is very sore. the plug is plastic and i used an expander to gauge up a size.
i have taken the plug out and it was bleeding, a lot. its now very swollen and still a little hard. i have two 1.6 rings in and one 1.2 ring in the other to keep the holes.
I really need your help asap. I just dont know what to do. take the rings out or what?
Something about what you write does not make any sense. If you only had such a small jump, you should not have had such a reaction.
How long did you have the 3.4mm before you upgauged to the 4mm? Did you lubricate the jewellery before inserting? Did you clean the jewellery before inserting?
The rule about upgauging is that the tissue should be healed from the previous upgauge and you will notice that you can pull on the tissues and the jewellery moves freely. Then you know you can safely upgauge. If this was not the case, then return to the last gauge where your ears were comfortable and leave them there for a couple of months maybe even more.
Need to have the above questions answered to help you better.
I had the 3.4 in for about 2 months and yes i cleaned the jewellery before inserting it, i didnt use any lubricant. I have no idea why my ear had such a reaction?
Anyway, now i only have a 1.6 ring in and my ear seems to be doing ok.
thanks for your time
Have you tried going to 2.5 mm (10g) and see how you will react to that size?
Using a lubricant may have made the jump a little easier but we have no idea why you had such a problem.
We would need to see your plugs and 'expander' to figure out just what happened to you. What you describe is generally from someone who is stretching from a 1.6 to a 4mm in just one jump.
Good luck
well from looking at some size tables it looks like the plug was not a 4mm but either a 5 or 6.
In future i think i will just go to my piercer and they can upgauge for me.
thanks for your help again
That is definitely a higher jump and we can now understand why your body reacted as it did.
We believe that you have made a wise decision in allowing a piercer to do the upgauging.
Take care
