Removal of an Embedded Earring: How to Care for Your Child

Embedded earrings usually don't cause any lasting problems when removed quickly.

Sometimes, the area around an earring gets swollen and irritated, and the earring becomes embedded (stuck). An infection usually is the cause, but some cases are due to scar tissue around the piercing area or an allergic reaction to the earring.

Part of your child's earring was stuck in the earlobe so it was important for the health care provider to remove it. A numbing medicine may have been used to decrease pain in the earlobe. A sedative medication may have been given to decrease anxiety and make your child comfortable during the procedure. The health care provider used special tools to remove the earring, and might have needed to enlarge the earring hole to get the earring out. It is normal for the earlobe to have some bleeding after this procedure.
 
After the earring was removed, the wound was rinsed thoroughly with water or saline (saltwater) to help clean out bacteria. Your health care provider may have given you an antibiotic ointment for your child or prescribed an antibiotic to be given by mouth. If needed, your child was given a tetanus shot.

• If you were given an antibiotic skin ointment, use it as instructed.

• If the health care provider prescribed an antibiotic to be taken by mouth, give the full course of medicine to your child as directed.

• Follow the instructions for cleaning the wound.

• Your child should not reinsert the earring unless advised to do so.

• If your child is uncomfortable, a medication may help:

  • For children under 6 months, you may give acetaminophen.

  • For children over 6 months, you may give acetaminophen OR ibuprofen, if recommended.

• If your health care provider says it's OK, you can apply a warm compress (a clean washcloth dampened with warm water) to the wound for a few minutes several times a day to ease discomfort and help the wound drain.

• Your child's health care provider may have recommended a follow-up appointment for 24–48 hours after the earring removal. Be sure to keep all follow-up appointments.

• The earring hole may close up as the area heals. Do not force an earring back into the hole. Ask if your child's ear can be pierced again.

• Your child has pain, redness, swelling, or draining pus that lasts for more than 2 days.

• The wound is bleeding after putting pressure on it.

• Your child develops a fever.

• The redness and swelling spread to involve more of the ear.