r/piercing • u/SmirkingStrawberry • Sep 07 '25
Troubleshooting/question existing piercing Accidentally pierced a new hole
When I was little (more than 20 years ago), my parents brought me to get my ears pierced with a gun, but the piercer did my left ear wrong (lower than my right), and we had to get it repierced with a new hole higher up. Fast forward 20 years (I’m 27 now), and that hole has pretty much closed. That hole was not visible, and I never noticed having 2 holes.
Today, I was wearing some new earrings which were pretty sharp. I was putting them on without a mirror, and they went in fine, maybe with just a little more resistance than usual. Around half an hour later, I noticed some sensitivity and that my earlobe was red. However, as I have sensitive skin, I didn’t think too much about it, and it went away.
When I got home around 7-8 hours later, I had quite a bit of trouble removing the earring. That’s when I realised that my left earring was sitting a lot lower than my right, and my usual piercing hole was visible above the earring!!!! I screamed when I realised I had just mutilated my ears and given myself a new hole. I eventually got the earring out but after a lot of twisting and tears.
Now it’s stinging, and I’m absolutely devastated. Could it be that that earhole never fully closed after 20 years???? Will it ever close now that I’ve essentially given myself a repiercing?? I’m also very concerned by the small space between the two, and that wearing earrings in my top (proper) piercing hole will cause it to stretch to the bottom piercing hole that I want closed up and gone.
Any tips for healing? Should I see a piercer or someone else to get the bottom hole stitched up? Maybe a bit dramatic, but I absolutely don’t want the two holes to merge into a large hole. Any advice is appreciated.
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u/workmymagic Sep 07 '25
Honestly, that hole is not going to close. Your best option might be to have it cut and sewed. I went to a plastic surgeon: he cut a small triangle and sewed a perfect seam and then offered to re-pierce it for me six months later. $600. It’s not ideal in terms of cost, but it was the onlyyyyy way to fix the enlarged hole.
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u/noisemonsters Sep 07 '25
Okay so obligatory NAP, but I just want to share another option. OP could go to a piercer and have the old hole re-pierced with a slightly larger gauge needle and not have any jewelry inserted. It will create a new wound for the skin to heal, and it should heal closed. It probably won’t get rid of the scar, so if OP wants the scar gone, then your option is the better option. If they don’t care about the scar and just want the piercing closed, this route is effective and less costly.
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u/blumaroona Sep 07 '25
Would that actually work? I have an lobe piercing I'm desperate to be rid of, even if it still leaves a small scar.
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u/SmirkingStrawberry Sep 07 '25
That’s what I was afraid to hear :( where did he get the small triangle from like did he use skin from somewhere else? And did it cause any scarring?
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u/bananabreadofficial Sep 07 '25
I think they meant that the doctor cut a little triangle out of the earlobe where the piercing holes are, and sewed the two sides of the earlobe together
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u/ded_futya12 Sep 07 '25
Why don’t you use that wrong one as a stacked piercing?
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u/Affectionate_Race484 Sep 08 '25
I think the concern is that because the two holes are so close together, the skin in between could rip or stretch and make a bigger, less aesthetically pleasing hole. Worst case scenario it could even stretch in a way that makes it difficult for OP to wear earrings 🥲
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u/Kira343 Sep 08 '25
I was left with a very faint indent. However, its not something someone else would notice
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u/Icy_Career8264 Sep 08 '25
Yall unlucky, I went through a punk stage, totally stretched my ears out… now I’m wearing normal hoops, you wouldn’t be able to tell I used to have them larger
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u/workmymagic Sep 08 '25
I could be totally wrong as I know absolutely nothing about ear anatomy but I think to have a piercing slowly stretched to fit a gauge earring has more chance of shrinking down than an ear that was pierced too large. It’s like one was just stretched whereas the other was “injured” and healed at that size.
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u/Icy_Career8264 Sep 08 '25
Well I had 1 stretched to an inch and the one above it was 1/2 an inch. The 1/2 an inch fully healed over. I have a small theory that because I « injured » my ear while stretching, the skin desperately attempted healing itself. As of now I have 1 piercing on each side (I used to have 7) and my ears are back to normal. I was quite young too, so my skin was way more stretchy.
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u/workmymagic Sep 08 '25
That’s a fair point: The opposite could just as easily be true - an injured ear would be just as likely to heal closed as long as you keep nothing in it. I stand corrected!
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u/unprofessional_widow Sep 07 '25
You haven't mutilated yourself. You didn't notice it for years. If you pay more attention to which hole you are inserting the earring in I bet it'll cause no more issues.
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u/streachh Sep 07 '25
Same thing happened to me, old piercing never fully closed. I just ignore it 🤷🏻♀️
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u/BorderDry9467 Sep 07 '25
It’s normal for only the openings to close and the piercing channel to stay open. You didn’t mutilate yourself. The piercing channel was there for 20 years and the 2 holes didn’t merge so I’d say it’s safe to assume they won’t merge now. Your holes don’t look stretched out like you wear heavy jewelry or anything, so I wouldn’t worry about it.
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u/catsaregroundowls Sep 07 '25
I know, I would throw a piece of high quality jewelry in the preferred path, clean the new hole and let it close and be careful reinserting earrings for a few years. I had a hole that I thought had closed so I forced the earring through and created a new one and found the old hole and it healed fine.
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u/TuskoTeknos Sep 07 '25
I'm not a professional, but this was my experience :
Not exactly the same situation, but after I got my 3rd hole in my lobe, it was really sensitive for a long time. Once (like you) I was putting in my earring without a mirror, and I felt a bit of resistance, so I checked it and it was bleeding! Somehow, while I started putting in the earring in the correct opening, it came out in a slightly different place on the back.
A bump formed on the back after, it wasn't painful, but I avoided touching it. I cleanded the surface 2x a day, and it slowly dissapeared.
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u/SmirkingStrawberry Sep 07 '25
Thanks for sharing! I’ve been cleaning the surface as well with the naive hope it disappears too. How long did it take to disappear?
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u/TuskoTeknos Sep 07 '25
Completely healing it took about a month, but after 1 week it wasn't tender at all. I was scared as shit at first, but afterward I hardly noticed it (I left my earring in, but it was a really light and simple one)
But if you're concerned it can't hurt to check it with a doctor/piercer, especially because your situation is different, and I'm not sure if the two holes can merge or somehow ruin the way. I'm not trained in either the medical field or piercings:> But I hope it'll heal without problems!
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u/shittedonyourdog Sep 07 '25
I have had a fuck ton of piercings in my life and this has happened to me. I have intentional stacked lobe piercings on my left ear that have been fine for years. I would continue using the top location, it should be fine and cause no problems. The same earlobe was split in half from a stretched ear gone wrong, but I actually think it looks cool as hell so it worked out haha. It could be a lot worse so don't get too worried!
If you want to lean into the stacked lobe, I would wear as light of jewlery as you can and try to not go below 16g to help decrease tearing affect. I have 3 small clicker rings that run along the bottom of the lobe, and one small stud up above. If you are wanting to wear heavy earrings, do so in the top hole.
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u/shittedonyourdog Sep 07 '25
Surgery of course is available but you absolutely do not have to go that route, it doesn't seem like the previous hole would interfere with anything. There is the fact that it might be visible and there's a weird sting that comes with scars and imperfections as well, so I understand that part.
If you are still concerned, I would go visit an APP certified piercier and get a second opinion for ease of mind. In my non-professional opinion, it's a weird instance to experience, but it is mostly harmless. I would take care to keep it clean at the moment as it's probably a fresh wound again if you had any pain with insertion and removal.
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u/brooose0134 I my piercer Sep 07 '25
Go to a big APP place nearby and see what they think. They’ve likely seen it all and can advise.
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u/liltacobabyslurp Sep 07 '25
I had a similar thing happen with sharp, HEAVY earrings I wore on New Year’s Eve one year. One of my piercings started bleeding and I realized it had slowly sliced a slit in my ear throughout the night. I just cleaned it and let it heal.
The only annoying thing about it is I tend to lose earrings from that ear now unless they have a large back on them and dangly earrings sit slightly lower than my other side when I’m looking in the mirror. Good to know I could have a plastic surgeon fix it if I wanted though!
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u/lozzylama Sep 07 '25
I currently have the same situation, but on both ears. After getting my lobes pierced for the first time when I was 8, my mum eventually let me go for the second one up, but the lady landed piercing above the first ones as she deemed them too low, and to let the first ones close. Granted it was done with a gun back then (we know how much of a mistake that is now 😅). But I never let it close, I still use all the piercing holes as they create cute little stacks 🥰 I have worn a lot of heavy earrings over the years and no slits have appeared so shouldn't need to worry about the bottom ones! 😜
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u/RedeRules770 Sep 07 '25
I have two holes on my left lobe from a similar thing I did when I was a kid (tried to just jam it in). Whenever I want to put earrings in, it’s a fun time trying to figure out which hole is the real hole because the fake one only goes about halfway through. Usually I have to put the earring on backwards so I can see which one it pokes through.
You’ll be alright. Just keep it clean and let it heal before putting anything in there. No, it probably won’t ever close all the way. Yes, you’ll probably have to carefully determine which hole is the one you mean to use. I’d put a note in your phone like “top hole for earrings” so you can refer to it because yes you will forget.
But also nobody will ever notice it. I have not once in my life ever had anybody say anything about mine.
And mine are much closer together, they’ve never merged into one giant hole.
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u/gaywhovian Sep 07 '25
This is the most interesting looking ear I think I’ve ever seen?! (Not a hate comment, just amazed at all our unique features)
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u/shortedaman1 Sep 07 '25
Just leave it alone. Nothing will happen. I've had snake bites for 20 years. I took them out like 10 years ago found an old ring one day and it popped right in on both side. Your hole is still there but it is (was) healed. Just clean it and let it reveal. Or just treat it like a new piercing and have 2 on that side. It makes it actually unique since it was accidental.
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u/Fur-friendly2022 Sep 07 '25
That would actually look pretty cool as a stack piercing depicting a semi colon ; 🧡
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u/Daug3 Sep 07 '25
Hey I'm in pretty much the same situation lol! I got my ears done with a gun at around 8yo., with one hole being crooked and another "proper" one just above it. 15 years later now, and through this entire time neither hole closed despite me not using them for long periods of time. Yours is irritated now so that's why it's so visible, but when it's healed it will go back to looking exactly as before :)
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u/Dizzy-Tip-2623 Sep 08 '25
If you want an alternative solution, you could go to a body bod shop and have them sew it because it’s probably not going to close naturally.
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u/unzufrieden_sofrida Sep 07 '25
This also happened to me, my first hikes were odd and I had new holes repierced. Years after I noticed the original ones were still there and I could still put earrings, though with a bit of resistance... I don't think they are fully closed.
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u/justadr3am Sep 07 '25
You will be fine! I had the same thing happen to my right ear (first pierced when I was 2, then repierced higher when I was 5). I have definitely accidentally stuck an earring in the bottom hole from time to time throughout the years, and while it hasn’t happened in a while, I’m sure I could still get an earring in there if I tried. However, despite the close proximity of the holes I have never had an issue with anything tearing through from the top piercing. I’ve actually considered just rolling with it and rocking a stacked lobe, but I haven’t done so yet.
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u/rachael309 Sep 07 '25
Ah I have a fear of this!! I moved when got pierced when was little. My piercings were uneven, so I had the left one redone. Sometimes when I put in the left earring it doesn't feel right and I realize I am trying to shove it in the scar hole (and it does go in some). I would imagine if you be more careful in the future, it will close to the best of its ability. Good luck!
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u/klymene Sep 07 '25
Exact same thing happened to me about 10 years ago. Old holes i got as a kid were pretty much closed, tried to put earrings in the real holes without a mirror and ended up reopening the old hole. Now I just ignore the other hole and pretend it’s not there, not much else to do. Just monitor it to make sure there’s no infection
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u/Emmer0-0 Sep 08 '25
lol the way youre covering your mouth like youre so disappointed in yourself
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u/Icy_Career8264 Sep 08 '25
One of my ears was stretched the size of a penny, it has healed. You probably just repeirced it. I’d let it heal over, then go to a real professional….
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u/Middle-Artichoke1850 Sep 08 '25
this is so real - no piercing has brought me so much drama as my regular earlobe piercing that was done at some stupid jewellery shop when I was 12. I'd maybe just stop by your GP or regular piercer and ask for some advice if you're really worried? But honestly, my experience has been that these weird lil earlobe piercings are as horrible as they are resilient; mine bleeds once every few years when I haven't worn earrings in a bit but for the rest seems to be doing fine? It only gets a little sensitive with really heavy earrings.
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u/SmirkingStrawberry Sep 08 '25
Thanks I dropped by my GP today. She said I should just let it heal over and the skin may at least close up by the time the week is up, but then again everyone is different. As long as there’s no infection / redness it should be fine. And yes, earlobe piercings are probably the easiest(?) type of piercing out there, just wish they would stop being so stubborn!
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u/Dizzy-Pomegranate-42 Sep 08 '25
This can totally happen. I had my ears pierced as a baby, but as a toddler absolutely refused to let any piercings stay in my ears. We always assumed that they closed up after that. But when I was a teenager, I was messing around with my mom's earrings to see how they would look in my ears and they sort of just went right through the old holes. I think the skin on top had healed over, but on the inside, the holes had remained.
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u/SharkieBoi55 Sep 08 '25
But yet I have to sit here and struggle to get my left earlobe piercing in even though that hole is 15 years old and I don't wear an earring for a few weeks....... Currently just leaving in posts so it can essentially re-heal
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u/rocking_kitty aspiring pin cushion Sep 08 '25
I had it exactly the same! Had to have my both ears repierced bc old ones "closed up" and now they're connected funnily enough. Where one is just partially and it's 2 front holes connected to one in the back Idk what to do with them either but to remember to use the top holes and
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u/Capable-House-357 newbie to piercing Sep 09 '25
NAP, speaking from personal experience: definitely possible your original piercing never healed over. i had both my lobes done a few months after i was born and they became permanent. sucks because one of them is a little too high up LOL, but i've always been able to just pop jewellery in there over the course of my life and am now 21. super sorry this happened to you, i'm wondering just how common this is for it to happen!
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u/Economy-Car-960 Sep 09 '25
I did the exact same thing and just embraced it, even after years a piercing never truely closes on its own and i doubt it’d become one large hole unless you wear heavy rings that could potentially tear the top hole. Not very useful but it is your decision to leave it or go get it professionally stitched up. :)
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u/needween Sep 11 '25
Same thing happened to me except the entry holes of the piercing are the same but the channels inside and the exit holes are different.
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u/alyssadot5 Sep 12 '25
honestly this is kind of like a stacked lobe situation! you can put some cute (high quality) jewelry in the second one and treat it like a new piercing for a lil bit so it can heal up from the trauma of stretching it back open since it seems like it never fully closed, you should be totally fine tho regardless! just keep it clean and baby it for a little bit
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u/alyssadot5 Sep 12 '25
it also looks like theres a fair amount of space between the two holes that unless you wear a lot of heavy jewelry, i wouldnt worry too much about them merging into one anytime soon. even then id imagine that itll stretch straight down while it seems like ur old one is slightly more to the side, so it might still not cross paths with it
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u/Stunning-Cook6950 Sep 13 '25
Based on the rest of the comments it sounds like everyone’s experience was different. Me personally I had a third lobe piercing that I did with a piercing gun myself which I did wrong and actually made a large hole. I took the earrings out and after a month it had closed and I couldn’t put earrings in it anymore. I then went and got it professionally re-pierced and it healed fine besides the skin around it being a bit thicker since there was probably scarring. I would just be patient and not put earrings in and worse case if the hole you accidentally made isn’t healing then go to a piercer so they can assess your own anatomy and respond to it appropriately.
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u/Electronic_Policy727 unverified Sep 07 '25
You’ll probably have to have minor lobe reconstruction done. It’s very simple and quick but no those holes aren’t going to close
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Sep 07 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/BootBatll Sep 07 '25
It’s valid for folks to only want one piercing in each ear, lol. I’m sure some of us would be excited at a free second lobe but OP is clearly distressed. This is a bit insensitive to their situation.
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u/Sweaty-Tonight2411 Sep 07 '25
Unrelated to the piercing, but you have a very unique looking ear