Is it possible to reopen a closed piercing?

Dear Reader,

The D.I.Y. spirit can take you far when it comes to hemming your jeans and painting your walls. When it comes to body piercings, however, it might be best to leave it in the hands of professionals. If the hole has closed completely, you’ll have to get it professionally re-pierced. Depending on how much scar tissue you have, a piercer may recommend re-piercing the same hole or placing an entirely new piercing. If the hole hasn’t closed completely, your piercer may be able to gently stretch and reopen it.  

Why do piercings close?

As piercings heal, jewelry acts as a scaffold that holds the skin in place while new tissue grows. If jewelry is removed from the piercing, scar tissue can grow back and close the hole. Generally speaking, newer piercings close faster—sometimes within hours. Older piercings usually take a longer time to close. That said, even piercings that you’ve had for years can start to close rapidly once you remove jewelry from them. They may continue to shrink for some time before stabilizing in size, usually after a month or two.  

Is it possible to reopen a closed piercing hole?

If the piercing has fully closed and there’s no visible hole, it’s likely not possible to reopen it by yourself without causing injury. You’ll need to get it professionally re-pierced. Earring posts aren’t as sharp as piercing needles, so forcing jewelry through a closed hole can lead to bleeding and infection. It’s also not a good idea to try and re-pierce the hole yourself with a needle or pin, as this can damage the skin.  

If the hole hasn’t closed fully, however, it may be possible for you to reopen it. You can try doing this after taking a warm bath or shower, when your skin is softer. Apply an unscented moisturizer to the area, then gently stretch your earlobe down and to the side to open the hole. Try pushing a small stud through the hole. If it doesn’t go through, don’t force it in.

What should I do if I’ve tried reopening it and it’s not working?

If you’re having trouble reopening the hole, it’s best to visit a professional body piercer. They can examine your piercing and figure out whether it’s fully closed and needs to be re-pierced or if it can still be re-stretched using a special tool. Shrunken piercings can be reopened with a tool called an insertion taper. Unlike piercing needles, an insertion taper is blunt at the tip. It starts off narrow and gradually becomes wider along its length. This helps to gently stretch the piercing and guide jewelry through. You may need to wear a smaller jewelry gauge if the hole is too tight for your earlier size. Re-stretching a piercing may hurt a bit, but it means you get to avoid complications that come with re-piercing, such as scar tissue and delayed healing.  

Can you re-pierce the same hole?

Re-piercing the same hole will mean piercing through scarred tissue. If there’s too much scar tissue from the old piercing, a piercer may recommend a new piercing instead. They may also recommend waiting a longer time for the old piercing to heal fully before trying a re-piercing.

If you do decide to re-pierce your lobes, it’s best to avoid getting pierced with a piercing gun. Plastic piercing guns can’t be sterilized and may not be cleaned well between clients, which can increase the risk of bloodborne diseases. Piercing guns also push piercing studs through the flesh. As most ear-piercing studs are not sharp, the gun uses a lot of pressure to force the metal through your skin. This can cause tissue damage, pain, swelling, longer healing time, and excessive scarring. Instead, it’s recommended to visit a professional piercer who can use a sharp surgical needle to pierce your ears.  

How can you prevent piercings from closing?

The only way to prevent piercings from closing is to keep jewelry in them. If you have a new piercing, it’s important not to remove or change your jewelry until the piercing has completely healed. For older piercings, it’s recommended that you leave jewelry in. If you’re unable to wear jewelry or retainers for periods of time, you can insert them from time to time to make sure the hole stays open.  

Wishing you a smooth passage in and out of this prickly situation!