Sorry for not posting more yesterday, but I had my head slammed in a car door (don’t ask!) and got a concussion and didn’t feel like writing. Let me start off today with a pictorial story from “a young lady from Chicago-land” and her earlobe tearing misadventures in the Ukraine involving stitching… I’m actually not convinced this needed to be stitched (I think it would have healed on its own, personally), but I’m not about to look a gift horse in the mouth!
This story is in her own words — continue reading to see what happened.
“Adventures in doing laundry: As I hopped down from the chair I was standing on to hang laundry, my rounded horse-shoe piercing (it had one smallish ball and one biggish ball on it) got caught on the wire clothes-line on my Ukrainian balcony. My ear was tearing as the piercing was actually bending (skin is strong!) and then the back ball (luckily, the smaller ball!) exploded through my ear and out came the piercing. The tear was only in the front of the lobe. The ball took a tiny ring of flesh with it, but otherwise the back was undamaged.”
Inset: “What the ring looked like before it bent on the wire, and after… I can’t believe how strong human flesh is! Oh, and don’t mind the little bit of my flesh.”
“Ew, a bit of grit in there!”
“Yeah, um, Ukranian hospitals? No thanks. I’d heard nothing but horror stories all week from my students, and then this. I went with what my dad taught me: Superglue fixes everything. The arrow indicates the end of the tear. It looks good, but actually, I screwed up by getting glue into the tear too, so, eventually, it would all come out in a plug and I’d be back to square one. The piercing is tilted up, btw, to maintain the hole without possibly getting pulled on and opening the tear again. Smart, huh?”
“Sure enough, three days later, the superglue all came out and off, leaving the cut wide open again. Nope, still, not going to a Ukrainian hospital. You know, the one time I was in one, an angry nurse chastised me for my piercings and told me that because I had piercings, I would have deformed children! Time for self-done stitches.”
“I actually didn’t mean to make the stitch so wide like that. In retrospect, I think it was good though, because the first and middle stitch was really secure and then the top and bottom stitches didn’t go through as much flesh.”
“Three stitches (the top and the bottom weren’t as deep as the middle). It looks irritated but it’s just camera contrast — it looked great. My roommates were impressed.”
Left: “Immediately after removing the stitches (left them in for six days)” and Right: “Three days after removing the stitches. Yay! I’m a doctor now. It’s not the first time I’ve given myself stitches in fact…”
Comments
168 responses to “Torn Earlobe and DIY stitch repair”
and wolf
I think that that “orbital” is in fact her CBR from her lobe pierce without the ball, she has flipped it up to keep it out of the way.
and wolf
I think that that “orbital” is in fact her CBR from her lobe pierce without the ball, she has flipped it up to keep it out of the way.
and wolf
I think that that “orbital” is in fact her CBR from her lobe pierce without the ball, she has flipped it up to keep it out of the way.
Ah right! Good spot, thanks Annie!
Ah right! Good spot, thanks Annie!
Ah right! Good spot, thanks Annie!
Hello! I’m the person in the pictures. In a conglomerated response to some points brought up in the comments, in case anyone is interested: (1) I do use and prefer butterfly closures, when they’re suitable, but superglue works wonders in cuts that are a pain to keep closed. My own (and excellent) piercer uses superglue on his own cuts, when necessary. (2) I did not have time to quest for butterfly closures, and they may not have been available anyway. I was working a lot and barely had time. (3) Given the location on my body, a butterfly closure would have tricky, if even possible. (4) Maybe it’s ambiguous from the story, but, I did make every attempt not to get glue in the wound. It just kept happening because I don’t have three hands. Had I had a worthy assistant, superglue would have been preferable to stitches. (5) I disagree that it would have healed fine on its own. Healed? Yes. Attractively? Perhaps, but it bothered me that its “resting state” when not super-glued or stitched was gaping open. In my past experiences with cuts on my hands, those kinds of injuries are not going to heal as quickly or beautifully as ones you keep closed. I also thought it would open or re-open in my sleep, and/or that shower water would open it up (even if I protected it from spray; water damage is the cause of a raised scar I have on my shoulder). (6) About the gauge: I don’t understand the comment. I mean, I know the “cheese cutter” concept, but are you saying that it would have been better to have had the ball rip more violently through my ear? Or to have my earlobe horribly stretched or mangled? That jewelry was coming out, one way or another, seeing as the wire it got caught on was a few feet taller than my head after I jumped off the stool, and I’d rather have the little cut I got than whatever would have happened had my earlobe NOT given way! It sounds like the problem with your mom was the weight of earrings, not the size, and I never wear heavy earrings, so why would it matter? I wear 16 gauge rather than 14 because I have a very small face. Even my lip rings are 16 gauge, which is non-standard but it looks much better on my little face. I also don’t understand your comment about it bending. You talk as if it’s a problem that it bent when, really, the bending could have saved me all the trouble (though it happens that it did not): Had it bent even more, or faster, the jewelry might have fallen off the wire and no injury would have occurred. (7) Last by not least: I did not mean to offend Ukrainians by saying they had bad hospitals. However, I had pretty skeazy experiences myself there (like the one I mention) in hospitals, and my own adult students had told me god-awful things. All in all though, I loved central/eastern Europe (spent 10 months in Hungary as well) and would go back in a heartbeat if I wasn’t busily earning my PhD back in my home country of America.
Hello! I’m the person in the pictures. In a conglomerated response to some points brought up in the comments, in case anyone is interested: (1) I do use and prefer butterfly closures, when they’re suitable, but superglue works wonders in cuts that are a pain to keep closed. My own (and excellent) piercer uses superglue on his own cuts, when necessary. (2) I did not have time to quest for butterfly closures, and they may not have been available anyway. I was working a lot and barely had time. (3) Given the location on my body, a butterfly closure would have tricky, if even possible. (4) Maybe it’s ambiguous from the story, but, I did make every attempt not to get glue in the wound. It just kept happening because I don’t have three hands. Had I had a worthy assistant, superglue would have been preferable to stitches. (5) I disagree that it would have healed fine on its own. Healed? Yes. Attractively? Perhaps, but it bothered me that its “resting state” when not super-glued or stitched was gaping open. In my past experiences with cuts on my hands, those kinds of injuries are not going to heal as quickly or beautifully as ones you keep closed. I also thought it would open or re-open in my sleep, and/or that shower water would open it up (even if I protected it from spray; water damage is the cause of a raised scar I have on my shoulder). (6) About the gauge: I don’t understand the comment. I mean, I know the “cheese cutter” concept, but are you saying that it would have been better to have had the ball rip more violently through my ear? Or to have my earlobe horribly stretched or mangled? That jewelry was coming out, one way or another, seeing as the wire it got caught on was a few feet taller than my head after I jumped off the stool, and I’d rather have the little cut I got than whatever would have happened had my earlobe NOT given way! It sounds like the problem with your mom was the weight of earrings, not the size, and I never wear heavy earrings, so why would it matter? I wear 16 gauge rather than 14 because I have a very small face. Even my lip rings are 16 gauge, which is non-standard but it looks much better on my little face. I also don’t understand your comment about it bending. You talk as if it’s a problem that it bent when, really, the bending could have saved me all the trouble (though it happens that it did not): Had it bent even more, or faster, the jewelry might have fallen off the wire and no injury would have occurred. (7) Last by not least: I did not mean to offend Ukrainians by saying they had bad hospitals. However, I had pretty skeazy experiences myself there (like the one I mention) in hospitals, and my own adult students had told me god-awful things. All in all though, I loved central/eastern Europe (spent 10 months in Hungary as well) and would go back in a heartbeat if I wasn’t busily earning my PhD back in my home country of America.
Hello! I’m the person in the pictures. In a conglomerated response to some points brought up in the comments, in case anyone is interested: (1) I do use and prefer butterfly closures, when they’re suitable, but superglue works wonders in cuts that are a pain to keep closed. My own (and excellent) piercer uses superglue on his own cuts, when necessary. (2) I did not have time to quest for butterfly closures, and they may not have been available anyway. I was working a lot and barely had time. (3) Given the location on my body, a butterfly closure would have tricky, if even possible. (4) Maybe it’s ambiguous from the story, but, I did make every attempt not to get glue in the wound. It just kept happening because I don’t have three hands. Had I had a worthy assistant, superglue would have been preferable to stitches. (5) I disagree that it would have healed fine on its own. Healed? Yes. Attractively? Perhaps, but it bothered me that its “resting state” when not super-glued or stitched was gaping open. In my past experiences with cuts on my hands, those kinds of injuries are not going to heal as quickly or beautifully as ones you keep closed. I also thought it would open or re-open in my sleep, and/or that shower water would open it up (even if I protected it from spray; water damage is the cause of a raised scar I have on my shoulder). (6) About the gauge: I don’t understand the comment. I mean, I know the “cheese cutter” concept, but are you saying that it would have been better to have had the ball rip more violently through my ear? Or to have my earlobe horribly stretched or mangled? That jewelry was coming out, one way or another, seeing as the wire it got caught on was a few feet taller than my head after I jumped off the stool, and I’d rather have the little cut I got than whatever would have happened had my earlobe NOT given way! It sounds like the problem with your mom was the weight of earrings, not the size, and I never wear heavy earrings, so why would it matter? I wear 16 gauge rather than 14 because I have a very small face. Even my lip rings are 16 gauge, which is non-standard but it looks much better on my little face. I also don’t understand your comment about it bending. You talk as if it’s a problem that it bent when, really, the bending could have saved me all the trouble (though it happens that it did not): Had it bent even more, or faster, the jewelry might have fallen off the wire and no injury would have occurred. (7) Last by not least: I did not mean to offend Ukrainians by saying they had bad hospitals. However, I had pretty skeazy experiences myself there (like the one I mention) in hospitals, and my own adult students had told me god-awful things. All in all though, I loved central/eastern Europe (spent 10 months in Hungary as well) and would go back in a heartbeat if I wasn’t busily earning my PhD back in my home country of America.
Thanks, all for the great information and the photographs. A bit of a catastrophe and really very brave for someone to endure what must not have been very pleasant… quite helpful to me which is much appreciated, the information about Superglue. I had a conversation with my Primary Care Doctor about my rather bizarre ear problem which occurred due to an old, stretched out ear piercing. The lobe finally just “gave it up”…didn’t tear or even bleed. Just very gradually separated. This Doctor (an American in American, as am I) recommended a very specific placement of a drop of glue in a strategic location above where I might have “intuitively” placed it (at the bottom, which he pointed out would likely have caused an odd looking misalignment in the way the lobe healed). From all that you’ve written, his advice sounds “spot on”. I’d thought he could sew the two “halves” together or staple them and he said “not a good idea..they’d likely grow back together in an asymmetrical way.” NOW I get it. The lobes have lengthened, would require uniform shortening and in effect, would be an act of plastic surgery. That’s asking quite a lot from an Osteopath at the end of his workday! : ) ..and he knows I do not like needles.
Instead, he told me to put a drop of glue ABOVE the split..in essence where the original pierce hole had been made and then use some form of adhesive to bring the bottoms of the lobe together, as he believes, the separated skin will heal together when it is kept adjacent with some form of adhesive bandage. As for keeping a piercing open, this may present a bit of difficulty. For the moment, I’m more concerned with joining my eerily split ear lobe into a single lobe again! I considered keeping a thin piece of gold or surgical wire below the drop of Superglue, but then realized I will CREATE an irritation where none existed before and very likely permanently have a thin piece of wire sticking out of my ear, which is likely to require me to damage anything that might have healed should I attempt to remove it. Therefore, the best I can do for the time being is to simply allow the ear to heal and hope that it actually DOES and then attempt to pierce the ear in a location that is different, as in “sufficiently removed from the location that it does not impact the area that was damaged.” I knew the lobe had stretched over decades..I just never imagined it would totally SEPARATE into halves as it did.
Meanwhile, I might attempt to wear an ear cuff or (ick!) clip on..or just go around with naked ears until the one “flipper” ear fully repairs itself. I haven’t quite made up my mind, but THIS is definitely the BEST article I’ve found where what I thought was a rather strange problem was addressed in a very detailed, truthful and helpful way. I SO admire your courage!
Thanks, all for the great information and the photographs. A bit of a catastrophe and really very brave for someone to endure what must not have been very pleasant… quite helpful to me which is much appreciated, the information about Superglue. I had a conversation with my Primary Care Doctor about my rather bizarre ear problem which occurred due to an old, stretched out ear piercing. The lobe finally just “gave it up”…didn’t tear or even bleed. Just very gradually separated. This Doctor (an American in American, as am I) recommended a very specific placement of a drop of glue in a strategic location above where I might have “intuitively” placed it (at the bottom, which he pointed out would likely have caused an odd looking misalignment in the way the lobe healed). From all that you’ve written, his advice sounds “spot on”. I’d thought he could sew the two “halves” together or staple them and he said “not a good idea..they’d likely grow back together in an asymmetrical way.” NOW I get it. The lobes have lengthened, would require uniform shortening and in effect, would be an act of plastic surgery. That’s asking quite a lot from an Osteopath at the end of his workday! : ) ..and he knows I do not like needles.
Instead, he told me to put a drop of glue ABOVE the split..in essence where the original pierce hole had been made and then use some form of adhesive to bring the bottoms of the lobe together, as he believes, the separated skin will heal together when it is kept adjacent with some form of adhesive bandage. As for keeping a piercing open, this may present a bit of difficulty. For the moment, I’m more concerned with joining my eerily split ear lobe into a single lobe again! I considered keeping a thin piece of gold or surgical wire below the drop of Superglue, but then realized I will CREATE an irritation where none existed before and very likely permanently have a thin piece of wire sticking out of my ear, which is likely to require me to damage anything that might have healed should I attempt to remove it. Therefore, the best I can do for the time being is to simply allow the ear to heal and hope that it actually DOES and then attempt to pierce the ear in a location that is different, as in “sufficiently removed from the location that it does not impact the area that was damaged.” I knew the lobe had stretched over decades..I just never imagined it would totally SEPARATE into halves as it did.
Meanwhile, I might attempt to wear an ear cuff or (ick!) clip on..or just go around with naked ears until the one “flipper” ear fully repairs itself. I haven’t quite made up my mind, but THIS is definitely the BEST article I’ve found where what I thought was a rather strange problem was addressed in a very detailed, truthful and helpful way. I SO admire your courage!
Thanks, all for the great information and the photographs. A bit of a catastrophe and really very brave for someone to endure what must not have been very pleasant… quite helpful to me which is much appreciated, the information about Superglue. I had a conversation with my Primary Care Doctor about my rather bizarre ear problem which occurred due to an old, stretched out ear piercing. The lobe finally just “gave it up”…didn’t tear or even bleed. Just very gradually separated. This Doctor (an American in American, as am I) recommended a very specific placement of a drop of glue in a strategic location above where I might have “intuitively” placed it (at the bottom, which he pointed out would likely have caused an odd looking misalignment in the way the lobe healed). From all that you’ve written, his advice sounds “spot on”. I’d thought he could sew the two “halves” together or staple them and he said “not a good idea..they’d likely grow back together in an asymmetrical way.” NOW I get it. The lobes have lengthened, would require uniform shortening and in effect, would be an act of plastic surgery. That’s asking quite a lot from an Osteopath at the end of his workday! : ) ..and he knows I do not like needles.
Instead, he told me to put a drop of glue ABOVE the split..in essence where the original pierce hole had been made and then use some form of adhesive to bring the bottoms of the lobe together, as he believes, the separated skin will heal together when it is kept adjacent with some form of adhesive bandage. As for keeping a piercing open, this may present a bit of difficulty. For the moment, I’m more concerned with joining my eerily split ear lobe into a single lobe again! I considered keeping a thin piece of gold or surgical wire below the drop of Superglue, but then realized I will CREATE an irritation where none existed before and very likely permanently have a thin piece of wire sticking out of my ear, which is likely to require me to damage anything that might have healed should I attempt to remove it. Therefore, the best I can do for the time being is to simply allow the ear to heal and hope that it actually DOES and then attempt to pierce the ear in a location that is different, as in “sufficiently removed from the location that it does not impact the area that was damaged.” I knew the lobe had stretched over decades..I just never imagined it would totally SEPARATE into halves as it did.
Meanwhile, I might attempt to wear an ear cuff or (ick!) clip on..or just go around with naked ears until the one “flipper” ear fully repairs itself. I haven’t quite made up my mind, but THIS is definitely the BEST article I’ve found where what I thought was a rather strange problem was addressed in a very detailed, truthful and helpful way. I SO admire your courage!
You did a great job! I dont know if I could do that to myself but hAve ripped ear lobes from being younger, heaving earrings/sister pulling them etc. is there any tips you can give me to fix it?? Id love to know how
You did a great job! I dont know if I could do that to myself but hAve ripped ear lobes from being younger, heaving earrings/sister pulling them etc. is there any tips you can give me to fix it?? Id love to know how
You did a great job! I dont know if I could do that to myself but hAve ripped ear lobes from being younger, heaving earrings/sister pulling them etc. is there any tips you can give me to fix it?? Id love to know how
In slovakian too. “Darovanému koňovi na zuby nepozeraj!”
In slovakian too. “Darovanému koňovi na zuby nepozeraj!”
In slovakian too. “Darovanému koňovi na zuby nepozeraj!”