My poor ear lobes!

I cant wear any earrings other than gold or silver for any length of time or my ears get sore.
They alse get sore (red and hot as described by OP) if I've not worn them for a few days and then try to force slightly lRger shafts in. Like otgers I find germolene (or Savlon cream which has a less strong smell) put on my ears helps and they get better after a couple of days.

Coat the part that goes through your ear with a couple of layers of clear nail polish to avoid it irritating your ears, i’ve done it loads of times and it works a treat. Best of luck!

Pierced ears are prone to infection, especially if recent or you haven't worn earrings in awhile. If earlobes get sore, try wiping the posts first with rubbing alcohol and a cotton, then lubricate them with a small amount of First Aid antibiotic ointment.

Make sure you remove earrings before shampooing your hair and especially before bedtime. Leaving pierced earrings on overnight while you sleep is not a good idea either.

I’m with Willa. Many years ago I was told that surgical spirit is oil based and will not help sore ears dry out and recover. I’m not a daily user of my earrings, so quite often end up with tender ear lobes. A little dab of antibiotic ointment usually sorts the problem.

Thanks for this post. Mum had my ears pierced as a 25th birthday present with little gold posts. I haven't worn earrings for about 4 months due to the pain. Tonight I found the little gold posts mum gave me and covered them with germoline as mentioned in an earlier post (other brands are available). I am going to keep them in for a few nights and then use larger earrings. So far, no pain.