My poor ear lobes!

Try it and see, I have bought quite a few ‘modern’ pairs of gold earrings and have found that they are a bit too thick to go through the holes,if I push them through anyway, my ear lobes get very hot and sore, my old earrings don’t cause me any problems. I have several pairs that I can’t wear.

Surgical spirit or any available alcohol (gin, vodka etc) should work x

Drink the Gin or Vodka.

As well as having a tot yourself to dull any pain!

phoenix could you be allergic to the metal? If so maybe antihistamine cream would help. I can only wear solid gold jewellery ( that’s my story and I’m sticking to it) otherwise I get an awful rash and blisters.

As I said before, drink the Gina and Vodka don’t waste it on your ears!

I don't think I will be having a tot of surgical spirit, Panache

GrannyGravy13 the only spirit in the house is Scotch, and I'm not wasting that on my ears!

Are the earrings gold? I can't wear fashion earrings as I'm allergic to nickle, apart from that I tend not to change them very often so as not to aggravate the holes. The holes aren't straight so never seem to go through without a load of jiggling to get them through. Surgical spirit was what I was told to put on them when they were first pierced about 90 years ago

ContraryMary88 these are items that I've had for years, with no previous problems, but I haven't worn any of them for ages.

Maybe the pierced holes need to become accustomed to usage again. The little gold sleeepers have a very fine gold part to go through the ear and perhaps a week or two of wearing gold sleepers could help. The type that used to be put into freshly pierced ears.

Sometimes I wear those as they are the only earrings that I can sleep in.

All other (fashion) earrings come out every night. I also take silver ones out at night as they are often to ornate for comfortable earrings.
I've had my ears pierced for 50 years and have never left the house without wearing my earrings. They are changed most days.

If I have a problem, I dip the part that goes through my ear in some Savlon or Germolene (other antiseptic creams are available), and they slide in much more easily. If there is a problem then the antiseptic will help with that.

I can only wear gold.

ps drink the gin first if it helps - however, drink too much and you could miss the hole altogether and stab your earlobe - painful.

I'm allergic to nickel too Flexi. I only wear earrings made from silver or platinum. I had to give away all my gold jewellery, including the signet ring that my parents gave me for my 21st birthday. They didn't go far, my DD fell heir to them.

You may be better to wear just one pair until your ears get accustomed to accepting earrings again.
When they've calmed down, then you should be able to chop and change.

If it had been clip-on earrings, I would have suggested painting the backs of them with nail varnish to insulate them from your ears. Perhaps that would also work with wires?

Dipping them in Savlon or Germolene sounds a good idea. Maybe in Anthisan?

Yes I agree with MissAdventure stick with the pair that are easy to wear then introduce others. I had the same problem after not wearing earrings for a while. The savlon cream idea is a good one too.

I had the same problem as phoenix a few years ago and went to a place that did ear piercing and bought a pair of the kind of studs they put in when they pierce your ears. I wore them day and night for a couple of weeks- they didn’t irritate my ears- and then I was able to wear other earrings again.
I mostly don’t wear earrings, but since I ‘reacclimatised’ my ears, they don’t seem to get irritated when I do wear them.

I only wear earrings made from silver or platinum
I don't have any made from platinum

On my Christmas wish list now MiniMoon!

Jalima, I will try the Germolene tip, I happen to have some, the tube sort, not in a tin like it used to be when I was little.

I'm sure it used to be pinker, and had a different smell!

Yes, Germolene in the tube. I still find difficulty with some earrings, even though I use them most days, so just dip the post in the cream and they slide through.

I'm another with a nickel allergy, so I get hooks replaced with silver ones. It really isn't expensive, but otherwise I wouldn't be able to wear many of the earrings that have been bought for me by friends and family.

Until 2014 you could still get the thick oil-bases ointment (but in a tube with some yellow printed on it) as well as the thinner waterbased one (in an all-pink tube)
Bayer bought the rights to Germolene and then it stopped being available here. Someone said that the the originator in Sweden or Norway would not sell on the rights on take over.

It was apparently still available in a supermarket in South Africa recently for about 3 or 4 pounds, but if you don't mind paying £35.90 you can buy it from www.amazon.co.uk/Germolene-Ointment-Antiseptic-Abrasions-Blisters/dp/B016APTXTM/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?keywords=Germolene+ointment&tag=gransnetforum-21&ie=UTF8&qid=1533974245&sr=8-1

Gift-wrap available. Ask Santa for it?

Available in www.expatshop.co.za/Germolene-antiseptic-20g

59 ZAR =3.66359 EUR

Also online from many other South African sellers - try Googling Germolene and South Africa. The airmail postage may (or may not?) be part of the £35.90 quoted in the Amazon listing, but the cost of that ought to be made clear on the sites before you buy. By sea it could take 14 weeks. By then the berry bugs would not be a problem.

I have had this trouble and now put a little disinfectant first aid cream on the earing and a little on the hole ....works a treat

It sounds like an allergy. Allergies vary with age.

You could replace the hooks with gold ones. They are usually fine. Try silver too, it is often okay. Spare hooks can be bought on line. I can't suggest anything for studs, I'm afraid.

Try painting the bit that goes through your ear with clear nail varnish. Two coats should do it. Works for me.