We were making our way home from the VA hospital two hours away today--no emergency, just an appointment my husband needed to keep--and stopped in a thrift shop in a small town along the Ohio River when I overheard this:
"My mother told me not to do it, but I was a teenager and I didn't listen. So I got my ears pierced in July. Mom said, "Now you've done it, they'll always give you trouble because you got them pierced during dog days!" She was right. Every summer I have trouble with my ears getting irritated around the pierced places. I sure wish I'd listened to my Mom."
I was fascinated. Really? Could what this lady was saying be true? I've been trying to remember when I got my ears pierced, because mine also get irritated from time to time. Was the sign of the moon wrong? Was it dog days?
I believe it was in winter, actually, possibly in February or March, when I got mine done. I was 35 and pregnant with my youngest son. I'd always wanted pierced ears but never had the money or the courage to get it done. But that year I was newly married for the second time, working as as security guard so my hair always needed to be put up, and I wanted pretty earrings. So I got my ears pierced.
Everyone assured me it wouldn't hurt. They numb your ears, they said. You won't even feel it. Well friends, I am here to tell you, it hurt! The first one hurt so bad that I yelped and told the lady to stop. She said, "So what do you want to do? Go around with just one ear pierced?" I realized I was in too deep, so I gritted my teeth and got the other ear done. Ouch and ouch and ouch.
They took forever to heal up. Even today if I don't wear earrings for a couple days, the holes immediately start to close up, and sometimes if I wear the wrong earrings they get red and irritated. It wasn't dog days, I'm pretty sure, but the signs were surely wrong when I had them pierced.
So what do you think? Do dog days affect how pierced ears heal? Do they affect other things as well, like wounds or...? What has been your experience or observations?
I for one will be glad when dog days are over. The full moon that signals their end will be here soon, and I cannot wait!
Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.
Oh that's interesting! I've never heard of the full moon being the end of dog days. I am so looking forward to that. I've not heard of piercings being affected by the summer. If I remember correctly, I had mine pierced in the summer so long ago. Was done with ice and needle. I don't have any problems with mine unless, like you, I leave earrings out for a while.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard that about the dog days before. I was about the same age as you when I got my ears pierced and it wasn't especially painful and I don't have trouble with them on the whole - just occasionally if I have certain ones in too long but once I've taken them out the irritation disappears pretty much straightaway.
ReplyDeleteI have problems with mine, but mostly from not wearing them often enough. I do have 3 holes, I let the other 3 grow up, they never healed right. I tell myself, one for each of us, me, my husband and my son. Grin. Yes, I get a few odd looks now and again, but I honestly don't care, I tried a couple of times to get the 4th one to heal back, hug it never did, so I just left the odd one alone. It's a good one for lone earrings, where I lost the mate. :)
ReplyDeleteI was in a nursing class once, the teacher said all you ladies who like all the piercings in your ears, that was about the time when everyone seemed to putting them all over their ears, no where else yet, will regret it later. She said there are sensitive nerves in the outer ears, and that the nerves would cause pain, always. I guess that is the real truth behind irritation with them, she was an RN.
I never pierced my ears. My parents wouldn't let me & though I did like clip ear rings when I was young I just have never enjoyed wearing jewelry that much...I wear no jewelry at all when I'm at home, not even my wedding rings, or when I go to the gym. I put them on to dress up & that's it.
ReplyDeleteI have enough physical pain from aging without adding to it wearing things hanging off my ears, neck & hands! ;)
That's odd...I have one that has settled down and suddenly got a bit ouchy a few weeks ago. I put it down to sleeping on it in the wrong way! Btw, if you are over in England, and can make it to Shrewsbury, do drop me an email (via my profile). We can't travel ourselves, being a bit grounded at the moment, but it would be lovely!
ReplyDeleteDon't remember when I had mine pierced, but I've had no trouble with them.
ReplyDelete=)