LPT Request: How to stop losing earrings from ears

Submitted by Sugarpeas t3_zzz4xh in LifeProTips

In the last few months all my earrings have been falling out of my ears never to be found again. Screwback stud earrings, regular stud earrings, leverback earrings, you name it. They seemingly randomly just fall sometime during the day for no discernable reason.

I have at this point lost all the pairs I had. All of them. I am now wearing mist-matched earrings.

I never had this issue before. Before I would lose an earring maybe once every few years. Now it seems to happen at least every week.

Any thoughts as to why? Any ideas on how to stop it?

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ignia t1_j2eka1q wrote

I would try silicone or rubber backs for the earrings, specifically those that look like a tiny tube - even on the hook-like earrings. They should sit tightly and prevent the earring from slipping out.

With the leverback earrings I would try pushing the part that goes through the ear a little bit higher to make the lever lock tighter on it.

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Sugarpeas OP t1_j2epq7o wrote

One of the studs I lost unfortunately had the silicone backs.

I’m seriously thinking about doubling them them. Butterfly back + silicone backs behind them or similar. I’m going absolutely insane.

I’ll see what I can do with the lever backs - see if there’s a way to tighten them. I actually did find the one I thought went missing this morning in the bathroom, possible after doing a quick brush through on my hair yesterday. So I still have one pair of earrings left lol.

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becasquared t1_j2egw91 wrote

have your holes stretched by any chance and they're coming out from the back?

Oh you said leverbacks too. Maybe you're losing them when you're sleeping? I'd try a satin pillowcase maybe?

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Sugarpeas OP t1_j2eq4u9 wrote

I have 2 old holes from when I was 2 months old, they’re a bit stretched, but incredibly minor. Nothing to cause earrings to just slip through. These are the ones I use the leverbacks on.

I have 2 new holes (seconds) from 2020, and they’re fresh. It’s actually these holes loosing the most of my earrings, with the old ones losing them more often than before, but not at the frequency as my new holes do.

They seem to be lost randomly during the day. I haven’t figured out a pattern. I generally don’t sleep in them unless I am exhausted and I just forget.

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becasquared t1_j2eqxtd wrote

Oh boo. I have a ton of holes and gauges and sporadically lose earrings, but only like maybe one a year.

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Sugarpeas OP t1_j2eyixy wrote

I used to lose about 1 a year as well! It was sad but tolerable. This is nuts! It’s like they’re growing legs and hopping off!

I also have 2 helixes annd a daith but those have the little ball things that pretty much make the jewelry solid lol. It’s just my lobe ones which are the more typical jewelry that keep getting lost!!

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becasquared t1_j2f46dh wrote

Have you tried huggie earrings?

My first holes are gauged because I kept losing little earrings and just decided to go with the flow and then realised I liked it For a while I just used huggie earrings for the other lobe piercings. Now I have black diamonds with regular backs in my 3rd+ holes each side, although I do pinch the backs so they don't come off easily, and a pair of leverbacks in my 2nd holes.

My cartiledge piercings are all "piercer" earrings, that is, not simple posts.

I wish you luck! I adore my piercings and get distressed when I lose one.

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Sugarpeas OP t1_j2f5xk3 wrote

I have not tried huggie earrings! I have seen them but they tend to be more pricey so I haven’t bought any yet.

I’ll have to get a pair, but I’m nervous about one getting lost! I’ll have to see if there’s some cheaper surgical steel or titanium versions of them available to experiment with.

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becasquared t1_j2fskm2 wrote

I mean, it's only two pairs, right? Just bend them to make sure that it's hard to separate the two halves. I don't know if you wear silver or gold, but I'm sure there are reasonable pairs on Etay/Amazon.

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Sugarpeas OP t1_j2ft9ov wrote

I generally wear solid gold because of my nickel (and others?) allergy. I get used jewelry btw, it’s insanely expensive new! I can’t even wear sterling silver which has been an annoyance because you can actually get some pretty nice sterling silver stuff on sale new from some stores.

I can wear titanium, and high quality surgical steel! But fairly simple earlobe jewelry with these metals doesn’t seem to be common, lol. They tend to be more quirky things, which is fun! But not something I wear day-to-day.

But gold is easier to manipulate as it is soft. So I am going to go through my jewelry literally tonight with my husband to see if there’s a way to tighten it all up.

I also am watching some huggie earrings on eBay now, hopefully I can snag something. 😎

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Ok_Cheetah_3609 t1_j2etrbm wrote

Girl me too 😭

It could be fine for months and then in a matter of days all the earrings that I have will fall out and disappear. I have four holes as well and have just embraced the mismatched earrings. I currently have four different Xmas earrings in right now.

I also don’t spend money on any expensive earrings. I will never buy anything with a real stone. The unpredictability of my ears mean I wear some pretty cheap studs at all times. Luckily I don’t have any type of reactions to the costume jewelry.

Not really a way to fix… more of a way to cope.

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Sugarpeas OP t1_j2ez07m wrote

I buy all my earrings from pawn shops to eBay, so thankfully it hasn’t been an awful lesson - but I need to get stuff that’s even cheaper. I usually get gold, and I can get solid gold earrings often for $100 or less.

I’m allergic to nickel and other metals, and I can’t even tolerate sterling silver which drives me nuts because there are some really lovely looking cheaper options that are sterling.

Do you have any allergy friendly tips for cheap earrings? Lol

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CasitaBandita t1_j2f90k8 wrote

A couple thoughts and apologies in advance if you do these already:

- since you buy your earrings from pawn shops to eBay, always check them thoroughly before wearing them to make sure they are in usable condition. for example the hoops and friction tips are tight. with post earrings they typically have indentations at the stem and you should hear or feel those 'click' when the back is secure and with hoops the latch should click securely into place when closed;

-avoid screw backs, those are just painful and don't last very long especially if you take your earrings out daily

- when wearing hook style earrings, you can shape the rounded part to have a point on them, or angle the rounded part so that it comes to a point. this pointy part will sit better in your lobe and help the earring not roll out--think of a well balanced seesaw.

- lever back earrings are very secure although they can pinch the lobe or ear if the skin is thick.

good luck and hope these help. I was always afraid of loosing an earring when putting on or taking off my mask. the silicone backs did help with the hook earrings. I feel your loss...

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Sugarpeas OP t1_j2fs5u8 wrote

Thank you!

Most do seem to be in good condition, but I’ll check through everything and see if there are any physical adjustments I can make!!!

The screw back indeed were probably wearing down. Ugh. Gold is awfully soft and that’s the trade off for having to get gold earrings.

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Ok_Cheetah_3609 t1_j2ftjwt wrote

I have had some reactions, mostly in my second holes (I think they are more sensitive). I really just work off of trial and error. If my ears don’t like it I won’t buy that brand again.

I will say Clair’s jewelry seems to affect my ears the most. I haven’t worn earrings from there in years.

To be most cost effective, I’ve started buying cheaper packs of lots of little earrings (I usually use studs) that I don’t mind mixing and matching of it comes down to it.

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itsmylameusername t1_j2eufrk wrote

Save those little rubber things that come on the earrings when you buy them. Those things don’t move.

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ClamBamFam t1_j2eqrme wrote

Flex tape can fix that

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DontMessWithMyEgg t1_j2eu32e wrote

Are your earlobes thick? I lose earrings pretty frequently that are higher up on my lobes and I think it’s because they are thicker there and the backs don’t catch properly on the posts.

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Sugarpeas OP t1_j2f1oyo wrote

Hmmm. I don’t think they’re particularky thick, but you’re right. My seconds are the holes losing earrings the most and they’re higher up in a thicker spot.

But my lower lobes are going rogue as well, higher rate but not as ridiculous as the upper ones. My regular lower lobes have been fine for years and they have been regularly losing leverbacks too.

Still it feels like the studs do have their butterfly back “click” into the post recess even on my seconds. They always feel secure when I first put them in, anyways!

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DontMessWithMyEgg t1_j2f4sq8 wrote

And you’ve tried screw on backs too?

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Sugarpeas OP t1_j2f5ns5 wrote

Yes, those studs with the screw on backs? The first two different studs I lost in November were like that! 😰

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crzy19aka t1_j2f5nxq wrote

Ever notice in old movies and tv that women used to take their earring off before speaking on the phone? Worth a shot

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keepthetips t1_j2effrj wrote

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Injuredconfuseddude t1_j2ezxq4 wrote

Used chain link menders that screw closed. Maybe linked to electronic tiles for finding lost stuff. ... Jk lol.

Are there earrings that lock like a caribener(sp?)

If not, someone should make them and sell them. My fiance is always losing earrings too.

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Sugarpeas OP t1_j2f11hs wrote

There are stud screwback earrings like this:

https://berylfinejewelry.com/product/14kw-round-diamond-stud-earrings-1-00-ct-tw-screw-back/

Which I went out of my way to get a few of these as I figured their escape risk was low, and these were the first to disappear. 😭

And leverbacks, they have a lever that just closes them. I have been losing these less than the studs, but they have been somehow getting pulled open and escaping during the day as well. Which is surprisingly because they need a good bit of pressure to open.

May be worth still looking into, as these both were actually fine for years. It’s since November that all of my earrings have been falling out - and I cannot find a cause. My husband suggested it was my hair, but nothing should have changed so drastically in such a short time.

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