Kid's earlobe piercing irritated - to change or not to change jewelry?
Please help a mama out!
My 9 year old has had her earlobes pierced for 9 months. They were done by a reputable APP piercer with a needle and titanium flatback jewelry. Healed nicely, downsized at 3 months and changed out completely after about 5 months. Right now is wearing 18k gold-plated flat backs from pip pop post (I know I know, not the best... they were a gift and she likes cute/fun things, and marketed as "hypoallergenic"). They were fine at first, but after about 2 months one side is pretty irritated. There is a bump near the back (no pus or anything), and it hurts if she bumps it or if it try to manipulate it. For the last week we have been cleaning with saline spray twice a day and leaving it completely alone to try and bring down the irritation. It helped at first and the swelling is not as bad, but it seems like it is not getting much better than partially healed. I'm not sure if the irritation is from the jewelry, sleeping on it, or both. The other side is 100% fine.
I would like to get her back into titanium to help it calm down in case the jewelry is irritating her. However, she flips out if I try to touch it because it hurts. It is swollen, so it will take a little manipulation to get it out and I don't want to hurt/traumatize her or slow down the healing process. My main question is -- Am I better off leaving it the heck alone, keeping up with the saline spray twice a day and encouraging her to use a piercing pillow for another week or so? Or better off to get the jewelry out ASAP in case it is the jewelry that is causing it to be irritated? Or is that less likely since the other side is fine? And should I give her some earring-free time in between changing them out, or is she at risk of the piercing closing up? I still have the studs she was pierced in so I do have high quality earrings available.