Un-lose-able every day & night earrings

November 15, 2015 2:56 PM

I have my ears pierced and don't want them to grow in. I want a small (or even tiny) pair of earrings that are pretty and subtle (so that they match everything) and flat (so that I can sleep in them and they won't bug my ears or head) and affix in a way that they'll never ever fall out.

I'm not sensitive to any materials. I'd rather not silver colored metal. I'd rather not spend more than $20-30 but if they are really un-lose-able and unbreakable I can go over that.

Is this a thing that exists? How do I find them?

Thank you!

posted by Salamandrous to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (28 answers total)

Best answer: I put captive bead piercing jewelry into my earlobes after they closed up from infrequent use. They're pretty low impact visually, really easy to sleep on and--once they're in--they will never fall out. Random link
posted by crush-onastick at 3:01 PM on November 15, 2015 [2 favorites]

I'm VERY sensitive to sleeping in earrings--I just can't do it with the poky bits. The only style I can sleep in comfortably are small captive bead rings. You can get them in not-silver. Even clear acrylic if you want to go super stealth mode. Metal captive bead rings are pretty tough to budge, so you'll probably be good on that front, but you can always use the trick my Girl Scouts use: a dab of crazy glue on the post before securing. (NOT ON YOUR EAR HOLE--just on the join with the closure.)
posted by phunniemee at 3:02 PM on November 15, 2015

Response by poster: I'd never heard of captive bead rings, so thank you! Are they meant to be able to take off? I do want to be able to switch in other pairs of earrings for dressing up or special occasions or just because I feel like it.
posted by Salamandrous at 3:07 PM on November 15, 2015

Similar, but not exactly the same: tiny hoop earrings

There are lots of variants on etsy.
posted by tuesdayschild at 3:13 PM on November 15, 2015 [1 favorite]

I wear small continuous hoop earrings that I only take off when I wear other earrings for nice occasions. They never bother me when I sleep.
posted by the_wintry_mizzenmast at 3:14 PM on November 15, 2015 [4 favorites]

Yeah, you can take them off, it just takes some effort.
posted by phunniemee at 3:16 PM on November 15, 2015

Best answer: Have you ruled out sleepers for some reason? They're small, thin hoops, usually about 1 cm in diameter, often gold. The bit that goes through your ear tucks into the hoop to form a circle without poky bits. They should be available just about anywhere within your price range.
posted by peppermind at 3:17 PM on November 15, 2015 [4 favorites]

Response by poster: I'd never heard of sleeper earrings! And somehow they didn't come up in my googling for earrings for sleeping. Must have been the gerund. Thank you!
posted by Salamandrous at 3:29 PM on November 15, 2015 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I use one of these plastic stopper dealies to keep an upper ear cartilage piercing in, and in the five years I've done it this way (instead of using the butterfly-style backs) it's never once come out unless I've taken it out on purpose. I wear it like this 24/7.

It's a chunky star-shaped stud, but I forget it's there 99% of the time - I only notice it when I'm sleeping on that side of my head at a certain angle or when the arm of my sunglasses clacks into it. If you found a flatter stud design (I've seen lots of swirls and wire patterns like this), that plus the plastic stopper thingy should equal a secure and unintrusive earring experience.
posted by terretu at 3:36 PM on November 15, 2015

these aren't *entirely* un-lose-able, but are very comfortable to sleep in, go with everything and cheap as all get out.
posted by Lucinda at 3:58 PM on November 15, 2015

Best answer: If you like stud style earrings, these are good. They have 30% off sales regularly if you sign up for email.

https://comfyearrings.com/
posted by momus_window at 3:59 PM on November 15, 2015 [1 favorite]

Small hoops work great for me for this. I get them for $1-3 each at a random shop near where I work, I leave them in my second earring hole and basically only take them out when I get a haircut (which, after about three years, is also the only time I've ever managed to lose one.) No pokey bits because they're the slip-in kind, and I don't feel them at all.
posted by jameaterblues at 4:00 PM on November 15, 2015

Best answer: Not hoops, but have you considered screw-back studs? I've never had them come out unless I purposely unscrew them.
posted by easily confused at 4:14 PM on November 15, 2015 [3 favorites]

Response by poster: Thank you so much! I've been introduced to multiple promising search terms: captive bead earrings, sleeper earrings, and screw-back. Plus, a promising source for backs I can attach to any other earrings. Now comes the indecision :)
posted by Salamandrous at 4:27 PM on November 15, 2015 [1 favorite]

I have a pair of earrings similar to these small hammered silver disks BUT I switched out the finding to leverbacks. They are secure, I never feel them when I sleep in them and they are easy to switch out.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 4:33 PM on November 15, 2015

Came in to recommend leverbacks as well. If you want something subtle just pick a simple bead in your preferred colour of metal. Something like this.

As TWinbook8 said, you can often adapt your favourite earrings to a better-for-you system, so if you have a pair you particularly like, just ask your local jeweller to order in some leverbacks for you. My choice would be to do them in gold, but that's entirely up to you.
posted by sardonyx at 4:58 PM on November 15, 2015

I have three captive bead rings in each ear, and don't notice them at all. They've stayed put for… 17 years? And yes, you can take them out and swap in other earrings (depending on your piercing location).
posted by culfinglin at 5:29 PM on November 15, 2015

I have worn the same earrings for many years, hell decades. They are small silver hoops and studs, very basic. They don't come loose and have been there so long that when I've had to take them out for medical procedures, I feel naked without them.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 5:35 PM on November 15, 2015

I find the continuous hoops easier to swap out than anything with a ball closure or captive bead. Anytime I've used them (and I did for my nose) it's always super difficult to put them in and I would end up dropping that tiny bead a ton of times. If you do use them, pull the stopper on your sink so you don't drop the bead down the drain. Anything with a stud pokes my head but I'm a side sleeper. Also, if you wear earrings regularly, after you ears heal they shouldn't really close. You may only have a slight issue if you go years without wearing anything.
posted by Crystalinne at 6:00 PM on November 15, 2015

Question - do you want earrings you can wear all the time for the simplicity of it? Or because you're scared that not wearing earrings 24/7 will cause the holes to close up? If it's the latter, you don't need to worry about that. Once your ears heal, they're not going to close overnight if you wear earrings during the day. Hell, most people who have had their ears pierced for long enough can go a very long time without earrings, no problem.

But if you do want to wear earrings all the time, I'd go with continuous hoops.
posted by radioamy at 8:49 PM on November 15, 2015 [1 favorite]

I currently am wearing a set of "Huggie" (not those, that's just a random example of the type) hoops, which click closed a couple of times, and some (dangly, actually) leverbacks, and I sleep in both of them.
posted by leahwrenn at 11:02 PM on November 15, 2015

I wear these small gold huggie hoops night and day, size 8mm.
posted by amaire at 11:16 PM on November 15, 2015

I have three holes in each earlobe and sleep in all six of these from ASOS with no problems.
posted by ellieBOA at 4:05 AM on November 16, 2015

Go with gold sleeper hoop earrings. If you get the hinged variety they are easy to put in and take out. They look plain, but elegant enough to wear all the time.

The captive bead earrings are NOT as easy to take out and put back in, unless you are handy with a pair of pliers... I speak from experience of wearing them for a few years, losing the bead and chasing after it happened more than a few times. As they are typical of body piercing type looks, I would also evaluate whether you are ok with that consideration.

Post earrings stab me in the head at night.
posted by lizbunny at 7:29 AM on November 16, 2015

You should get your ears pierced at a tattoo/piercing parlor. Their technicians are trained better than the girls in the mall, and their piercing actually takes a tiny core sample from your ear, so it won't close up, even if you go without earrings for a bit. More info
posted by Jane Austen at 8:05 AM on November 16, 2015 [1 favorite]

When I was a carefree yout' and still had my ear piercing holes open, I wore the tiniest continuous loops that I could find, 24/7. At the time I was very active and very forgetful, and never lost them or had any trouble.

I had two that juuuuust barely cleared my earlobe, and if you weren't paying attention you could miss them entirely -- seriously, they were maybe a centimeter in diameter, sterling silver. I had to flex them a lot to open up enough to put in, but they always sprang back into shape.
posted by wenestvedt at 9:47 AM on November 16, 2015

I have a number of variations of these cuff earrings. I routinely forget they are there. They are beautiful and go with everything and don't come out.
posted by bearwife at 1:01 PM on November 16, 2015

Response by poster: I ended up getting "Comfy Earrings" and they're great. Thank you for all the recommendations! I can definitely see trying out different styles but now I can wait until I can try them in person.
posted by Salamandrous at 1:18 PM on December 16, 2015