Eyelet

I myself have a 6 gauge single-flared eyelet, and it's a pretty neat looking piece of jewelry. It's fun to lift things with it, and just the realization that you have a gaping hole through your ear can be amusing. Watch out though - I've squicked a few people with it, and I can't imagine prospective employers will love it, but it's a pretty unobtrusive way to have something special in your ear as long as you stick to high gauges.

Clean them daily. This might sound a bit of a hassle, but just do it while you're in the shower. Trust me, it's well worth it. If your jewelry is a little hard to get out, just try to get as much soap in there as possible.

Steel: First, make sure it's surgical grade before you buy it. Because of the amount of surface area in contact with the jewelry, you'll notice the difference real quick. If you're wearing jewelry that uses grommets (the rubber pieces that hold it in), change them often. And don't bother buying them from the local do rag wearing rip-off of a piercer. Just go down to Lowe's and look in the Plumbing aisle. They're the same thing. If your jewelry uses a screw fastener, please unsrew the damn thing and clean it occasionally.

Lucite: Please don't wear lucite. It horribly irritates most people's ears, and they don't know it. Plus, it smells much worse than steel. If you love it because it's lightweight and comes in pretty colors, feel free. Just remember that you have to take better care of it, because for most people it tends to deteriorate the skin.

Anything Else: You know better than that. Take that out of your ear and put something proper in it.

Eye"let` (?), n. [F., dim. of eve, fr. L. oculus. See Eye, and cf. Oillet.]

1.

A small hole or perforation to receive a cord or fastener, as in garments, sails, etc.

2.

A metal ring or grommet, or short metallic tube, the ends of which can be bent outward and over to fasten it in place; -- used to line an eyelet hole.

Eyelet hole, a hole made for an eyelet. -- Eyelet punch, a machine for punching eyelet holes and fastening eyelets, as in paper or cloth. -- Eyelet ring. See Eyelet, 2.

© Webster 1913.