It's a build up of scar tissue, first of all. Buy some vitiman e pills (the kind with liquid in them) and pop them. Put some of that on your tragus a couple of times a day and the scar tissue will start to go away. As to getting the ball out, take a small pair of plier, stick the nose through the hole in the ring and open the pliers. It bend the ring, but it's for the best. Rings with screw on balls are easier to manage, so buy one of those to replace it.