It’s normal to notice some itching and tenderness
when it comes to new ear piercings. During the first weeks, your piercing might look slightly red or produce a crusty discharge as it heals. If you have a high ear piercing or cartilage piercing, you may also notice a small bump that forms around the piercing.
How do I stop my ears from itching when I wear earrings?
Many people are sensitive to nickel, which is present in a lot of jewelry. Even expensive earrings may contain traces of nickel. Another way to protect your ears from contact with the metal in your earrings is
to coat the posts or wires with clear nail polish
. This can also be done with rings.
Why do my ears get itchy when I wear earrings?
This
heightened sensitivity to the metal
is caused by the metal going through the skin (not just laying on top of it), causing a stronger reaction. You will usually see symptoms 12-48 hours after you come into contact with nickel. For example, you might see itching, redness, rash, or swelling of the skin.
How do you tell if your ears are allergic to earrings?
You’ll usually see symptoms 12 to 48 hours after you come into contact with nickel. You may notice
itching, redness, rash, dry patches, and swelling of the skin
. Sometimes blisters follow. They may break, leaving crusts and scales.
Why do my ears get infected when I wear earrings?
Causes of Pierced Ear Infections
Using earrings with dirty posts can cause infection.
Touching the earlobes with dirty hands may
also cause infection. Another common cause is earrings that are too tight. The post may be too short or the clasp put on too tight.
Will your ears close if you don’t wear earrings?
For best results, you should completely avoid going any
longer than 24 hours without
wearing your earrings for the first six months of the piercing to avoid the pierced hole closing. While there is less chance the pierced hole will close after this initial six months, it’s not completely unknown.
Can earrings cause itchy skin?
Nickel allergy
is a common cause of allergic contact dermatitis — an itchy rash that appears where your skin touches a usually harmless substance. Nickel allergy is often associated with earrings and other jewelry.
How do I know if my cartilage piercing is healing correctly?
Keep an eye out for signs of healing—and know how long you might have to wait. “Ear lobes usually take about two to three months to heal, and
cartilage takes about three to 10 months
. Once it stops hurting, swelling, and secreting fluid, and any redness disappears, it’s healed,” Smith explains.
What kind of earrings are hypoallergenic?
The best earrings for sensitive ears are generally made with
gold, platinum, or silver
. Make sure you buy earrings that are 14k gold or above or sterling silver 925 to avoid the possibility of nickel being mixed in.
Can you be allergic to all earrings?
People can be allergic to any metal
. Nickel is the most common metal allergy — that’s why you’ll notice many earrings labeled “nickel-free.” But nickel is not the only metal that results in an allergic reaction. Any metal can cause an allergic reaction, even gold.
What kind of earring is good for sensitive ears?
How to choose earrings for sensitive ears.
Platinum and stainless steel tend
to be less reactive, making them the best metals for hypoallergenic jewelry, says Marchbein. “These are also good options, along with plastic, for initial ear piercings, which can decrease the risk of developing ACD later on,” she explains.
How do you treat an irritated earring hole?
- Applying a warm compress to the infected earlobe or cartilage.
- Rinsing the infected earlobe with sterile saline.
- Using antibiotic ointment on the affected area.
- Taking oral antibiotics for more severe infections.
Why do my earrings get crusty?
If you just had your body pierced and you start to notice a crusty material around the piercing site, don’t worry.
Crusting after body piercing is perfectly normal
—this is just the result of your body trying to heal itself. 1 Dead blood cells and plasma make their way to the surface and then dry when exposed to air.
Why do my earlobes swell when I wear earrings?
Allergic reactions
, especially to certain kinds of jewelry, can cause one or both earlobes to swell. In most allergic reactions, the nickel in earrings can cause inflammation and swelling. Removing the earrings and choosing to wear those that don’t contain nickel can help with any remaining symptoms.
Can earring holes close up after 10 years?
It’s hard to predict how quickly your body will attempt to close a piercing, but as a general rule,
the newer it is, the more likely it will close up
. For instance: If your piercing is less than a year old, it can close in a few days, and if your piercing is several years old, it can take several weeks.
Is it bad to keep earrings in 24 7?
“You can potentially damage your jewelry by constantly wearing it, but
there are no major health risks to wearing jewelry every day
, which includes sleeping and showering,” she says (unless you’re wearing costume jewelry, but we’ll get to that later).
