What is the gunk on earrings? (2024)

What is the gunk on my earrings?

What Is the Gunk On My Earrings? A. The gunk you're referring to is sometimes called ear cheese. It's a mixture of dead cells, bacteria, sweat and oils that accumulate because of natural bodily processes and a lack of exfoliation in the area.

An infected ear piercing may be red, swollen, sore, warm, itchy or tender. Sometimes the piercing oozes blood or white, yellow or greenish pus. A new piercing is an open wound that can take several weeks to fully heal. During that time, any bacteria (germs) that enter the wound can lead to infection.

The green residue left on your skin is the metal reacting to your sweat or lotion soaked skin; it's harmless and can typically be found in anything other than stainless steel and white gold. Good news! The Earring Doctor has found the solution to this minor chameleon effect.

Your skin secretes a natural oil called sebum which can mix with the dead cells in your piercings and cause a buildup. This buildup serves as a great environment for bacteria to thrive and hence you end up with a foul smell.

"Tight and larger earring backs can accumulate more sweat and sebum, as well as make it more difficult to clean or wash when in the shower," says Dr. Patel, who points out that those big plastic backs are major culprits for gathering funky gunk.

Your piercing might be infected if: the area around it is swollen, painful, hot, very red or dark (depending on your skin colour) there's blood or pus coming out of it – pus can be white, green or yellow.

In fact, ears sometimes secrete a white to yellow thin liquid while healing from a piercing, and sebum from your oil glands can also collect on your piercings. “If your discharge is light in color and not accompanied by pain, redness, warmth or swelling, it is probably not infected,” Shah said.

You might even see some white or clear fluid from the piercing — this is lymph fluid, not pus. Dr. Wexler adds that this is normal and may be noticeable for several days after your piercing.

This is why board-certified dermatologist Shari Sperling, DO recommends cleaning your earrings at least once week, which is enough to help you "avoid dirt and bacteria buildup and prevent infection, bad odor, and debris that [accumulates] on earrings," she says.

Is it OK? The general rule of thumb is to avoid sleeping in earrings, with one exception: when you get a new piercing. You'll need to keep these small studs in for 6 weeks or longer, or until your piercer gives you the OK.

Why do my ears turn black when I wear earrings?

The blackening of earrings is usually due to the oxidation of the metal or tarnishing. This is caused by exposure of the earrings to air and other factors such as moisture, cosmetics, and sulfur. When this happens, a blackish film forms on the surface of the metal.

To help speed up the healing process, Bubbers recommends wearing earrings made of implant-grade metal so your body will form a healed layer around the metal. You also should avoid going any longer than 24 hours without wearing earrings for the first six months of a new piercing to prevent the hole from closing.

Because of its shape and tiny skin folds, belly buttons can collect dirt, sweat, and bacteria. In fact, the average belly button contains about 67 types of bacteria. 1 This buildup can lead to a smell and even infection. Your belly button may smell because of a hygiene need or an infection caused by bacteria or fungus.

An allergic reaction to the nickel used to make many earrings is one of the most common reasons why the jewelry could be making your ears itch. In fact, a nickel allergy is the most common cause of contact dermatitis, which causes and itchy rash, according to MayoClinic.com.

Infected ear piercings

Bacteria can also infect healed ear piercings, especially if the piercing is unclean. Infected ear piercings sometimes smell bad. Pus, dead skin, and other drainage from the infection can stick to earring posts and backs. This can cause a bad smell to linger.

If you've experienced itching, pain, or drainage from your ear, this could indicate an ear infection affecting the ear canal. Sometimes, even if the infection inside the ear canal has cleared, bacteria or fungi might remain . This can cause a cheeselike smell behind your ears.

All silver tarnishes over time, and most piercers warn against wearing sterling silver in a new, unhealed piercing. Sterling silver will likely tarnish, and the blackish oxidization will become trapped inside the healing tissue, where it can leave a permanent black or gray "tattoo" mark at the piercing site.

Clean with a clean cotton pad or swab dipped in salt solution. You can make this solution by mixing 1 teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water. Use this around the pierced area a few times a day to remove any bacteria.

Dermatologists caution against removal as the infection can get trapped if the hole closes. Plus, if yours is infected and you don't actually want your hole to close permanently, you can lose the piercing altogether upon removal.

Why does my earring hole hurt after years?

An infected ear piercing can also develop years after a person got the original piercing. Usually, the infections are minor, and people can treat them at home without complications. Touching the piercing too often with dirty hands or not cleaning the area can lead to infections.

It's best to leave it in unless a doctor says otherwise because the hole can close up and trap bacteria or pus inside. Don't try to squeeze the pus out either because you may introduce more bacteria into the piercing site.

Turns out it's a mix of skin cells and natural oils getting clogged all up in there. Um, gross. Luckily, there's a super easy way to prevent—or get rid of—that funky smell if you notice it.

Your frenulum has to be thick enough to support the jewelry, but the piece of tissue is still rather small. Because of this, the piercing may hurt a bit more than a lip or earlobe piercing. Your individual pain tolerance is also a factor.

Ear piercings can stretch over time, especially with the repeated and frequent wear of heavy earrings that pull and elongate the skin tissues in the region. A once tiny hole can become a very large hole - either via intentional body art modification or unwanted stretching of the earlobe over time.

If you didn't turn the earrings, you ran the risk of your skin growing over the back! GROSS! Piercings performed by professionals will allow your piercing room to comfortably swell. If you start twisting it, there are a lot of less than ideal things that will happen.

Yes, you can take your earrings out after 6-8 weeks if they feel ready, but don't leave them out! They will still close quickly since they're relatively new. Leave your earrings in as often as you can for roughly a year before going extended periods without them.

Only remove your earrings after the amount of time recommended by your piercer, usually at least six weeks. If you take the earrings out too early, the holes could close or become infected. If you have long hair, tie it back so you can easily get to your ears.

#1: Take Earrings Out Before Showering

To properly wash your earlobes, you must remove your earrings and gently massage the earlobe with water and soap. Also, earrings can get damaged when they come in contact with liquid, so removing earrings before showering will help preserve them.

Well, not exactly. Do ear piercings close? Yes, but they generally close quicker the sooner you take them out following having your lobes pierced. The longer you have the best huggie earrings or those studs in for, the longer the holes will take to heal.

How do you get rid of gunk in earrings?

Hydrogen peroxide is a great option for jewelry cleaning. It acts as a disinfectant and washes away grime. If your earrings need a quick sprucing up, put some peroxide on a cotton pad, then carefully use the pad to clean all over the earring.

Repeated wear of nickel-based jewelry can cause red, itchy rashes, and sleeping in these earrings overnight could also increase your risk of developing eczema around your ears. The best way to avoid nickel allergies is to wear earrings made from surgical steel, sterling silver, or at least 18-karat gold.

How often should I clean my earrings? If you are wearing the same pair all the time, it's good to clean your earrings weekly. If you are switching between pairs, you can clean them monthly or as needed. If you have sensitive ears, you'll want to try to clean your earrings more often.

The green color is from a chemical reaction called oxidation between the copper metal and things like water or chemicals. The same reaction can happen with your jewelry. Some jewelry is made of copper, with silver or gold on top.