A right pair of earrings complete your look and enhance the personality. You are never fully dressed without earrings. There is a wide variety of earrings that you can adorn including studs, hoops and heavy earrings. Besides, you can get different earrings in different metals and prices as per your budget and preference. Some women also have multiple piercings which is okay but over time, you may experience a strange smell from those piercings. When you change your earrings, you may encounter this foul smell which might worry you. In this article, we have decoded the cause of this problem along with some remedies that may help get rid of it.
Why piercing smell bad?
There are numerous reasons behind it, but one of them is a buildup of dead cells in the pierced holes. When you wear ear jewellery for longer without changing it, chances are that dead cells may buildup around the hole. This would not only cause a foul smell but you would also notice a thick textured plaque. People who regularly change their earrings experience this problem less often.
This smell can vary from person to person. And if you are going through the same, then here are some simple steps to get rid of that piercing stink.
Also Read: Reasons To Avoid Poking Ears & Accept Your Earwax
Clean your piercings
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.
- Cleaning your piercings regularly with warm water and soap can help prevent these buildups and keep your piercings fresh and clean.
- If you are already suffering from a case of nasty smelling ear piercing then you can wash your earlobe under warm running water, using an anti-bacterial cleanser.
Clean your jewellery
Even if your ears are all clean, the sebum and oils can stick to the earrings and cause bacterial growth. This is particularly for people who wear artificial or junk jewellery. Make sure to clean your earrings once in a while to avoid smelly piercings. You can use anti-bacterial wipes to wipe the grime off your earrings.
Also Read: Ringing Sound: What Does It Mean For The Ears
Choose your Jewellery carefully
Many jewellery options for ear piercings such as studs can cause the dead cells to be trapped inside the piercing and cause ear infection. There is no room for movement and the bacteria stay trapped in there for long periods of time.
- Try choosing rings that can move freely and hence can allow your skin to breathe.
- Also, make sure to avoid metals that can cause allergic reactions.
- Many people have allergic reactions to metals like nickel. This can cause the skin around the piercings to inflame and can be the beginning of an infection.
Do not over-clean your ears
In an effort to make their piercings bacteria-free, many people go overboard and end up irritating the sensitive skin on the earlobes. Any harsh chemicals present in the strong antibacterial agents can cause redness and inflammation of already sensitive skin. Your usual soap and warm water are enough to keep your piercings clean.
Apart from all these aforesaid measures, you must also ensure to take care of your piercings. Occasionally, after cleaning your ear piercings do not wear earrings and let your skin breathe for some time. Also, remember to remove your earrings before you go to sleep to avoid the foul smell especially if you wear artificial jewellery. This would also cut down the risk of infections.
