Ear cheese, also known as ear wax or cerumen, is a natural substance that can accumulate in the crevices of earrings and cause irritation. It's important to avoid getting it in your jewellery, as it can be difficult to remove once it has built up. Here are some tips to help you keep your earrings free from ear cheese.
“Ear cheese” is natural and is just a part of having pierced ears. Ear cheese is caused by a build-up of oil and dead skin cells you've shed. Ever go to adjust your earring in a public place only to realize that now your fingers smell awful? Your body is continually renewing and replacing skin cells.
Hydrogen peroxide and alcohol are also great for cleaning jewelry, and killing the bacteria that causes them to smell bad. This should lift most of the grease, dead cells, oily secretions and grime from the jewelry.
If you have ear cheese, the first thing you should do is remove the earring to let your ear breathe a bit. If you've had the same earrings on for weeks on end, they probably need some air circulation to freshen things up.
Allergies and certain products like soaps and body washes can also lead to crusty ears if they contain harsh chemicals that can strip the natural oil from the skin. Other causes of dry and crusty ears can include dehydration, stress, smoking, swimming in a heavily chlorinated pool, or excessive sun exposure.
Earring holes can start to smell due to a buildup of sweat, dirt, and bacteria. To prevent this, clean your earrings regularly with soap and water. Additionally, switch out your earrings every few days to give your ears a break and reduce the bacteria that builds up around the hole.
Signs of an infection
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.
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.
Two of the most prevalent components in Caucasian earwax, the researchers found, are hexanoic acid, which has a barnyard animal odor, and isovaleric acid, which smells like dirty socks and parmesan cheese.
If it's just discharge and no other signs of infection, it is normal. There are dead blood cells mixing with plasma, which can turn into a red/brown liquid. It will dry up and form a crust. Don't pick it off.
Sebum is an oil that the skin creates to provide a waterproof exterior, and the skin around a piercing will naturally shed. These discharges mixed with dirt from lack of cleaning can also oxidize, leaving a black or grey gunk. This gunk can be pushed out with a clean earring or washed out with warm soap and water.
If your ears are plugged, try swallowing, yawning or chewing sugar-free gum to open your eustachian tubes. If this doesn't work, take a deep breath and try to blow out of your nose gently while pinching your nostrils closed and keeping your mouth shut. If you hear a popping noise, you know you have succeeded.
Yeast infection
Yeast tends to grow in warm and moist areas. As a result, people who sweat a lot or those who do not regularly clean the area behind their ears may develop a yeast infection. Yeast infections tend to itch and may produce a beer- or bread-like smell.
Gently wash your piercings with a mild, fragrance-free soap and water at least once a day. Thoroughly rinse your piercings after washing them. Using petroleum jelly that comes in a squeeze tube, gently apply a thin coat around each opening. Keep an eye on your ears.
Earwax shouldn't really smell like anything. If it does, then it could be a signal that you have an infection or damage to the middle part of the ear. Foul-smelling discharge, problems with your sense of balance, ringing in the ears, or a feeling that your ears are full may be an indication of middle ear issues.
It is advisable to take your favourite earrings off from time to time to let your ears “breathe”. The reason behind this is that your earrings could trap dirt and bacteria (or shampoo) if you leave them on 24/7, which can lead to infections.
--Never spin the jewelry, move it back and forth, or move it while you're cleaning it. The jewelry may feel tight or like it's not moving around and that is OK. It will move around on it's own. --In your shower, avoid any shampoo, conditioner or soap on the piercing.
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.
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.
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.
The general rule is to avoid wearing earrings while sleeping, with the exception of when you get a new piercing. You will need to keep these small studs in place for 6 weeks or so, or until the piercing heals.
Crustiness, on the other hand, is the buildup of seepage that results from the body trying to heal the piercing as it would any other wound. Typically these are light or near-colorless and should reduce as the piercing, and healing process, matures.