WHY DO EARRINGS HURT MY EARS? 
3 REASONS & THEIR SOLUTIONS

By: Brooke Helton

Published: May 25, 2025 

You love the sparkle a pair of earrings can bring to your look. But you don’t love dealing with issues like redness, puffiness, itching, or other irritation afterward. What gives? 

 

“Earrings may irritate your ears for a variety of reasons,” says Zev Schulhof, DMD, MD, physician and surgeon at Iconic Implants. This can include issues like metal allergies, the earring’s clasp style, or dirty earrings. 

 

So, before you break up with your jewelry, discover 3 possible reasons why earrings may hurt your ears. Plus, learn how to choose jewelry options that your ears will love as much as you do.

WHY EARRINGS IRRITATE YOUR EARS: 
THREE POSSIBLE REASONS

  • YOU HAVE A METAL ALLERGY

  • YOU'RE WEARING BUTTERFLY FLAT BACK STUDS

  • YOUR EARRINGS NEED TO BE CLEANED

1. YOU HAVE A METAL ALLERGY

“Some people are sensitive to metals such as nickel,” says Dr. Schulhof. In fact, it’s estimated that 15 to 16% of women and 4 to 5% of men have nickel allergies. 

 

Nickel is often mixed with metals like gold to strengthen jewelry and help it withstand wear and tear. But if you’re one of the lucky ones with a nickel allergy, you may experience symptoms like inflammation, dryness, or blistering when jewelry containing nickel touches your skin. Sound familiar?

SOLUTION: CHOOSE HYPOALLERGENIC METALS 

Luckily, people with nickel allergies don’t have to miss out on earrings. Instead, you can choose options made from hypoallergenic metals, like stainless steel or implant-grade titanium. 

 

Titanium allergies are much less common than nickel – only around 0.6% of people are allergic to implant-grade titanium. Plus, implant-grade titanium is nickel-free, so it won’t trigger a nickel allergy on its own.

 

Most people with nickel allergies can comfortably rock high-quality stainless steel earrings without irritation. While some stainless steel has a small amount of nickel, most people find that it isn’t enough to trigger symptoms. 

See for yourself!

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2. YOU’RE WEARING STUDS WITH A BUTTERFLY BACK 

Even if you don’t have a metal allergy, your earring backs can be another culprit when it comes to irritation and discomfort. Many stud earrings have a “butterfly” style clasp. These common earring backs have two curled-in loops that look like butterfly wings, which work together to pinch the earring rod and hold it in place. 

We love a cute butterfly design on the front of an earring (they’re a Cords Club favorite-check them out here!). But a butterfly-style earring back can be seriously uncomfortable with its bulk and pokey edges. Plus, butterfly backs also trap bacteria & sweat. That grimy build-up is a recipe for irritation, and the looping metal design is difficult to clean– definitely less-than-ideal for any sensitive earlobes!

SOLUTION: GIVE FLAT BACK EARRINGS A TRY

Instead of the butterfly clasp, we love flat back earrings for sensitive ears. As the name suggests, they have a smooth, flat back without any curling metal loops. 

This means that flat back studs don’t have those pesky nooks & crannies to catch sweat and bacteria. Plus, they are super easy to clean. Their simple design also allows them to sit flat against your earlobe, which is way more comfortable for daily wear – you can even sleep in them! They are a game changer for easily-irritated ears. 

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4.9

rated by thousands of customers

FLAT BACK STUDS

Cute, comfortable, and safe for sensitive ears.

All-Day

Comfort

Safe for Sensitive 

Skin

365-Day

Warranty

SHOP HERE

3. YOUR EARRINGS NEED TO BE CLEANED 

No matter what style earring back you choose, clean earrings will always mean happier ears. “Poor hygiene can also cause issues with earrings, as it increases the risk of infection,” says Dr. Schulhof. 

 

While infections are most common in new piercings, you can still get minor infections after the usual six-week healing period. These infections can cause uncomfortable symptoms like redness, swelling, and tenderness. If you’re experiencing symptoms of an infection, it’s a good idea to let your doctor check it out – especially if the swelling is spreading.

SOLUTION: STEP UP YOUR CLEANING ROUTINE 

Touching your earrings with dirty hands or forgetting to clean your earrings can increase the risk of irritation or infections.  

 

To start, it’s always smart to wash your hands before you put your earrings in. Once your earrings are secure, try not to handle them throughout the day– the more you touch your earrings, the more chances you have to introduce bacteria, afterall! Then, wash your hands again before you take your earrings out. 

It’s also important to clean your earrings regularly. For daily wear, we suggest washing your earrings with a warm bowl of water and mild soap. Give them a gentle scrub with a soft toothbrush or cotton swab, then follow up with a quick rinse.  This simple routine will help your earrings keep their sparkle– and your ears will thank you!

CONCLUSION: WHY DO EARRINGS IRRITATE MY EARS

If your ears don’t get along with most earrings, you don’t need to sacrifice your sense of style to keep them comfortable. Instead, you can fill your jewelry box with earrings designed for sensitive ears.  Also remember to thoroughly wash your hands when you change your earrings, and to give your earrings a regular cleaning. Clean, hypoallergenic earrings with a comfy flat back design are a sensitive ear’s best friend!

If you love happy ears and affordable, cute earrings, Cords Club has you covered. Sign up for our free club membership (yes, free!), and  you’ll get a monthly discount code delivered straight to your inbox! Comfy flat backs, hypoallergenic materials, and gorgeous designs– what’s not love! Click the button below to join the club. We can’t wait to meet you!

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Frequently Asked Questions

I have really sensitive ears. What are your pieces made of?

My team and I have sensitive ears, too! Our goal is to provide high quality, affordable, hypoallergenic options for our sensitive-eared girlies. All materials are listed in each product's item description. We use stainless steel, surgical steel, and implant grade titanium in our earrings. These materials are rust and tarnish proof and won't turn your skin green. 

 

If your ears are extra extra sensitive, I recommend giving our flat back earrings a try! They're made of surgical grade materials. Less than 1% of the population is allergic to true implant grade titanium, which makes it the best metal for sensitive skin. 

To learn more about why implant grade titanium is awesome, read this peer-reviewed article: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/12/2/214
 

Note that our gold titanium flat back studs do have an 18K Gold PVD plating. If you have any additional questions, please don't hesitate to reach out. 
 

Is your jewelry waterproof?

Oh yeah! 99% of our earrings are waterproof. Unless otherwise stated (we have a few hand painted statement earrings), you're getting jewelry that you can get wet.

Do you offer discounts?

We are priced very fairly when you look at other brands with our same caliber of quality! We do have a monthly discount and an extra special yearly birthday discount for members of our Cords Club (it's free!). 

Do you have a loyalty rewards program?

We do! Earn rewards for such tasks as referring friends to Cords Club, making a purchase, following us on social media, and more! Find out more about our rewards program here.
 

Did you have rewards points with the old Indiecords site? Fear not! Reach out to hello@cordsclub.com with the details.

References

“Jewelry Metals 101: Gold, Silver, and Platinum - Gem Society.” International Gem Society, 13 Nov. 2023, www.gemsociety.org/article/jewelry-metals-overview 

 

Nickel Allergy. Nickel Institute. nickelinstitute.org/en/science/what-do-you-need-to-know-about-nickel-allergy/#:~:text=How%20many%20people%20are%20affected,of%20men%20are%20nickel%20sensitised 

 

Niedzielska, Iwona, et al. “Is Allergy to Titanium Bone Fixation Plates a Problem?” Coatings, vol. 12, no. 2, Feb. 2022, p. 214. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings12020214.  

 

Metal Sensitivity Statement. Acumed. https://www.acumed.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Acumed-Metal-Sensitivity-Statement-EN-GEN60-02-C.pdf 

 

Bench Tip 4 - How To Adjust Earring Backs. Gemological Institute of America www.gia.edu/bench-tip-how-to-adjust-earring-back.

 

Procedure Manual – 2013 Edition. Association of Professional Piercers. 2013. https://safepiercing.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/APP_Procedures_2013_A_Web.pdf  

 

Schmitt. Ear Pierced (Healed) Minor Infection. 2021. https://www.seattlechildrens.org/conditions/a-z/ear-piercing-symptoms/ 

Author

Brooke Helton is a freelance writer who loves covering the intersection between health and style. You can find her work in places like Forbes Health, Business Insider, mindbodygreen, Everyday Health, Market Watch, HelpGuide, and more. When she's not writing about herself in the third person, you can find Brooke catching up on her Kindle backlog or getting lost in the Appalachian countryside.

 

You can find her online here:

 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/freelancehealthandwellnesswriter/

https://www.forbes.com/health/author/brooke-helton/

https://www.businessinsider.com/author/brooke-helton

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