Why Do Earrings Hurt My Ears? Four Reasons & Their Solutions
By Brooke Helton
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 five possible reasons why earrings may hurt your ears below. Plus, learn how to choose stylish jewelry options that your ears will love as much as you do.
Why earrings irritate your ears: Four possible reasons
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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, titanium is typically nickel-free, so it shouldn’t trigger a nickel allergy on its own. However, some types of titanium may have trace amounts of nickel.
On the other hand, high-quality stainless steel contains a small amount of nickel – anywhere from 9% to 28%. But this percentage isn’t enough to trigger most people’s symptoms. So, you should be able to rock stainless steel earrings without irritation.
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You’re wearing studs with a butterfly back
Even if you don’t have a metal allergy, the backing on your earrings could make you uncomfortable. Many earring studs have a “butterfly” style clasp, meaning the back has two curled-in loops that pinch the earring rod and hold it in place. It looks like a butterfly’s wings.
While we love a butterfly design motif on the front of an earring stud, a butterfly-style clasp on the back can be seriously uncomfortable for some people. Plus, butterfly clasps can also trap bacteria or sweat. That’s less than ideal if you have sensitive earlobes.
Solution: Choose a flat-back clasp
Instead of the butterfly clasp, we love flat-back earring clasps for sensitive ears. As the name suggests, they have a smooth, flat back without any bumpy elements. This allows them to sit flat against your earlobe, which can be way more comfortable for daily wear – you can even sleep in them!
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You’re wearing your earrings too tightly
Naturally, you want your earrings to stay secure throughout the day. But there is such a thing as overdoing it. Earrings that are too tight can restrict blood flow in the ear lobe, causing pressure and irritation and increasing the risk of infections.
Solution: Loosen up the clasp
While you don’t want your earrings to be so loose that they can fall off, you also don’t want them to squeeze your earlobes like a vice.
To ensure your earrings are clasped properly, give them a gentle tug after fastening them. They should stay in place without pinching your ears. If an earring comes loose after you tug, tighten it slightly until it stays in place.
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Your earrings need to be cleaned
“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.
Solution: Up your cleaning routine
Touching your earrings with dirty hands or forgetting to clean them can increase the risk of infections. So, always wash your hands before putting your earrings in.
Once your earrings are secure, try not to handle them throughout the day, and wash your hands again before taking them out. For daily wear, we suggest washing your earrings with a gentle soap and water.
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.
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 – like those made with hypoallergenic metals and flat backs. Remember to always clean your earrings and thoroughly wash your hands before inserting them, and don’t wear them too tightly on your ears.
Oh, and by the way, if you’re looking for adorable, affordable earrings made with allergy-friendly metals and flat backs, CordsClub has you covered. If you sign up for our free club membership (yes, free), you can get a monthly discount code delivered straight to your inbox. Check it out if you love earrings as much as we do!
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/
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/
