Why does my earring hole stink

You get a wide variety of earrings including studs, hoops, heavy earrings, to name but a few. Also, some people love piercings so much that they get multiple piercings done just to look bold and different. While it heals with time, you may experience a strange smell coming out of your piercing. Have you ever experienced that?

When you change your earring, you may notice a foul smell coming out of your previous earring as well as piercing. Why this occurs and what can be done to treat it. Find everything in this article.

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.

Our ear piercing curator allows Spoiler alert: this is a semi-gross topic. If you have worn the same pair of earrings without cleaning them for a few days, you may have noticed that an odor develops. If this has happened to you, you are not alone. It also isn't something that should cause you to worry. It is totally normal albeit kind of gross , but it does not mean that you have an infected ear piercing or that you are reacting to your earrings. The smell comes from naturally occurring oil, bacteria, and dead skin cells.

Your ear piercing sites are the perfect breeding ground for this mixture. Your body is constantly renewing and replacing skin cells and ears can be a harder place to clean, leading to a build-up of cells and oils — which tend to pong when left pressed against the skin thanks to the earring back.

People who never take out their earrings and those whose piercings have been stretched also have a higher chance of cheesy ears. For the reasons behind the funky smell and tips for how to deal, Bustle spoke to a certified germ expert and a dermatologist for everything you need to know.

Remember that a piercing is a wound to your body. According to him, one main culprit behind the smell is the production of sebum, or your skin's natural oils. Mona Gohara, M. She explains that sebum buildup can happen around your earring hole a not-so-frequently cleansed area and create a cheesy odor.

So it's basically a combo of oil and dirt in an area where the sun doesn't shine. The second reason for the bad smell is bacteria that's linked to a possible infection, says Tetro.