Stretched Smelly Ears

Mar 1, 2013

Alicia W.

I stretch my ears, anyone have any tips to get rid of the smell?

Mar 1, 2013

Cam S.

Try using the plastic ones.

Mar 1, 2013

Julianne J.

I'm sure you clean them already, but if you're unsure use rubbing alcohol or piercing solution on them a couple times a day. And make sure you stretch slowly as to avoid blow outs (keloids/scarring).

Mar 1, 2013

Chelsea W.

Alcohol is not good to use on piercings and especially stretched ears. Acrylic tends to smell bad because its porous and can retain bacteria. I wear glass or metal plugs and was them daily with antibacterial soap and water. And try using jojoba oil daily on your lobes to keep them healthy and happy.

Mar 1, 2013

Lindsay N.

Hey Chelsea! I use to use this on my belly button...
http://www.painfulpleasures.com/xcart/customer/product.php?productid=7678&cat=0&page=1

Mar 1, 2013

Hazel G.

You could get a wooden plug/tunnel- my boyfriend has one and his hardly smells, also obviously keep it very clean, but I'm assuming you already know that lol.

Mar 1, 2013

Hazel G.

Also if your going to get a metal one make sure its not titanium because you have to constantly keep taking them out and putting them back in, skin grows over it because of the chemical compound =]

Mar 1, 2013

Trish F.

I've had surgical steel ones and even those stunk! You just need to clean them daily.

Mar 1, 2013

Katharina C.

Wooden plugs , the bigger you the more the smell stops. just wash everyday when you shower , and put lotion around before you leave your house , lol if you stay small like I am , were going to be stuck with the smell forever :p

Mar 1, 2013

Megan M.

Wash them every day.

Mar 1, 2013

Julianne J.

At Chelsea w. why is rubbing alcohol bad? does it dry out your skin? I've probably been messing up my ears for years and never knew it!

Mar 1, 2013

Lauren M.

Julianne- yes, it dries them out. it's loads better to use antibacterial soap and water.

Mar 1, 2013

Evelyn S.

Silicone ones work really good for me, I'd stay away from the acrylic plugs or tapers.

Mar 1, 2013

Chelsea W.

@julianne yeah it dries out your skin and when stretching and dry lobes can cause blowouts

Mar 3, 2013

Katy M.

Silicone doesn't smell. That's the only thing I can wear in my ears that doesn't smell. I also just saw that at hot topic they have an ear deodorant for that exact problem.

Mar 3, 2013

Sarah T.

Try using wooden plugs and stretchers they don't smell, its just a build up of plasma, I used to stretch my ears and had the same problem its natural just keep washing your ears and wearing wooden accessories really works, metal ones will make your ears smell the most though.

Mar 3, 2013

Lindsey E.

Definitely don't use plastic.. my boyfriend has stretched his ears for years and every professional he's ever met has told him to not use plastic. use surgical steel or glass and clean your ears and plugs with a bar of soap and water daily. If you are in the middle of stretching use neosporan rather than rubbing alcohol. the neosporan prevents scarring which makes it easier to stretch more in the future. make sure you go slowly and wait at least a month after every stretch. make sure you spin them a couple times a day while stretching to keep them from crusting up and getting stuck and while you are stretching since you can't take them out of your ears to clean them, kind of push the plug to one side and the other and clean it with a wet q-tip and soap and rinse very well. hope this all helps!!

Mar 3, 2013

Lindsey E.

^^ Just an edit to my above post, *definitely don't use plastic to STRETCH. Scientifically, silicone is very porous and holds bacteria very easily. And while wood is better, it also is porous and not a very good idea to stretch with. Once your ears are stretched and healed, feel free to use what you would like, but again the porous materials will hold more sweat and bacteria which will lead to them smelling more. good luck!

Mar 3, 2013

Natalie T.

I was actually surprised to hear that people's stretched ears/earrings smelled since I never had that problem...! I always stretched with spiral tapers and I still continue to wear spiral jewelry in mostly wood, horn, bone, or hematite (and other stones), and mine never smell. I think because they can so easily slide back and forth-they don't just sit in one tight space collecting bacteria in one area... When I wear wood tunnels I often take them out and clean them, but I find spirals to be much less maintenance and they don't cause mine to smell at all. (Just an observation, I don't know if this happens for everyone).

Mar 4, 2013

Lauren M.

I agree with natalie. whenever I wear spirals they don't smell, but when I wear plugs or tapers I can smell it more.

Mar 4, 2013

Jennifer R.

Using natural materials is meant to be better for your ears. wood or bone. I use the steel ones sometimes too. Like everyone said, just keep it clean. I also put savlon on now and then to keep away infection.

Mar 4, 2013

Alecia L.

I used to have really smelly plugs. then I realized I wasn't cleaning them enough. I didnt do much research whem I first started. now I take them out everytime I shower amd wash them with my shmpoo or soap and then when I get out use vitamin e oil.

Mar 4, 2013

Shelby L.

As a professional piercer/tattoo artist I recomend metal mafias new product "funk off" my ears are stretched and they deffinently do not smell as bad. daily upkeep cleaning your jewelery AND ear to get the dead skin and bacteria out of it.

Mar 4, 2013

Nilla M.

Clean the inside regularly with a gentle antibacterial soap. Don't use plastic plugs. Natural materials such as stone or wood are ideal.

Mar 4, 2013

Simonee W.

The smell is from dead skin cells