Gross Anatomy

The current flu epidemic across the US has sparked a wave of articles, blogs and television news features on reducing the spread of germs. It’s good practice and certainly something that we should follow even if there’s not a flu outbreak. Good hygiene however, extends past washing your hands or taking a shower. It also applies to earrings.  

Proper care for new piercings has a pretty specific protocol. Clean your ears with an approved solution, twist the earrings on a regular basis and never touch your new piercing with dirty hands. But what about care for older piercings? Once a piercing is healed, can we just forget about caring for it?

Clients regularly come to me in the studio saying they want to get new earrings but their ears keep getting infected when they wear them. In actuality, ears that have been pierced for a long time are rarely infected. So here’s where it gets a bit gross.

If there’s a nasty smell when you take your earrings out, it’s usually a mix of skin cells and natural oils getting clogged all up in there, rather than an infection. If there is some redness around the piercing, it’s likely irritation and will go away with proper care. Here are some easy steps to follow…

• Take your earrings out swab them with alcohol
• In the shower, let warm water run over the piercings
• Wash the piercing tunnel occasionally with antibacterial soap to clean off skin cells that can collect on the earring and create odor
• Wash bed linens regularly to prevent the build up of skin cells and dander
• Wear solid gold! If you suspect that you are having a contact allergy around your piercing, make sure that the earrings you’re wearing aren’t plated. Pieces made from Nickel and other metals can cause irritation for some people.

Lastly, find some awesome earrings (gold of course) and create your Ear Story!

Have fun, be creative and feel fabulous!