stinky stretched ears

Smelly Stretched Ears

We have all been there.  While we stretch our ears we notice a little bit of a stink.  Some are lucky to never have this problem, but this article is for the people with ear stank.

The stink in your ear comes from dead skin and oil produced by your skin called sebum.  The sebum and the dead skin get trapped in your piercings if you constantly keep your plugs/tunnels in.  It is a result of sebum and dead skin being trapped in your hole. 

How to fix the stinky stretched ears

The best way to fix this issue is to do the same thing that you do with the rest of your body.  Shower and clean.    You do not need to do this constantly.  Too much cleaning could lead to irritation and possible infection... so maybe just 2-3 times a week.  You might also want to let your ear breathe.  Take the plugs or hangers out of your ears and wash them. Wash with warm water and use soap (just like you do in a shower :)    Some type of moisturizer on your ears can also be helpful.

The odor will be stronger while you are stretching your ears.  This is because the ear is trying to heal and will produce more sebum and dead skin.  When you get to your desired ear gauge you will notice less of an odor.

The second half of stinky stretched ears
The other part of the smell is the plug itself.  The skin cells and sebum can also be collected on the actual plug.  This is also easily solved by keeping your plugs clean.  Use natural oils such as jojoba.

Wood plugs reduce ear odor?

The best material to use is organic material.  Use bone, horn, or wood plugs.  Wood plugs allow your piercings to breathe.  This allows your ears and plugs to collect less dead skin and sebum.  This means less odor.  Other materials will increase the odor of your ears.

swan stretched ear plugs


What is your story?  Do you have a good story about stinky ears?  Do you have a good remedy on how to reduce the smell?  Comment below.
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21 comments

Alright, so people freak out about this topic. Unless you have very, very poor hygiene no one will be able to smell your ears. Of course, if you touch your lobes and then sniff your fingertips you’ll smell that cheesy smell.
First of all, don’t let this be a turn off for stretching your ears. Even with new, healing piercings you will suffer the smell.
Bottom line is just clean, clean, CLEAN. If you take a shower, allow the water to run over your ears. Hold your hair back and allow the water to just flow.
My morning routine of cleaning my face consists of me removing my jewelry and cleaning it. With the towel I used on my face I will rinse it clean and pat my lobes. Use Jojoba oil on my lobes and cleaned jewelry, insert, and go about my day.
Just clean your stretched ears and jewelry. Having stretched ears or piercings requires good hygiene otherwise you’re inviting infections.
Now do some research on different organic materials. Some are better than others when it comes to keeping down the smell. But again your stretched ears are not going to be just reeking and flowing with stench.
If that were the case I doubt anyone would stretch their ears.

Rachael Young

Definitely do not use Vasoline as a lubricant. It’s made of disgusting crap and PETROL. Not only that, it does NOT let your skin breathe.
I use Vitamin E or Jojoba. If you’re using cheap jewelry, stop. Invest in your ears. Having jewelry cut out because you can’t take care of yourself is not cool…and the antiseptic and pills they will give you in the ER is way more expensive than $30 in a pair of organic plugs and $6 in oil.
I clean my metal with regular soap and water and a soft cloth. No brushes or rough stuff. A minor scratch can be magnified with putting jewelry back in.

Jade

I usually wear glass or acrylic plugs and hangers. The best way I have found to keep your ears waned longer and have no smell, is to wash your ears and plugs, then put a very small amount of vasaline on your ear. Vasaline also helps when streching your ears out because it allows the taper or plug to slide in easier (and keeps ears moisturized) without tearing the skin.

Jess

Wooden Hangars ftw! They always keep the stank away and definately need to keep ears and jewelry clean! I’ve never tried bone though, would like to try though!

Krista

My ears rarely smell in general, but when they do, i just wash them while in the shower. I clean my metal tunnels once a week or once every two weeks. Whenever I remember. Im sure wood ones would be even better if they cause less of a smell. Id rarely have to worry about it.
Though, i do need to use something to moisturize my ears, other than regular lotions. They tend to not feel great. Maybe that oil yall mentioned would help.

Modified Rabbit

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