Why is my Ear Piercing Smelly? 

What is happening? 

A gorgeous piece of statement earring is the perfect accessory, but ever notice on and off there is a bad smell from your earring hole? 

Your body secretes a substance called sebum as part of its normal everyday. It’s an oily secretion meant to lubricate the skin and make it waterproof.

Mix sebum with some dead skin cells and a little bit of bacteria, and you get some really potent smelling piercings! This is what that's causing the smell you had. 

What's next? 

You need to identity the smell is from a new piercing or a healed piercing hole? 

If its a healed piecing, probably just allergic or sensitive to the material in your earrings (nickel is the most common ingredient people have a reaction to), which could antagonize the surrounding skin in the form redness, tenderness, discharge, or itchiness.

If is new piecing, a little redness and slight crustiness is totally normal while it heals. But if your skin is raised or there’s a ring or bump forming around the piercing, your body may be telling you it’s not happy with your newest accessory,

What can I do ease sebum ear? 

1. Run your ear hole with warm water during shower. 

2. Frequently take off your earrings, and clean them with damp cloth, you can even apply some jojoba oil to condition them. 

3. Never touch your piercing with dirty hands

4. New pillow case might help

5. Don't overdo your cleaning