Why Your Ear Piercings Suddenly Smell Putrid -- And How To Prevent The Stank

A gorgeous pair of earrings is a great accessory—but what’s the deal with the holes in your ears smelling like rotten cheese? Turns out it’s a mix of skin cells and natural oils getting clogged all up in there. Um, gross. Luckily, there’s a super easy way to prevent—or get rid of—that funky smell if you notice it. You should clean your old piercings in the shower and let warm water run over it, says Maria Tash, owner of Venus by Maria Tash, a fine jewelry and piercing spa in New York City. “Cleaning the piercing tunnel occasionally with antibacterial soap also cleans off any skin cells that can collect in the jewelry and create odor.” RELATED: 5 Women Share What Sex Is Like if You Have a Nipple Piercing But don’t freak out if you’ve had your ears (or another part of your body) pierced forever and they start to get itchy all of sudden. Infections aren’t common in healed piercings, says Tash. You’re 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. In that case, opt for stainless steel or hypoallergenic earrings. When it comes to new piercings, a little redness and slight crustiness is totally normal while it heals, says Tash. But if your skin is raised or there’s a ring or bump forming around the piercing, your b...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news