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.
Moreover, is it normal for a piercing to smell?
It is totally normal (albeit kind of gross), but it does not mean that you have an infected ear piercing or that you are reacting to your earrings. The smell comes from naturally occurring oil, bacteria, and dead skin cells.
In this way, do infected piercings smell bad?
Infected ear piercings sometimes smell bad. Pus, dead skin, and other drainage from the infection can stick to earring posts and backs. This can cause a bad smell to linger. Cleaning the ears and earring posts with either rubbing alcohol or a special ear piercing solution might help.
Why do piercings get crusty?
Crusting after body piercing is perfectly normal—this is just the result of your body trying to heal itself. 1? Dead blood cells and plasma make their way to the surface and then dry when exposed to air. While perfectly normal, these crusties do need to be cleaned carefully and thoroughly whenever you notice them.
How do I get rid of the smell from my ear piercing?
Disinfecting. Rub alcohol or hydrogen peroxide on the area behind the ears, especially after ear piercings. Be sure to follow your piercer’s directions for aftercare. Disinfect and clean earrings regularly as well.
How do you clean a piercing?
Clean with a clean cotton pad or swab dipped in salt solution. You can make this solution by mixing 1 teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water. Use this around the pierced area a few times a day to remove any bacteria. Dab (don’t wipe) the piercing.
How do you clean ear piercing hole?
Wash hands thoroughly before touching the ears or the earrings. Use a cotton swab (Q-tip) with salt water to clean the area around the hole twice a day. Some recommend using hydrogen peroxide, rubbing alcohol, or antibiotic ointment but salt water disinfects and is less damaging to the skin tissue.
How often should you clean healed piercings?
“Use a pea-sized amount once, no more than two times, a day,” says Thompson. After working up a lather with warm water, gently massage the piercing hole thoroughly before rinsing. Thompson stresses that cleaning your piercing doesn’t mean twisting it as you cleanse — just focus on the hole.
Why do my earrings smell like cheese?
“Ear cheese” is a natural part of having pierced ears and it’s caused by a build-up of oil and dead skin cells you’ve shed. … If your piercing is newer, you’re more likely to experience a smell because your body may still be reacting to being punctured.
Why do my earrings get so Gunky?
“Earring posts can accumulate retained skin oils that help yeast, fungus, and bacteria overgrow,” explains Ciraldo. You might think a simple shampoo in the shower is enough to wash away that gunk, but even leftover hair products can build up around the earring post and accumulate in and around that tiny earring hole.
