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.”
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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.
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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 body may be telling you it’s not happy with your newest accessory, says David E. Bank, M.D., director of the Center for Dermatology, Cosmetic, and Laser Surgery in Mount Kisco, New York.
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You may be dealing with the beginning stages of an infection. Since there is a foreign body present in the skin, some of the bacteria may be sitting on the piercing itself, which can cause the body to reject it as a way of protecting itself, says Bank. Here’s what you can do to keep new piercings free of additional irritation—or an infection (hey, you may have heard this when you were younger, but it’s worth repeating):
Never touch your piercing with dirty hands. “You don’t want to touch a door handle and then touch your jewelry,” says Tash. “You just transferred whatever is on the door handle to your piercing.”
Change your bed sheets frequently. You already know how grimy dirty sheets are, but they can be bad news for a new piercing, too. Any hair or dander on your sheets can easily be transferred from your pillowcase onto your healing skin. “You have to be mindful that you have a fresh wound that takes a while to heal, and you have to keep everything around you as clean as reasonably possible,” says Tash.
Make sure your earring fits properly. If the piercing is feeling too tight or too loose, have your piercer look at it to make sure it isn’t sitting too tightly or at an odd angle, which can irritate it.
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Don’t overdo it with cleaning. “People commonly think, ‘I’ve got something to sterilize, let me throw this harsh chemical on it,’” says Tash. “But it’s very harsh. It will make your skin sensitive after a while. I can’t say it will happen right away, but if you keep using [something harsh] twice a day, it will make your skin red.” The Association of Professional Piercers suggests avoiding alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or other strong solutions. Instead, clean the area around your piercing once a day with a mild fragrance-free liquid soap and soak it once a day in a warm saline solution.
Alisa HrusticDeputy Editor, Prevention
Alisa Hrustic is the deputy editor at Prevention, where she leads the brand’s digital editorial strategy. She’s spent the last five years interviewing top medical experts, interpreting peer-reviewed studies, and reporting on health, nutrition, weight loss, and fitness trends for national brands like Women’s Health and Men’s Health. She spends most of her days diving into the latest wellness trends, writing and editing stories about health conditions, testing skincare products, and trying to understand the next greatest internet obsession.
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! The discharge is semi-solid and smells like stinky cheese.
Do nipple piercings make your nipples hard forever?
Do Nipple Piercings Make Nipples Permanently Hard? When you first get your nipples pierced, they are likely to swell up. This effect doesn't last forever though. Within two to four weeks the nipples should return to normal.
Do nipple piercings ever stop crusting?
Crusting after body piercing is perfectly normal—this is just the result of your body trying to heal itself. 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.
What do nipple piercings say about you?
For those whose nipples aren't particularly sensitive, having them pierced can really improve sensitivity which means it feels incredible when they're touched. Some people say when their pierced nipples are flicked, licked, or massaged, it really adds to their arousal.
Should I wear a bra to get my nipples pierced?
DON'T wear very tight bras, because they can cause the piercing to grow out, which means that the piece of flesh taken by the piercing gradually diminishes until the ring finally comes out; after the piercing is healed you may wear anything you like. … A bra worn at night can be more comfortable.
Can I use Dove soap on my nipple piercing?
No tea tree oil, alcohol, peroxide, antibacterial soap, or ointments. DO NOT use moisturizing soaps like Dove and Olay or antibacterials like Dial. These soap additives leave a residue that builds up in piercing and can contribute to irritation bumps.
Why does my nipple piercing still get crusty?
It's normal for nipple piercings to get crusty, so many people opt for a daily sterile saline bath. … Repeat after us: Soap, saline, soft bras — and no touching! How do you know if your nipple is infected and you need to see a doctor, or if it's just irritated or healing slowly?
Is nipple piercing worth it?
Nipple piercings, at the end of the day, are kind of as close as you can get to the perfect body mod: they look rad, they don't require too much aftercare and healing time, they're easy to cover up when needed, and once you're over them, all you have to do is take them out. Bottom line: It's all worth it.
Can you lose feeling in your nipples after piercing?
Personal experience says no, but for many women, whose piercings have healed nicely, their nipple sensitivity increased dramatically. … Of course, you have to live with the fact that your nipples will be out of action while they heal. This is bad news if you're really into nipple action.
Can you use table salt to clean nipple piercings?
Make a soaking solution by mixing sea salt and distilled water. Use pure sea salt (non-iodized) and not table salt, which contains extra chemicals that can irritate your piercing and dextrose (sugar) that can cause yeast infections.
Can I ice my nipples after piercing?
There are some home remedies for a swelling nipple piercing. If you have some ice packs, bring them closer to the swollen nipples intermittently, or you can place the ice on the nipple piercing for some seconds before removing it.
How do I get rid of the bubble on my nipple piercing?
Mix 1/8 teaspoon of sea salt with water and soak your piercing blister three times a day until it is completely gone. Salt soaks usually do the trick, but certain boils may call for an herbal compress, like a chamomile tea bag soaked in hot water.
How do you sleep comfortably with nipple piercings?
Wearing a bra will actually feel better to you, and you might even want to sleep with it on. You'll find that sports bras provide the most comfort. The most important consideration is moisture buildup; wear a bra that allows your skin to breathe.
Can I use Dial soap to clean my nipple piercing?
Thoroughly clean your new piercing once daily! Use antibacterial soap such as Provon. DO NOT use any products other than what is suggested. … Using warm water and a cotton swab, remove and matter that may have dried on the jewelry and around the openings of the piercing.
Can you breastfeed with nipple piercings?
Pierced nipples do not usually cause any complications with breastfeeding. In general, piercings in the nipple will not affect your breast milk supply or your ability to make breast milk. You may notice that your breast milk leaks through the holes of your piercing, but that's OK and not a cause for concern.