Ear stretching has been practiced for hundreds of years by indigenous peoples for various rituals in countries such as Africa, Europe, and more recently in North America and Europe. Ear tightening essentially involves widening a healed hole in the earlobe and placing a plug or tunnel in the pierced hole. Choosing to have your ears stretched gives you the personal responsibility to properly care for your piercing. Stinky earplugs, commonly known as ear cheese, are caused by dead skin cells that form inside the stretched earlobe and accumulate in the plug. Ear cheese is a combination of dead skin cells and shampoo/soap products that come together to form a disgusting, smelly discharge. Once this happens, you will need to take the following steps to remove this horrendous stench from your ears.
Step 1- Cleaning your sockets
Remove the earplugs and wash carefully in a sink with lukewarm water. Use mild liquid soap to wash all sides and clean the jewelry well. When you’re done, use a paper towel to pat dry and keep covered. Be sure not to leave it in the shower or sink, as possible recontamination may occur. For organic plugs like wood, specialty oils like JoJoba can help properly clean specialty materials.
Step 2- Cleaning the earlobes
First, lather both hands with warm water and clean with antibacterial soap. Then, in a circular motion, use one finger to rub the inside of your stretched earlobe. Be sure to scrub and clean all the dead skin cells on the earlobe with plenty of antibacterial soap and water. If your earlobes aren’t big enough for your finger, try using a Q-tip to clean the insides. Be sure to completely dry the earlobes inside and out with a clean, new paper towel to prevent trapping bacteria.
Step 3: reinsertion of plugs
Once the inside of the earlobes have been cleaned and dried, immediately reinsert the plugs into the stretched earlobes. Earplugs and ear jewelry that have been recently cleaned can easily collect bacteria while air-drying in sinks or showers, so it’s important to do it quickly. Wipe up any remaining water around your piercing with a clean cloth or paper towel. If your earlobes need lubrication when you reinsert the plugs, try massaging them with vitamin E oil.
Many cleaning agents like rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide can be too harsh for ear piercing and stretching. We recommend soaking piercings and plugs 1-2 times daily in a mild saline solution of lukewarm water and non-iodized sea salt. Following these easy-to-do steps daily can prevent stretched, stinky ears and stop ear cheese.
