Cause of the Smell
Sebum is secreted by the sebaceous glands in the skin. … 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. At its worst, you can even wipe this thick discharge off your plugs.
Moreover, why do piercings smell so bad?
Your skin secretes a natural oil called sebum which can mix with the dead cells in your piercings and cause a buildup. This buildup serves as a great environment for bacteria to thrive and hence you end up with a foul smell.
Simply so, why do piercings 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.
How do you get rid of smelly earlobes?
You may get rid of a bad smell behind the ears by simply treating its cause.
- Cleansing and circulation. Gently scrubbing and washing the area daily may eliminate the odor very quickly. …
- Disinfecting. …
- Medicated skin creams. …
- Sweat reduction. …
- Acne medication. …
- Minimize pollutants and barriers. …
- Medicated shampoo. …
- Ear drops.
How do you clean a healed piercing?
A little soap in the shower is all you need. Even healed, avoid using a loofa around these piercings, because a good snag can cause irritation even years after a piercing has fully healed. Mild soap and water is all you need!
What can I use to clean my piercing if I don’t have sea salt?
It is best to use table non-iodized salt instead of sea, rock or coarse types of salt as those do not dissolve well and have other minerals and impurities that might interfere with wound healing.
Can I use saline solution to clean my piercing?
Saline solutions are best for cleaning your piercing. It’s a simple ph-balanced solution mixture of water and salt-containing 0.9% salt. Saline solution use in medicine and for cleaning wounds. So, clean your piercing with a saline solution rather than a contact solution.
Can I use table salt to clean my piercing?
The single best thing you can do for your piercing is to keep up a regular regimen of salt water soaks. … 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.