This Is Why Your Earring Backs Smell Like Cheese…and It's ... - The Sun

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PREPARE to be grossed out – the reason why your earring backs smell like cheese has been revealed.

If you have pierced ears, chances are you’ve come across the stinky occurrence that has been labelled by some as “ear cheese”.

You may not have heard of the name, but the odour is pretty distinctive.

The funky smell is sometimes accompanied by a greyish coloured gunk on the backs of your earrings, but don’t worry – it’s normal.

The cheesy phenomenon affects a huge amount of people and anyone with a pierced lobe will have likely had it happen at least once.

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But what is “ear 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.

Your body is constantly renewing and replacing skin cells and ears can be a harder place to clean, leading to a build-up of cells and oils – which tend to pong when left pressed against the skin thanks to the earring back.

If your piercing is newer, you’re more likely to experience a smell because your body may still be reacting to being punctured.

People who never take out their earrings and those whose piercings have been stretched also have a higher chance of cheesy ears.

But, if this is you, the problem is easily fixed.

You can get rid of the smell by taking your earring out; gently cleaning both the jewellery and the site of the piercing and letting your ear have a short break from wearing them.

To minimise any smells in the future, make sure you keep the area around your ears clean and dry and avoid keeping earrings in for long periods of time.

If you found this interesting, why not check out the gross reason you should never use a mesh shower pouf or apply foundation with your fingers.