SOS! Why is my ear piercing peeling off?

No matter what time of year it is, my piercings always feel dry. For years I have had issues with flaking and flaking around my trilobe piercing (on both ears) and orbital piercing. Not knowing how to care for them, when they are dry, cracked and flaky, I sometimes apply a little moisturizer around the affected areas, but often it ends up feeling like a short-term fix - the minute I stop using it. it, I was again left with a flaky finish. Prior to that, I consulted with Dr. Naissan Wesley, a Los Angeles dermatologist and scientific consultant in Arbonne, about how to care for a peeling piercing.

Determine the cause of skin peeling

First, it's important to determine why flaking occurs in the first place. "Before you can address dryness around a piercing, a lot depends on the cause of the dryness itself," says Dr. Wesley. “This could be due to a change in the weather, irritation from jewelry or other topical products, an allergy to the material in the earring or jewelry, or even an overgrowth of yeast or bacteria that causes a mild skin infection,” she says. To find out what might be causing the flaking, start by removing your jewelry and see if it gets better.

If the peeling goes away after the jewelry is removed, the earring itself may be the culprit. Dr. Wesley recommends switching to only 24k gold or stainless steel earrings, which can help. "Allergies to metals like nickel are a very common reason we see dryness or irritation around earrings."

How to solve the problem of dry earlobe

If you have removed your jewelry and don't see much difference, keep the earring away from your ear and try to use a moisturizer or balm every day, twice a day. "Using a moisturizer or even a protective ointment can help improve the skin's barrier and keep it more hydrated," says Dr. Wesley.

“Of course, if this is an initial piercing, it will be more difficult, but you can work around it depending on the underlying reason,” she adds. For old piercings, after removing your jewelry, apply a thick moisturizer. We love CeraVe Healing Ointment or Cocokind Organic Skin Oil.

Dr. Wesley also suggests avoiding topical AHAs or retinoids on the affected area. "These topical products can be helpful for many other things, but they can cause additional irritation on dry, potentially already irritated skin."