Having sensitive ears is frustrating when earring shopping. Finding the perfect earrings and not being able to wear them due to ear irritation is a huge inconvenience, and it’s difficult to find something that makes you feel confident. Although there are earrings available today which are labelled as hypoallergenic or nickel free, they can still cause pain and irritation. Luckily, we have many types of earrings which are perfect for adding glamour without discomfort.
Take a look at our guide to help you find the perfect earrings for sensitive ears.
What Causes Earring Sensitivity?
Sensitivity in ear piercings is usually indicated by redness and itchiness around the piercing itself, which often leads to swelling, soreness, and sometimes bleeding. It’s also not uncommon for this to lead to infection at the piercing site. If any of this is familiar to experiences you’ve had, you likely have a mild allergy to common materials used in earrings – predominantly metals.
A metal allergy usually occurs when you come into contact with the allergen. These usually develop over time. Many earrings are labelled as being nickel-free, which is ideal for most as the nickel allergy is the most common example of piercing discomfort. However, this does little to soothe the ears of those whose metal allergy is not specific to nickel. So, how do those sufferers combat their problem?
What is the Best Earring Material for Sensitive Skin?
Although metal allergies can be extensive and frustrating, not all metals are reactive – so there is hope. In their pure states, titanium, sterling silver, niobium, 24ct gold and platinum are considered to be compatible with the human body. It is important to remember that these metals must be in their pure state to be considered compatible with our body.
While the mixing of metals is fairly standard in all aspects of jewellery creation, and not all combinations can cause irritation, only the purest form of these metals is considered entirely safe and non-reactive. Finding 24ct gold earrings is no easy task, however, and thankfully higher carats like 18, 20, and even 22 are more common to the market with minimal risk of irritation.
With this in mind, searching for earrings doesn’t have to be a pain (literally).
What Styles or Types Work Best for Sensitive Ears?
With the right materials used, no style is off limits for those with sensitive ears. While it means that your earrings will likely be more expensive than the standard earrings that can be found on the high-street in mid-range jewellery shops, it also means they’ll be of a higher quality. Antique and vintage jewellery shops are a good place to search in order to strike a balance between price and quality, as well as providing entirely unique pieces you aren’t likely to see anyone else wearing.
With that said, let’s take a look at some of our own high-quality earrings that are going to keep your ears cool and comfortable so you can feel as great as you look. Irritation-free earrings in every style!
These diamond studs are made from platinum, meaning they’re highly unlikely to cause any kind of irritation around your piercing area. We’re showing off a range of basic studs that would be perfect for everyday wear, to more elaborate stud examples that would be the icing on the cake for any party or formal event. We’ve also included a diamond clip on earrings, meaning that if you’ve had problems with your ear piercings before because of irritation, these pieces can remain outside of the pierced hole itself, causing less irritation.
Moving on to hoop style earrings, these are also options for people with allergy problems. They’re fairly beneficial choices even if you’re very sensitive, as the majority of the earring sits away from the skin, hanging in the hoop shape. We’re showing 18ct yellow gold and platinum in these stunning examples, both optimal choices for sensitive ears. You’ll also notice that, despite these earrings being antique and vintage examples, they are exceptionally stylish and could easily be worn with cutting edge fashion.
With platinum being a luxurious, and often costly, metal choice, it’s important to remember that you can find a range of fantastic earrings in high enough gold carat weights to be perfect for your ears and your style. Below, you can see 18ct yellow gold and 18ct white gold in all its glory. More affordable than platinum but equally as sophisticated and elegant, these examples represent a range of styles available to anyone wanting to remain fashionable without having to deal with the bother of irritation and infection.
These examples are far from extensive when it comes to how many fantastic irritation-free earrings there are in the antique and vintage archives, which is great news for anyone who’s hoping to bag themselves some luxury that’s also practical for their health and comfort. Knowing how to get the best earrings for sensitive ears is so valuable to know – now you can rest easy, and look fabulous while doing it!
