Pimple in Ear: Painful, Infected Causes and Treatments 

Can you get a pimple in your ear? Pimple formation is especially for teens and young people. These blemishes can appear anywhere on the skin and for this case behind, around, on folds, canal or cartilage of your ears. Get insight into causes, symptoms, how to get rid of them with treatments and other helpful remedies.

Just like any other part of the body, ears can get acne too. The pimples can be big, small, painless or painful (hurt much). Furthermore, they can be many or just one.

Causes

What causes them? Like any other type of acne, these zits are due to some common factors. Here is an outline of main factors and other reasons why you get pimples around or in ears including inside the canals.

 

  • Unhygienic or poor personal hygiene characterized by keeping dirty hair, hands, clothing, etc.
  • Poor or low-quality cosmetics like facial makeup,
  • Hormonal disorder or changes in hormones that strikes an imbalance. This normally occurs during puberty and pregnancy which triggers the white blood cells and sebum be produced,
  • Poor and inappropriate cleaning methods like using your dirty fingers to clear your ears
  • Allergic reactions to certain cosmetics, medications, and clothes made from some fabrics,
  • Irritation of follicles and clogged pores,
  • Draughts during the onset of summer or winter that may trigger cold-related acne,

Painful sore one inside ear

Why do they hurt?. Pain is one the possible symptoms. This can be due to the type of acne you have or how you deal with it.

For instance, cratching, irritation inside the ears or an injury occurs are some of the obvious reasons for painful cases. In some cases, a serious infection (otitis externa) can as well inflict pain whether you have pimples or not.

What else could this pain be signifying? Besides irritation, you need to be curious about the pain especially if your ear hurts and pain spreads up to the eye. If you continue to experience aching jaws, swelling around eyes and fever – high chances are that it could be a furuncle or boil which is a typical infection. In many cases, the main symptom is the pain.

Furuncles can be “spots or small boils that can occur in any area of the skin. In some cases, the infection develops on the damaged skin.” [patient.info]. there are several potential ways in which the skin inside your canal can get damaged – poking with fingers, scratches from fingernails, objects (pins, toothpick, pens) or inserting earbuds regularly, application of poor quality cosmetics among many others. This damage easily results in irritation, which will ignite inflammation. Furthermore, a bacterial infection could occur.

Now, do not attempt to pop boils into your canal since it would “open the furuncle, end with sepsis or blood furunculosis, recurrent boils and carbuncles (inflammation of several hair follicles).” [noskinproblems.com]

If you experience soreness particularly accompanied by pain, discharge or pus see your doctor urgently to get correct medication.

In case of an Infection?

Touching with dirty hands, scratching inside ears can cause infections. How do you know that it is an infected? Infections come with symptoms such as by pain, swelling and other signs causing general ear discomfort such as itchy feeling

Treatment

Let us look at how to get rid this problem using common treatment methods,

1. Topical treatments

They include acne treatments, creams or products that contain ingredients such as Salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide (10% conc. or lower). Besides helping to cleanse your skin, these creams are good for clearing clogged pores and removing other materials such as dead skin cells mixed with sweat.

These are considered the most effective means of dealing with zits since it can also prevent the reoccurrence.

Before applying them ensure that you have cleaned the whole ear including inside the canals, using an oil-free and water-based solution. Otherwise, you can also clean using salty warm water. Caution should be taken not to use creams if you have gone for ear surgery or have ruptured boils.

Secondly, to promote healing, treatment is through applying an ointment such as Neosporin.

2. Hydrogen peroxide

You should be careful while using hydrogen peroxide. For people with a sensitive skin, it is advisable to use alternative methods of removal.

Hydrogen peroxide is quite effective in in removing unwanted serum (earwax), easing inflammation, unclogging skin pores and killing germs.

Using hydrogen peroxide

  • Clean them with an antiseptic solution first.
  • Place 2- 3 drops inside the canals and let it sit in for 10 minutes.
  • Tip your head to allow excess to drain out,
  • For that cartilage, folds use small cotton swabs to apply hydrogen peroxide.

3. Alcohol

Alcohol can be quite effective in getting rid of pimples just like hydrogen peroxide. It can also stop infections from occurring if it is applied in an appropriate manner. For instance, after an ear injury. However, avoid alcohol if you have a problem with skin irritation.

If you feel soreness stop trying any treatment with topical products as it will get worse. Seek proper advice or medication from a health facility near you. In addition, whenever there is a problem with your inner ear seeing a specialist is the best thing you can afford to do.

Natural remedies

Some remedies we are going to discuss will not only help to get rid acne but also keep infection-causing germs at bay and help clear symptoms such as pain.

1. Hot compress

It is a simple procedure, which is carried out before popping acne. Moreover, you can apply this if there is pain or when they are hurting. Do it on cartilage, behind, and on ear folds.

To do a hot compress you need hot water and a clean soft washcloth. If not ready for popping then apply some cellophane. Thereafter, you can remove it after the pain subsides.

If you are hot compressing in readiness to popping the pimple do the following.

  • Soak your washcloth in hot water and then squeeze out excess water
  • Carefully hold against any zits on the cartilage or around the ear until the warmth feeling is no more.
  • If it is inside canals after you have soaked fold your washcloth and cautiously insert it into the canal and leave it for 30 seconds.
  • Repeat the procedure three times each day but be patient if the zits have not shown popping signs.

Doing this will also remove discomfort that comes with inflammation or pain and help promote natural healing process even if you are not intending to do popping.

2. Saline solution

Another working remedy for an infected case is the use of this solution. To enhance further faster healing add some few drops of water-based oil of your choice. Apply the mixture directly on the pimples or wash the ear including the canal. While cleaning avoids using excessive amounts of the solution which may get stuck in and cause discomfort.

Saline solution can also be a form of treatment for zits especially if they appear behind on on ear folds

3. Tea tree oil

Tea tree oil is good for fighting bacteria while preventing the buildup of the germs. Use a cotton ball to apply dilute tea tree oil directly on to the zits.

4. Aloe Vera

Aloe has astringent qualities, which are great for soothing especially if pimples get inflamed or cause swelling. This remedy is helpful for relieving problems such as pain. Simply apply Aloe Vera gel and leave it for 15 – 20 minutes. Remember to wash off with warm or cool water.

5. Witch hazel

As a natural treatment for skin blemishes, such as zits or acne witch hazel can serve as an alternative to tea tree oil. Moreover, witch hazel extracts have an added advantage as it also prevents pimple formation if it is used properly as part of routine skin care.

These are just but a few of the remedies. Some other remedies include the application of garlic oil, Oregano essential oil; dilute Lavender oil, and virgin coconut oil.

Tips on how to prevent them

Though it is at times impossible to stop pimples totally, preventive measures are great. Below are some simple general tricks to prevent the formation of zits.

  • Proper ear cleaning routine using appropriate methods only. Avoid use of shampoo, or corners of your clothing, etc.
  • Wiping earplugs with disinfectant solutions i.e. headsets such as earphones, and plugs every time you want to use them.
  • Avoid sharing hearing aids or too.
  • Improve your personal hygiene by keeping hair clean.
  • Avoid inserting dirty fingers into your canals,
  • Use fitting caps before you go swimming,

Advice on popping

Should you pop the zit or not? Popping ear pimples is risky and it can solve the problem in a little way. As we saw earlier if they are boils and not zits, then you will be landing yourself in trouble. Otherwise, you should do popping reasonably.

Apart from stopping further spread of germs, popping it by yourself is quite tricky as it can cause pain or lead to infections. If you do not know when or how to pop leave them alone to heal naturally.

Our Reference and Sources
  1. http://noskinproblems.com/pimple-in-ear/
  2. http://familydoctor.org/familydoctor/en/health-tools/search-by-symptom/ear-problems.html
  3.  http://www.wowremedies.com/pimple-in-ear-causes-and-treatment/
  4. http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Rid-of-Pimples-Inside-the-Ear
  5. http://www.steadyhealth.com/medical-answers/painful-earlobe-lump-benign-ear-cyst-or-tumor

Leave a Comment

2 + four =