Earlobe bumps are a common occurrence. An earlobe bump can be the result of a clogged sebaceous gland, a condition called a sebaceous cyst. Epidermoid cysts appear on the earlobe and, in rare cases, can develop into skin cancer. An inflamed or infected hair follicle can result in a tender lump on the earlobe. The earlobe tissue may swell as a reaction to the metal of an earring.
Sebaceous cysts are benign. The body of the cyst is filled with dead skin cells and oil from the skin’s oil glands. They can be manipulated with the fingers and moved beneath the skin. Sebaceous cysts are painless unless they have become infected or are pressing on a nerve. They can occur anywhere on the body where sebaceous glands are present, including the earlobes.
Epidermoid cysts, like sebaceous cysts, can occur anywhere on the body and are generally painless. The cyst is made of squamous epithelium and does not manipulate as easily as a sebaceous cyst. Although epidermoid cysts are more common than sebaceous cysts, the two terms are often misused. Infected epidermoid cysts can contain blood and pus and can become painful to the touch.
Folliculitis is the inflammation of hair follicles. The inflammation is caused by an infection beneath the skin at the root of the hair. An earlobe bump caused by folliculitis is usually red and tender to the touch. Depending on the level of infection, the bump may feel warmer than the surrounding skin.
Some people’s skin has a reaction when exposed to certain metals. An earlobe bump can develop after wearing an earring with an offending metal. Earring wires and posts are commonly made of hypoallergenic materials to avoid this problem, but sometimes the hypoallergenic plating wears off or the person has a sensitivity to the earring materials. The bump can be slightly painful, although this is a result of the body’s histamine reaction and not a sign of infection.
Most earlobe bumps resolve on their own without medical intervention. Any earlobe bump that is very painful, is draining fluids, or is still present after a couple of weeks should be examined by a physician to rule out the possibility of a more serious condition. A bump can be removed surgically with a small incision or treated with steroids to reduce inflammation. Some earlobe bumps can be surgically removed with lasers. It is not uncommon for the bumps to recur in the same location after removal.
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Domido
Post 2 |
I knew this young lady in college who was absolutely gorgeous. She started to wear her hair down constantly, and one day I saw the reason why. I suppose it must have been some sort of cyst, but there was this really large bump on her earlobe. Now, I’m not making fun of the girl at all, but it truly was huge and very noticable. It almost looked like a ball attached to her ear. It would seem to go down and she’d start to wear her hair up again. But then the thing would swell back up and down would come the hair. I really felt very sorry for her, and I never had the rudeness in me to ask her what it was. I would guess though that it was something like described in this article.
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blackDagger
Post 1 |
Before my husband actually realized he was a full grown man and everything, he had both of his ears pierced.
(I have nothing at all against men with earrings, mind you. He was just going through some sort of midlife crisis when he went out and got his done. He also got three tattoos and dyed his hair all sorts of colors. You've got me on what got into him.)
Now, a few years later, he rarely wears earrings and doesn't have enough hair to dye at all. But occasionally one or both of the holes in his ears will get a bump on them. When he mashes them, blood and pus come out just as if his ears were infected from a dirty earring.
Is there any way to make this stop? Even during times when these holes have grown up, he has gotten this painful lump in his earlobe.
The only relief he gets is from popping them.
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