How to Take Off Earrings That Are Stuck
If you’re like me and you love to wear earrings, chances are you’ve had an earring get stuck before. You may have had a moment (or more) of panic trying to figure out how to take off earrings that are stuck.
It is actually a very common problem, and there are solutions! In this post, we’ll go over the various types of earrings and the best way to get them off if they just won’t budge.
Learning how to handle situations like this with your earrings is not something that only brand-new earring wearers face. You can wear earrings for years without having any issues like a stuck earring back.
If you’re wondering what to do if you’re in this situation, you’re in the right place for all the helpful tips!
Before we get into how to take off earrings that are stuck, we need to look at the different kinds of earring backs you could be dealing with.
Types of earring backs
Flat Back
Flat back earrings are just what they sound like – earrings with a flat back. They are also referred to as labret post and threadless post earrings.
With this style of earring, the earring post slides into a tube-like design and ends up concealing the entire post.
Push Backs
Push backs are also called butterfly backs or friction backs. This is the most common type of earring back.
Push backs are often called butterfly back because of the shape of the metal coil on the back. This coil’s purpose is to provide friction to help prevent the back from moving or coming off unintentionally.
Jumbo Earring Backs
Jumbo earring backs are larger versions of butterfly push backs. These larger backs make it easier for people with bigger fingers, poor eyesight, or limited finger mobility to handle.
French Clips
These earring backs have a small hinge at the base of an oval-ish shaped hoop that folds over the curved post of the earring and sits against the back of the ear.
French Wire
French wire earring backs are simple hooks that look like a shepherd’s staff and rely only on their shape and length to stay in place. These are another one of the most common kinds of earring backs and you aren’t likely to have an issue with these getting stuck.
Latch Backs
Latch backs are similar to french clips but have to click into place rather than just resting in place. If you tend to lose earrings out of your ears while you’re wearing them, latch back hoops may be a good choice for you.
Screw Posts
Screw-back earrings have a straight shaft with a back, usually a ball that screws onto the shaft instead of just pushing on like the butterfly push backs.
Saddlebacks
Saddleback earrings are hoops that have a hinged closure and are similar to lever backs because they click into place.
La Pousette Backs
La Pousette backings have two buttons or tabs on the sides of the backing. You push these buttons to move the backing around and release it to lock it into place.
Lever Backs
This built-in earring back is a hinged lever that clips over the fishhook-shaped stud and is very similar to a saddleback earring.
What causes an earring back to get stuck?
Earrings can get stuck for several different reasons, none of which are serious and all can be dealt with fairly easily.
Wear and tear
Normal wear and tear can cause your earring backs to get stuck. A clasp may get slightly smashed, the smooth finish is worn off of a post, or you’ve worn your earrings in the shower and soap residue builds up to cause the back to become stuck.
Sebum build-up
Sebum is your skin’s natural oil that is present to keep our skin healthy and safe. When sebum mixes with dead skin cells around your earring, it can get kind of gunky and make it difficult to remove your earring backs or even remove the earring from your ear.
Your ear attempting to heal
Even if your piercings are not exactly new, you may experience the ear piercing trying to heal itself around your earring. This can happen pretty quickly and it can be one of the most alarming ways to get your earring stuck in your ear.
This is something that often happens with first-time piercings, starter earrings, and piercing jewelry if you don’t periodically turn your jewelry in the piercing site as they heal.
How to take off earrings that are stuck
Finally, let’s dig into the process of removing a stuck earning. This step-by-step guide and a little patience will have those earrings out in just a couple of minutes or less.
Step 1: Wash Hands
1. Wash your hands with antibacterial soap. If you have a new piercing you could even throw on a pair of rubber gloves just to be safe.
Step 2: Warm Soapy Water
2. The best thing to try first is warm soapy water on the affected area. It’s probably easiest just to hop in the shower for this step.
Use a gentle cleanser like your face wash or the antibacterial soap you used on your hands to lather up the ear lobe and the area around your earrings.
Rinse well and then pat dry. If this doesn’t do the trick, move on to the next step.
Step 3: Salt with Warm Water
3. Next, make a saline solution by dissolving a tablespoon of salt into a small bowl of warm water. With clean hands, use an applicator like a q-tip or cotton ball and apply the salt water to and around the earring.
Step 4: Twist and Repeat
4. If the earring is stuck in your piercing, get a good grip on it and slowly and gently attempt to twist it. Continue applying more warm salt water and repeat the process.
If your earring back is stuck on the earring, after applying the warm salt water, grab the earring by the post with one hand and the back with the other, and attempt to break it loose by pulling opposite directions. Continue to apply warm salt water and repeat.
Step 5: More Techniques for Different Types of Earrings That May Get Stuck
5. If your earring post is a saddleback or similar type of earring, it may be stuck because the clasp or locking clutch design that holds the post has a little bend that is not allowing enough space for the post to push through.
Place your index finger or thumb on the earring with your fingernail under the end of the post and push with a little extra force to move the clasp out of the way and free the post.
Applying a small amount of petroleum jelly to the earring and post may help release it, no matter the type of post you’re working with. Be sure to try to break it free in other ways before using this method so you’ll have a better grip.
Rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide can also be a useful solution but it’s not recommended on new piercings as you may still have skin healing and it can be painful to apply alcohol.
If you have stuck butterfly earring backs, you may benefit from using an earring removal tool like a small pair of pliers to pull one side of the coil away and free the stud. This will probably permanently damage the butterfly back but these are easy to replace and come sometimes even be squeezed back into place with pliers.
Note: We do NOT recommend using a pair of tweezers as they do not offer the same grip as pliers.
An internally threaded stud on screw-in studs or a screw on back with poor threading that has somehow been cross-threaded may prove to be impossible to remove. In this case, when all else fails, you can have someone help you remove the earring with wire cutters.
This is safely done at a jewelry store and if the earring is valuable, they can also reset it in a new post for you.
Step 6: Clean Your ear
6. Once the earring has been removed, thoroughly clean your ear and if you have a new piercing you may want to apply antibiotic ointment if it was irritated by the process or if you see any sign of infection.
How to prevent earrings from getting stuck
No matter what kind of earrings you have and whether your piercing is old or new, lack of maintenance is one of the main reasons for earrings getting stuck. If you regularly clean your earrings and your piercings, then the next time you wear a pair of earrings you won’t be worried about them getting stuck.
As you can see, there are many different ways to safely remove the back of your earrings. If you follow these simple steps above you’ll have those earrings out in no time!
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