How Ear Piercing Alters Your Skin Microbiome

Did you know piercing your ears changes your skin’s microbiome? Alex Dainis breaks down the intricate processes that unfold beneath the surface of your skin when you decide to pierce your ears. The journey starts with the sterilization process, where most of the bacteria on your skin are eliminated, creating a clean canvas for change. The alteration in the area's shape, temperature, and humidity, all part of the piercing experience, sets the stage for a microbial transformation. Scientists have taken swabs of individuals' ears before and after piercing, using the collected DNA to unravel the mysteries of the microbiome. The results are fascinating – an increase in microbial diversity and the emergence of potentially harmful bacteria in response to the heightened dampness. Could ear piercings be the next frontier in understanding how our microbiome adapts to changes in the skin environment?