Do you have an earring or are you planning to have one put on? Then you should know that you not only have a piece of jewelry in your ear, but also a new living environment for your skin bacteria. This is evident from a study by Canadian microbiologists.
Our skin is host to trillions of microorganisms that can have a significant impact on our health. Some bacteria protect us against pathogens, while others cause problems. The composition of that enormous collection of bacteria – also called the skin microbiome – can change due to circumstances. And so microbiologists from the McGill University’s Redpath Museum research the earring. “Earrings are a unique model to study how skin bacteria change after a rapid change in their environment,” says lead author Vincent Fugère.
After all, when you have an earring put in, you make a hole in your skin and fill it with a metal object. This can have a major impact on the environment of the skin bacteria, so how do the bacteria actually respond to this? The microbiologists’ research showed that the earring not only provides more types of bacteria and more interactions between those bacteria. The ratio between two important bacterial species also changes, which can cause skin infections.
DNA monsters
The researchers worked with a tattoo and piercing parlor in Montreal, Canada. They asked 28 adults who wanted to have their ears pierced to participate in the study. They took skin samples from the ear before the hole was pierced and after the piercer put the earring in. In the following weeks, the participants took several samples around the earring and a piece of skin next to it. The researchers then looked at the samples’ DNA to see what bacteria were on them.
More bacteria
It showed that there were more different types of bacteria present at the site of the earring compared to the rest of the body. This is probably because the earring provides more skin surface, changes in temperature, moisture in and around the wound and a changed acidity. In addition, the earring comes into contact with the air and your hands, which can introduce more bacteria. The researchers also discovered that after a while two types of bacteria became dominant at the location of the earring: Staphylococcus epidermidis in Cutibacterium acnes. These two types can both cause skin infections, but they can also keep each other in check. Only if one of the two becomes too much can an infection develop.
Struggle or cooperation
“It is very interesting to see how those two important bacterial species responded to the earring,” says co-author Anthony Mathelier. The bacteria had more interactions with each other at the location of the earring than around it. This indicates that the earring allows the skin bacteria to work together in a different way.
The extra bacteria do not necessarily have to be bad for your health. As long as they are in balance with each other and with the other bacteria on your skin. That’s why it’s important to keep your earring clean and watch for any symptoms of infection, such as redness, swelling, pain or pus. The researchers conclude that earrings not only have a cultural meaning, but also an ecological influence on human skin. Furthermore, they hope that the earring microbiome can help us understand how your skin bacteria cope with changes in their environment.
Earrings are timeless
Although earrings may seem trendy, we have been piercing our ears for thousands of years. Researchers from the Tel Aviv University found various pieces of jewelry in northern Israel in 2010. They found, among other things, a ring and earrings. The jewelry was wrapped in cloth. The jewelry is at least 3,000 years old and some jewelry probably comes from Egypt.
2023-12-03 18:06:43
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