Allergic to AirPod Pro eartips

I honestly can't tell if that was sarcastic...

But anyways, I would recommend you not wear anything in your ears for at least three weeks, then try them again once they are 100% healed. If you still have a reaction it has to be the Airpod body itself

Do you think there could be nickel in the metal itself or any components? That can cause a reaction in many people. (If the earbuds themselves cause itching and not just the silicone)

Ive stopped using mine altogether but did order some news tips just to check.

I purchased the AirPod Pros last month and have had a severe allergic reaction in both ears. I have only wore them three times.

I went to an ENT (ear, nose, throat) Doctor yesterday and he prescribed steroids, steroid cream and sprayed my inner ear with boric acid powder to protect them from infection. The reaction is only where the tips touch and it causes swelling, burning, itchy rash and weeping liquid. I have to discontinue use.

It has been more than 14 days since my purchase and I am hoping I can still return them as they are unusable to me. Contacting Apple support today - will repost what they say.

FYI - I have no other allergies to anything.

OMG! I thought I was insane... I’ve had the same issue... the nurses where I work told me I must be over cleaning and I assumed they were right.. left my ears alone used my SOLO beats when working out until my ears recovered.. eventually I decided to start running with my Pro’s again and the pain, irritation, itchy, tenderness, came back.. so I stopped using them again to make sure it was in fact my Pro’s and sure enough all the problems went away.... to bad I can’t return them.

So I went to Amazon and bought the $30 black memory foam tips someone posted on here and had no issues but I wasn’t as thrilled with them so I bought the $10 white tips someone posted on here earlier and no issues as well. So far. Big relief that I can keep using the Pros. I’m not wasting my time with Apple support given the firmware issue is still unresolved - I have no faith in them.

Apple Support will definitely work with you in providing a refund, even if you're past the return date. They'll probably ask for a bunch of evidence to support your claim, but it's worth it to escalate the issue for you and for them.

This is really great to know that there are alternatives to the Apple white tips. I'm currently on day 7 of not using the AirPods to see if my reaction goes away. In another week or two I'm going to then try using my old Bose in-ears, and if I don't react to those I'll try the AirPod Pros again. If I react after giving it ~a month of no symptoms, then I'll probably have to try the third party tips.

I would highly recommend spending a little bit more time with Apple Support. If you can demonstrate to them that the third party tips don't cause the issue where Apple's do, then they might think it's worth looking into. Escalations at Apple go the farthest when there's good, reproducible evidence and elements to compare, which it sounds like you have.

I agree that Apple will eventually get you a refund. I first contacted apple support on Chat and hyperlinked to this thread, then they called. After a few iterations of calls, sending them pictures they sent me a check and also gave me a pro-rated refunded AppleCare. I had purchased the AirPods back in November so I don't think it matters to them that you're outside the return window. I also think it's important for everyone affected by this to push to get a refund - they may not really investigate this until a threshold is reached.

Here are the $10 tips I haven’t had a reaction to yet...

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B085317LDG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

and here are the black memory foam tips I also didn’t have a reaction to but didn’t find as comfortable...

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B083SHJZWT/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

regards...

My concern is that there is something like nickel in the pod itself that is causing the allergic reaction. My Doctor advised immediate discontinue of use. It was so bad, he brought one of his colleagues in to look at my ears. That was after only one day of use. The steroids and steroid cream are helping but I don't like taking it.

Because it was so severe, I am not inclined to try different tips. I have other in-ear headphones that have never bothered me.

I have a scheduled call with Apple support on Monday and will request a refund. It's been about 30 days but I only wore them three times for my Zoom meetings.

I will post here what they say in case anyone else is in the same boat and would like a refund.

That’s a very good plan. I am waiting for the packaging to arrive for testing.

they will ask for loads of pictures and information from you. Please just bear with them.

i will let you know my outcome too.

Thank you for participating in the Apple Support Communities.

I want to make sure you reach the right team for help with your AirPods Pro. I recommend that you contact Apple Support directly. Depending on your region, you may be able to reach them here: Contact Apple Support

Same problem. Wore them for about 3 weeks before the problem started. Apple said I had to go back to Best Buy to return them. This really is a shame because I LOVED these, but can't use them due to the allergic reaction I'm having. Itchy/redness/drainage. This is just unacceptable.

I switched back to regular AirPods and have no issues, even right away. my ears would continue to improve as soon as I switched back. But I also have no issue now with the $10 ear tip replacement from Amazon.

regular AirPods don’t have tips. I’m saying that once I replaced the original Apple tips on the Pros with knockoffs from Amazon I haven’t had an issue.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B085317LDG/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1