Allergic to AirPod Pro eartips

Somewhere earlier in this thread I made a detailed post on the basics of noise cancelation and sonics. The long and short of it is that active noice cancelation or sonic frequency cannot affect skin in the way that you’re suggesting. Amplitude could make ear drums rupture, for sure, but the amplitude you’d need to do so would require a much more powerful driver than what’s in the airpod pros. But even if you stood next to an airplane engine putting out 140dB, your ears would start bleeding, not releasing pus and badly itching.

Radiation could also cause a reaction, but the issue would be much more widespread were it something like the batteries in the APPs. Immune systems vary, reactions to radiation, not so much. And it’s also not a case of malfunctioning units, evidenced from the users here who swapped out elements of their APPs to still have the same reaction afterwards.

I understand the natural inclination to believe there’s something mysterious about the issue here—and I admit I can’t speak for everyone, so I’ll just say that the highly educated, professional ENTs that have been involved in my case are certain that this is contact dermatitis caused by a material or off-gassing chemical in the Airpod Pros or their case.

The reactions are either instant or develop over time, which is explained by variances between individual immune systems. Once a reaction occurs, it seems to get worse with repeated use. This is explained by an immune system on high alert. Once the body has identified what it believes is an allergen, it is almost impossible to get it to stop attacking that allergen when it’s detected.

Even when a user changes the APP tips, uses no tips, wraps the bodies in tape, the APPs still have to be placed into a case to charge or pair at some point, and that case likely contains the chemical causing the reaction, or traces of it. Even just handling the case could cause transference of the allergen to ones hands, then the modified airpods. Cleaning the case with disinfectant does no good if the material of the case or airpods themselves is the problem.

What the people in this thread are experiencing is so similar to what a very small % of Apple Watch users experience with the silicon bands, and those who are allergic to a material in the Watch body. Even some users with tattoos on the top of their wrists can’t use the Watch. The fact is that there is always a small subset of the population who can’t use a specific product for one reason or another.

There are so many of us, it’s true. But anyone I know that uses APPs, I ask them if they’ve had a reaction—and they don’t. They look at me like I’m crazy, they’ve been using them since they came out with no issues. The vast majority are unaffected, and Apple will likely not see a need to change anything. The Apple Watch is coming up on its 7th generation, and there are still users who can’t use the device.

The point of my post isn’t to tell anyone to just “deal with it.” By all means, do everything in your power to get your money back and tell Apple what their product did to you. If there is a bigger issue, they’ll identify it. Maybe they’ll change the materials they’re using.

If the issue is limited to a tiny, tiny minority, it’s easier to give refunds where they can, and write off those 100,000 users (or however many of us there are) out of the 100,000,000 total APP users.

The reason this thread has been marked “solved,” is mostly because the initial post asked what to do about this issue, and the answer really hasn’t changed: consult a medical professional and discontinue use of the APPs for safety reasons. And pursue a refund!

Apple does warn people about potential issues. See the section “For those sensitive to certain materials”

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204665

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211158

I understand a warning doesn’t pop up when you pair the device with your phone, but it’s not that different than a candy bar manufacturer writing “manufactured in a facility that also processes nuts” in tiny, tiny font on their wrapper.

You’re absolutely right in thinking that we were blindsided by this issue, and that Apple should have been more careful in choosing materials. But they did the tests, evidenced in the links above, and made the decision that it was worth it to still put out the product, the same as that candy bar manufacturer puts its product on a grocery store shelf.

I truly appreciate the seriousness of this issue, I suffered like all of you and took the time to experiment and contact Apple support. But when it’s asserted that the people in this thread will tell others about the issue and it will affect Apple’s sales...that’s like saying people who are allergic to peanut butter will get people not allergic to peanut butter to affect Skippy’s bottom line.

I mean...look at the length to which the people in this thread have gone in effort to continue to use a product that’s actively injuring them, instead of just stopping use. Spending money on new tips, coverings, swapping out the product, spending time experimenting on themselves. People who’ve given up because of the reaction walk away still saying, “Wow, that was such a great product despite the issue I had! This is a real bummer.” How would someone who’s unaffected by the APPs justify not experiencing some of the best ANC in earbud form based on a friend or stranger telling them they had a problem?

Even if this forum represented a small drop of those actually affected, there are maybe 100 unique users posting here multiple times over the course of what’s now 101 pages. Even if we here represented 100 out of 100,000 people affected, that’s still less that than 1% of all of the APPs sold.

Look at a true, widespread issue of Apple’s. The battery issue that happened three years ago was chaos, because it was something that a vast minority of users were experiencing. The logic board failures on the iPhone 8, the keyboards on the MacBook Pros were especially insane. That was affecting something like 20% of users! That’s the point when Apple’s hands are forced, and yeah it affects their bottom line. They replaced keyboards over and over again for free, and ultimately remodeled their entire portable computer line...after four years of the issue ongoing.

Again, I’m not saying to “deal with it.” I’m saying, our bodies have shown us something that they don’t respond well to, to put it mildly. It is amazingly unlucky and messed up, but most of us are lucky to have gotten away without permanent damage. Apple is not going to stop selling their highest selling product unless the issue is proven to be widespread, which is just not the case. We have evidence of what a widespread acknowledged-by-Apple incident looks like, and this is not it. We also have evidence of what a small-scale, acknowledged-by-Apple incident looks like (Apple Watch), and our APP situation appears to be even smaller than that.

Please stop using the APP if you’re having a bad reaction to it. Absolutely tell others about your issue. I just really would not expect those people to stop enjoying the product when they’re not experiencing an issue themselves, or hearing widespread reports of it causing issues.

It's May 1,2021, and we are 18 months into continuous reporting of this unresolved issue. Below is a rundown of symptoms/remedies reported in this group.

Common Symptoms

• Itching (Very common)
• Pain (Very common)
• Crusting, flaking around outside of ear (Very common)
• Fluid drainage (Very common)
• Swelling
• Ear pressure
• Headaches
• Ringing of the ears (later stages for some)
• Partial hearing loss/distortion (later stages for some)
• Apple's list of materials that may cause sensitivity: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211158

Remedies

• Stop wearing them (best and recommended solution)
• See a doctor and don't self medicate. Prescription medicine is needed in some cases (take this issue seriously; it's your hearing). Pictures and keeping medical records can help with an Apple refund request too.
• Time (weeks to months to fully recover)
• Consider alternatives to in-ear headphones (since many have reported long-term sensitivity after the initial APP reaction), such as over-the-ear or even bone conduction headphones. None of these go in the ear canal and are less likely to trigger an allergic response. Do note, however, that there have been a couple posts here that AirPods Max have led to reactions too.

Attempted Remedies That Do NOT Work for Most People:

• Cleaning (pods and case - and yes we have seen all types of cleaner to the point of damaging the finish)
• Inconclusive, typically negative results from coverings or replacement tips from Apple or other brands (documented many times over) still mean not wearing them is the recommended remedy for most; the tips may not be the only or single cause for many of us.
• Using no silicone tips at all (APPs powered on or off)
• Duct-taping pods' body
• Duct-taping behind-ear loops (used Powerbeats Pro for test)
• Using AGAIN after medicine and ointments - it comes back

Contacting Apple Support

• Frequently, you will be asked for evidence if you request a refund when reporting your symptoms. Documentation from a doctor and/or supporting pictures may help with this process.

It's June 1, 2021, and we are 19 months into continuous reporting of this unresolved issue. Below is a rundown of symptoms/remedies reported in this group.

Common Symptoms

• Itching (Very common)
• Pain (Very common)
• Crusting, flaking around outside of ear (Very common)
• Fluid drainage (Very common)
• Swelling
• Ear pressure
• Headaches
• Ringing of the ears (later stages for some)
• Partial hearing loss/distortion (later stages for some)
• Apple's list of materials that may cause sensitivity: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211158

Remedies

• Stop wearing them (best and recommended solution)
• See a doctor and don't self medicate. Prescription medicine is needed in some cases (take this issue seriously; it's your hearing). Pictures and keeping medical records can help with an Apple refund request too.
• Time (weeks to months to fully recover)
• Consider alternatives to in-ear headphones (since many have reported long-term sensitivity after the initial APP reaction), such as over-the-ear or even bone conduction headphones. None of these go in the ear canal and are less likely to trigger an allergic response. Do note, however, that there have been a couple posts here that AirPods Max have led to reactions too.

Attempted Remedies That Do NOT Work for Most People

• Cleaning (pods and case - and yes we have seen all types of cleaner to the point of damaging the finish)
• Inconclusive, typically negative results from coverings or replacement tips from Apple or other brands (documented many times over) still mean not wearing them is the recommended remedy for most; the tips may not be the only or single cause for many of us.
• Using no silicone tips at all (APPs powered on or off)
• Duct-taping pods' body
• Duct-taping behind-ear loops (used Powerbeats Pro for test)
• Using AGAIN after medicine and ointments - it comes back

Contacting Apple Support

• Typically, you will be asked for evidence if you request a refund when reporting your symptoms. Documentation from a doctor and/or supporting pictures may help with this process.

I have this problem too however I think most people are incorrectly concluding it is the ear tips. I tried many ear tip replacements for the APP’s without success. Then moved on to quite a few other true wireless earbuds. All caused major ear problems. For me at least, it comes down to metal (nickel) used in the buds. The APP’s mesh cover has nickel in it. The charging contact points on all of these contain nickel. I have gone back to my wired buds and can wear them all day. I can also still use my Beats Fit Pros as long as I cover the metal contact points with tape but that’s a hassle. I hope the manufacturers will get enough feedback to accept nickel allergies are real and stop using it in products that come in contact with skin.

The foam tips that I used were only a very brief fix. An advisor at Apple Support, told me that it is the adhesive they are using, that some people are allergic to. It must be in their plastic housing, and possibly other tips have them sit in/touch your ear differently, but replacement tips do NOT fix the problem.

I asked the adviser if there was anything new in the works, for those of us affected by the chemical in the adhesive (that they even list it as a chemical that should not be in contact with skin for an extended time), and he said, No. his suggestion was for me to find a different kind (brand). All of their options use the same adhesive.

In the past I never had a problem with the wired ear buds. Maybe they had a lower concentration or maybe it’s a reaction that manifests over time. But now that I can not wear Air Pods Pro (he said the 2nd Gen Pros are made with the same adhesive), I can no longer wear the wired ear buds, without having the same ear issues.

So I was having this problem consistently- itchy ear canals almost immediately with red, dry eczema for days after using them. It kept getting worse and worse so that i couldn’t use them even for an hour before having symptoms that would last days. Because I received them for Christmas i couldn’t return them so I went to amazon to look for a quality silicone replacement tip and found that AIRSPO AirPods pro tips look exactly the same, so I bought them. I have worn them off and on for hours for two days now with no issues! They fit exactly the same, look exactly the same and have the same quality sound without the irritation! Come in three different sizes. Small, Med, and Lg. Only $9.95 and you get two pair. Hope this helps. I’m a happy camper now.

hmmm...my reaction was only in the ear canal, where the tips touched and no where else. This is where it became inflamed, itchy and red within mere minutes of putting airpod pro tips in. Then they would become dry and flaky by the next day only in that area. It is also the only pair of ear buds that I have ever had that have caused this reaction, despite having used many different ear buds and styles over the years. My last pair were beats wireless ear buds and I loved them, and wore them all the time. So I don’t think it is just contact irritation. In addition, like I said, I just replaced the tips with a different silicone tip and now I am not experiencing any irritation at all.

If you weren’t feeling heat, that would imply there’s some kind of extreme radiation coming off the headphones, which is really not likely. It would be a huge safety oversight for a device to even have the capability to malfunction in that way.

I also experienced the symptoms you describe, which developed after 4 months or so of regular use without any issues. Tried cleaning the tips as well, with the same results. My Bose in-ears don’t cause any reaction at all.

A few users in this thread successfully changed their tips to third party silicone or foam and alleviated their symptoms, which pretty clearly points to an allergic reaction caused by the stock tips. For some it‘s apparent at first use, for others it develops over time. The likely cause of the latent allergic reactions is that individuals’ body chemistries change, or the stock tips degrade to a point where a certain material in them affects the user in a way that it wasn’t able to do so previously. Some of us might have developed an ear infection. There are a lot of variables.

Let us know the outcome of your case!

I had a serious allergic reaction to the PowerBeat Pros. Red, weeping rash in and outside my ear. Apple actually worked with me to give me a refund over 5 months after purchase. Thank you Apple! I went out and bought a $30 pair of Walmart earbuds and wore them for the last few months. They were fine and I had no reaction to them at all. They lacked many of the functions that I wanted, so I decided to try the Apple Airpod Pros. Immediately after use, my ears began to burn, itch and produce liquid. I cannot believe that Apple cant use a rubber that does not cause a reaction. I have found a solution, I purchased a pair of memory foam tips for the airpod pros. That said, Apple should be providing replacement tips that are hypoallergenic to all airpod pro owners. This issue is wide spread and a known issue to apple. I am an Apple fan and will continue to buy. their products. This issue just rubs me the wrong way....

After reading all the comments here, I decided to buy the damon light covers (about $10)for airpod pros and the foam master airpod pro memory foam tips (about $30) and no longer have any allergic reaction. I just don't know which product made the difference. I took off the silicon tips that came with it and first used the damon covers and had no itchy reaction but still needed a cushion for better fit and to have the noise cancelling work. So then I added the foam master tips and have worn them for an hour at a time with no problem. I hope you can find some relief as well.

i hope you tried some other remedies before you tossed them. Many folks (including myself) have found that replacing the silicone tips with good memory foam tips fixed the problem. I went for the pricey ones that were recommended. Foam masters. I got the ones that fit AirPod pros from amazon. It said they would take weeks to come but arrived in two days. I’ve had no trouble with them. It’s worth a shot after you’ve spent 250. I think Apple should reimburse us for these replacement tips.

First of all, I just want to state that I took the time to talk to Apple just to report this for their info as I can return the airpod pros to Amazon any time. Amazon has been very patient in letting me take the time to try to find remedies. I had read through all the Apple discussion when it was only about 24 pages and I saw a number of people recommend Foam Masters This is the link on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B083SHJZWT/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They are more expensive than others but they specifically say they fit the pros (which I found to be true) and I read that the noise cancelling still works well with them on. I can't really say that I have figured out how to compare the noise cancelling to the original tips. I just know these are comfortable and I've been able to wear them for a couple of hours so far without any issue. They also arrived in just a couple of days which was much faster than expected. They are very returnable if you don't like them. I also bought Damon light airpods pro covers on amazon. They were about $11. They give you two pairs and they basically cover the plastic part. I don't know if i need them but I wanted to make sure I tried everything. The memory foam tips are really the part that irritated my ears in my case so I don't think the Damon covers make a difference. In case you are interested though, the amazon link for them is: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082X4QK4N/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

i had horrible irritation within 30 min of use that caused itching, irritation, wax build up, scabs and peeling in both ears. I waited for them to heal, tried the APP again and had the same reaction! When i realized i wasnt crazy thinking it was a reaction to my airpods pro, i purchased third party foam tips from Amazon and no longer have any issues. Dont know what is on or what those original tip are made of because ive never had reactions to in-ear earbuds in the past. So glad i found this thread! Apple needs to address these toxic tips though!

For new members, here is the rundown of our most common experiences in this group with AirPod Pros:

Common Symptoms

• Itching
• Pain
• Crusting around outside of ear
• Fluid drainage
• Ear pressure
• Ringing of the ears (later stages for some)
• Headaches

Remedies

• Stop wearing them
• Prescription from doctor in some cases
• Time (weeks to months to fully recover)
• Very mixed, often temporary success with coverings or new tips (not wearing best method)