Allergic to AirPod Pro eartips

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

Just to add that I purchased the Samsung Galaxy Buds and I have had little to no problems with them, even after daily use over the past few months.

I then purchased the Jabra 85t and after a few hours had the negative reaction similar to the APP and Powerbeats Pros.

For those that are considering alternatives, the Jabras do not seem to work for me, although I have seen a post or two saying they are fine. I also considered the Bose however the brick of a case turned me off before I even bothered to try them.

So I posted about a month ago, it was page 69 or so, and it saddens me to see that we are now 10 pages further on discussing the same subject. To recap, I bought some 3rd party silicon tips and thought they had solved the problem - but unfortunately they didn’t. And only yesterday I pulled a 1/4inch of dead flaky scale skin out of my ear and have had some swelling and wetness in both ears having only used the AirPod Pros for a half hour call a few days ago.

I too, have had absolutely no problem with the original AirPods or my beat pros.

So, the immediacy of the skin shedding and seepage got me thinking. What if this isn’t an allergy? What if it’s burns from non-ionising RF (radio frequency) radiation? What if the very thin and delicate skin inside our ears is literally being burned by the transmission from the APPs? Obviously this is pure speculative conjecture - but it is something that doesn’t appear to have been considered. If it was an allergic reaction then changing the tip material for foam or other material should solve the problem. But it doesn’t. Then I thought I’d take a look at the power output. A little research on the web led me here: https://www.macintoshhowto.com/hardware/extreme-emf-exposure-from-apple-airpods.html. Now that’s the original AirPods pushing out 10 times the EMF than holding an iPhone next to your ear - and we all know how hot and sweaty our ears can get on a long call - but they are now actually inside your ear! I’ve asked them to run a comparative measurement on the AirPod pros - awaiting the results.

I too got AirPods Max in December 2020 hoping it would give me the opportunity to use APP functionality (Spatial Audio WOW!!) however, after much testing with them, the outside of my ears had started to go red and swell - the top and ear lobe area. This was probably after 20-30 mins use.

I had a daily usage log and also if it was using ANC/Transparency or no mode at all. I concluded that the modes didn't make any difference. It was purely the contact with my skin and ears. In the end, I returned the Max's back to Apple.

The ONLY headphones I've tried that are my saviour have been the Bose QC35's, which are my go to war horse, however lack the Apple integration I so desperately missed from the APP's.

I attach a picture of the inside of the ear cups from the AirPods Max and the Bose QC35's. As you can see the Bose's are much more oval and hence I assume do not touch my ears, whereas the Max's are more of a rounded rectangle and a smaller space for ears without the fabric touching my ears.

It looks like the APP's have given me hyper sensitive ears and skin on them, but I also find it stand that during winter months I constantly wear a beanie hat tight on my head and ears, and I get no reaction to those!

I am so longing to have something which gels better with Apple devices.. however I highly doubt the rumoured updates to the AirPods Pro etc.. will provide any better materials. I have thought about getting a bunch of different in ear.. ie. Jabra 85t, Sony WFXM3's etc... however, I just cannot cope if any end up giving me the same problems the APP's did so am very reluctant to try them at the moment.

Hope this experience helps others.

If you had asked me the same question a few months ago I would have said the same thing as you, mine went back to apple in March last year, and I purchased the Airpod Pro Max's last Month so my ears were completely healed. I used them for a week just in transparency only with issues, then tried them in noise canceling and the found the same issue started again.

I love the new Airpod Pro Max, so going to keep them. I just wont be using them in noise canceling mode.

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We want to make sure you reach the right team for help with your AirPod Pros. We recommend that you contact Apple Support directly. Depending on your region, you may be able to reach them here: Get Support

Because it apparently is not obvious to all... prescription = prescribed by a doctor for this condition, and not available over-the-counter. Yes, talk to your doctor.

Just as it did not occur to my physician that the issue was being caused by AirPods, being able to say "this Rx helped others" may help someone else's physician get to a remedy sooner. Certainly, before it progresses to a point that an ER / Urgent Care visit is required, as I had to.

Still awaiting my refund — I was supposed to get a call back from an Apple advisor on Jan 13 & have yet to hear from anyone. I’ve sent 2 follow up emails & no reply yet. But I remain optimistic!

As an aside - I did end up having a similar reaction to the Bose wireless earbuds. It took a lot longer to develop and isn’t nearly as severe, but is happening. I have more facial & temple pain than I did with the infections from the AirPods Pro. Interestingly I have used Bose wired earbuds for 15+ years without incident.

Thank you for participating in the Apple Support Communities.

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

Have these worked for you? Memory foam buds. I’m so sad I can’t use my EarPods. My ears get so itchy even after using them for 5 min. And the itching continues to worsen as the day progresses even without the AirPods on

Ya...I get it. The photos people have used have typically been the outside. Just showing they are red and/or any crusting. I think they just want to make you go through an extra step.

I would ask even if I don't have the photo. And also describe the symptoms to a doctor over video chat and hope you can get a note.

Thank you for participating in the Apple Support Communities.

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

Although apple insists that the irritation is due to aseptic practice. I stand by my word that I have used Bose in ear headphones for many years with no issue. The intolerance or allergic response to the AirPod Pros is related to the formulation of the rubberised fittings.

There have been significant concerns related to this topic and APPLE should further investigate to determine what chemical ingredient, most probably a petrochemical is the cause.

As I posted earlier, we have the same experience. The timeline is interesting as it closely matches mine too. I have suspected this issue may be related to the manufacturing process, including a change in materials, location or handling. To answer your question specifically, I have returned to using my original set of APP without issue. I won’t put my newer ones anywhere near my ears after the reoccurring nightmare I had with those things