Allergic to AirPod Pro eartips

This is EXACTLY my experience, apart from

the Genius part. I even watched a few videos where they show how to almost ‘forensically’ clean stuff like AirPods and I still have the drainage and allergy issue.

I suffer medical adhesive allergies as well as a mild latex allergy, so I at first assumed that the tips contained something similar.

My doctor even told me he’s never seen anyone have ‘swimmers ear’ after wearing in ear headphones. I’m at a loss. I can’t wear them at all and I’m back to wearing over the ear Beats instead, which as a spectacle wearer is less than ideal.

😩I purchased the beats buds and ended up with an ear infection again. Maybe I am allergic to the rubber or silicone. I guess I will stick with my huge Bose headphones and not stick anything in my ears.

Look at the last 2-3 pages. This also happens with the AirPods 3. Some people have better experiences with the Beats Fit Pro. They work for me. But I also took a break for a few months to let my ear heal before. I think this is important before a new test.

SOLVED…maybe

I’m starting to gain confidence that I have solved this problem, for me at least.

One of the contributors to this discussion mentioned using strong light to cure the resin used in the AirPods Pro.

i put mine under a strong lamp for a couple of hours, turned them and gave them another couple of hours, then gave them a good clean

Not convinced by that, I bought a UV phone sanitizer (PhoneSoap), and put them in there for a few 10 min cycles.

Since then, I’ve worn them for a couple of 1 hour stints and about 3 hours this weekend with no reaction.

I have also swapped the tips with some foam ones, but I have used them previously with these tips and still got a bad reaction, so I don’t think it’s just those.

Previously and hour with them would leave me with draining ears and dermatitis that would take weeks to get back under control.

I’m not 100% sure yet, but I’d definitely recommend people trying strong light on them and seeing if it helps resolve the problem.

Buongiorno! Anche io ho il problema dell’ irritazione alle orecchie causate dalle AirPods Pro ho fatto vari step per capire se erano solo loro…

ho provato ad usare le AirPods prima serie lo stesso problema

provato anche un altra marca di auricolari buds pro uguale

sembra che il problema derivi da alcuni materiali per la costruzione tipo il nichel

Experiencing the same problem. After use of AirPod Pros for 5 minutes, my ears start to itch and get infected. Takes about a week to recover.

I can use any other earbuds I have without no problems for hours a day. It is only the Apple AirPods that cause instantaneous issues. I've googled this and it seems a fairly common problem with the Apple EarPod tips.

Can users replace the tips with different tips that are made of material that is more friendly to human skin? There is something seriously wrong with the material that Apple provides for people like me.

Scientific results are now also coming in confirming the issue with the AirPod Pros:

https://www.practiceupdate.com/content/contact-allergy-to-acrylates-in-apple-airpods-proR-headphones/126089/62

Time for Apple to do a recall.....

Thanks @philmehew I'll try this. What I'm aiming to do is to do the light treatment for one bud, and replace the tip for the other bud, and wear both to see if there is a difference so that I can more reliably tell if the issue for me is the acrylates or the material of the silicone tip.

You’re welcome, I’m convinced it’s worked for me, I did a few hours each side, and then still wasn’t sure so bought a UV phone cleaner box thing and put them in there too…I’ve had no reactions so far since, and prob had them on for 2-2.5 hours last time I used them.

@philmehew @Earl_Less:

Exposed one AirPod to 2 days of daylight + artificial light; kept the other one in its box.

Unfortunately both my ears responded similarly and quite intensely to wearing the pods. I think it's safe to conclude that the light exposure doesn't help me. Next is switching the silicone tips but I need to wait a week before my ears are 'normal' again :-(

I wouldn't be surprised if Apple managed to put two allergens in the buds (one related to the body, perhaps acrylates, and a second one related to the silicone tip).

Oh no, really sorry to hear that’s not worked, maybe does need a combination of light treatment and different buds (I’m using foam buds, but when I originally used them I still got the reaction)..you could well be right that it’s a reaction to more than one thing.

i respect your perseverance, if the light hadn’t worked for me I think I’d have given up.

I have a pair of AirPod Pro eartips and every time I wear them I get crusty ears and a clear fluid inside my ears. I stop using them and then after a few days it goes away but as soon as I wear them again it comes back. I really want to wear them but they do this every time I try to wear them. The warranty expired because I had bought them and hadn't worn them at all because I had them in a cabinet. I had to buy a pair of Bose headphones for now. I spent a lot on my AirPods just to have them give me an infection. I wanted to see if I could return them or get credit for something else even though my warranty is expired. They are working fine but ear infection is not worth wearing them.

Yep, that’s consistent with what me and most people here have experienced.

Im still convinced that putting them under strong light for several hours and then cleaning them worked for me, but others didn’t seem to find the same.

I got my airpod pros four days ago, and the next day I developed an ear infection. The infection is still bothering me today, and it's growing worse. I was hesitant to believe it was my new airpods, but it appears to be the case.

This is the first ear infection I've had since I was a youngster, and it's excruciating.

Yep, that’s the one, you’ll prob need to wash them thoroughly and apply hydrocortisone for a few days, that’s what I’ve had to do.

if you’ve only just got them, send them back mate as not everyone finds a solution..I think I have for me, but doesn’t work for everyone