skin irratations and itchy ears from powerbeats pro wireless

I have all the same symptoms but only at the ear canal. This photo is after only wearing them for about 30 minutes today and 30 minutes yesterday.Starts with itchiness, then clear drainage, followed by dead skin and finally scabbing, irritation and pain when touching. I stop wearing them for a week and it clears up. Couple of days of short use and right back to the symptoms. I also wear earplugs for short periods of time at work but I’ve never had any of these symptoms from the earplugs. I’m going to try and fashion some tips from some earplugs and see how that goes.

By now, apple should have figured out the issue with the materials and perhaps a recall and replacement with a more skin friendly material.

The back of my ear tonight after reintroducing use of the Powerbeats pros with the comply foam tips. There is something in the hooks that are clearly a problem. I’ve contacted Apple support using web chat to be told someone will phone me to discuss this as a personal safety issue with PBPs. Nobody has called as yet. Hopefully tomorrow. Let’s see.

i bought em as soon as they came out.

noticed the same problem as soon as I started using them.

However, it wasn’t too bad at the beginning, but over the bad year it has gotten really bad and started experiencing all the symptoms mentioned by other (the crazy itch, the flakes in the ear, the discharge)

I’m at my doctor’s office right now and he diagnosed it as allergy eczema to whatever type of silicone apple using in the ear tips.

Prescribed medicine, told me to see if can replace the tips with different type.

I have had the for about 3 months now and I have noticed the drainage and ear irritation. I stop using them for a couple of days and it clears up. I have owned other beats headphones and never experienced this.

I have been in touch with Apple and they had me submit pictures and answer all these questions. They escalated the report to the engineers. We'll see what happens. Im a big Apple fan, but after this, I might have to switch up.

Hispluv, please let us know how things work out with Apple. Maybe I should try again soon because it's been a couple of months since I last contacted Apple and perhaps there have been enough additional cases (like yours) since then that they're more likely to do something about it now. We'll see...

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Hispluv, that looks all too familiar. I also get itching/flaking and some clear fluid wherever the PBPs touch my skin, i.e. just in front of each ear and up, over and around behind each ear where the main body and the hooks contact my skin. I'm going to take i_rina's suggestion and Contact Apple Support. I'll report back. Should be interesting...

I just got off the phone with Ryan at Apple Support. He said he would get back to me later after looking into the situation, but I didn't get the impression from him that much will be done, if anything. He spoke about how relatively few people seem to be suffering from this problem, and that Apple would certainly be responding if the problem was much more common (but of course, that isn't the case, so....). I suggested that Apple should try 3-D printing some mockups of PBPs made from a few different but suitable materials and try them out on folks like us to see if they can find one that doesn't irritate our skin, but Ryan didn't think that was going to happen. I also suggested that Apple find out just how many people have had this problem (they must keep stats about such things). Obviously Apple wouldn't share such info with us, but surely they must have the numbers or how else would they determine if they have a real problem on their hands or not?

One other idea I have is to buy a pair of PowerBeats 4 https://www.beatsbydre.com/ca/earphones/powerbeats, the latest version of BeatsbyDre's connected-together wireless earphones, and give them a try in the hope that they're made from a different, non-irritating material. If they have the same effect on my skin as the PBPs, I'll be able to return them for a refund within two weeks of buying them. If they don't irritate my skin, they should do fine as they have a virtually identical design to the PBPs (the ear hooks!) except the two ear pieces are connected together by a single wire that goes behind the neck. I think I can live with that! :)

I previously owned the powerbeats 3 that has the wire behind the neck but the ear piece broke and I used to get annoyed by the wire behind my ear so I decided to get the powerbeats pro cause they didnt have the wire. Big mistake. I paid more money for somethong that is causing me an allergic reaction and they dont seam interested on rectifying the situation.

I had another phone call with Ryan late yesterday and he asked me a whole bunch of questions. We'll see what comes of it.

FYI, here's an online review of the new PowerBeats 4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIH9g-YlldU They look identical to the PBPs except for the behind-the-neck wire coming out of the ends of the ear hooks (a better design than the PB3s). Like the PBPs they're water/sweat resistant which I assume means that some kind of coating has been applied over the plastic, and this could be a problem if it's the same coating on the PBPs that is causing our bad reaction. I think I'm still going to give the PB4s a try when the virus situation eases up just in case Apple has used different materials to make them than they used for making the PBPs. Fingers crossed!

Last night I spoke again at length with my advisor Ryan, and he told me that Apple will be giving me a refund. I'll have to send them my PBPs so the engineers can take a look. I told Ryan that a refund is fine, but what I really want is a pair of PBPs that don't drive my ears crazy. He agreed with my idea of trying out some PB4s just in case the materials Apple uses have changed since my PBPs were made, and he confirmed that I will be able to return the PB4s to Apple for a full refund within 14 days of purchase if they cause the same problem. Let's hope the PB4s work better.

Update: Spoke to Ryan and he transferred me to Pat at customer relations and they are going to refund me the money. Shes going to email me a label to return the headset. She said it will take 4-6 wks. We will see.

Add me to the list, i have the exact same reaction as others in post, contacted apple care today was moved to specialist Daniel and waiting for response from "engineering"??? not sure what engineering will do other than verify the product run materials and confirm they used some type of caustic material or coating to get me a refund of the product. I have been to the doctor several times over this and misdiagnosed with infections and other skin diseases. So i have paid office visits and paid for and taken medicine i did not need on top of this. I did not catch on until i had a month long gap in use and my ears finally felt normal. then last night i put one in my left ear to listen to some video online and this morning my ear is swelled up, draining fluid and red and irritated soon to be followed by the chronic flaking dead skin caused by these earphones!!! I am looking for full refund and cost of doctors and meds

DaTrip, going by my own experience I think you will find that Apple will eventually agree to give you a refund. You have the "classic" symptoms and surely by now this problem is well enough known by Apple. Why they still feel they have to refer each case to "engineering" is a mystery. Maybe it's one item on a standard checklist that advisors have to go through as they deal with a problem like ours. To back up my own case, I sent photos and doctor's reports about my ears (your advisor can send you an upload link). I didn't make any claims for medical expenses (in Canada our health care system pays for it all) so I don't know if Apple will refund such costs. Anyway, my advice is to be persistent. Good luck!