AirPod pro allergic reaction in ears

I have the same problem. I don’t even have to wear them more than a few minutes and the pain and crusting return. I’ve switched the tips out to foam and it’s still happening. So it’s something in the device, not just the tips I believe.

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I have had exactly the same problem with my Powerbeats Pro. I contacted Apple support and reading the comments on this forum, was not surprised when they said that there was not problem with the material in their product. My Apple advisor suggested I visit my doctor to see if I was allergic to the material in the product. I have requested a copy of my conversation as if my doctor does say there is an allergic reaction, Apple should have a warning on the product, advising that people may be allergic to materials in the product. As this forum and other forums such as Reddit are showing significant occurrences of this problem and mine appears not to be an isolated case, it may be that Apple are selling a product not fit for purpose and something should be done about it. As a long time Apple buyer I feel totally let down by their response so far.

Xenion,

So I just received my refund for my airpod pros - I see you noted that you bought the replacement tips and have had luck with those? Did you buy these ones directly from Apple.com? (link below)

https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MY3V2ZM/A/airpods-pro-ear-tips-2-sets-medium

I am willing to give this another try if that solved your issue. If I run into any issues, I can just return them within 14 days so I may give it another shot...can you confirm??

Thanks!

-AG

I posted this to another thread and just want to add it here also:

As it is mentioned in some other threads, please invest the 8-10 bucks to try out the AirPod Pro replacement eartips by Apple. The original ones offered in the Apple store! I was baffled to learn, see, feel and smell that they are indeed not as the stock ones you're get. The outside package looks similar but even the actual package inside is different.

To give a shortened background:

• I used the AirPod Pro from their product launch for a year without issues until I broke them
• I bought a new APP unit and after 3-5 days joined the club of people with severe issues for 2-3 months in total (it was frustrating)
• I tested the AirPod Max with the same strong reaction :-(
• Before giving up I picked up the hint that the replacement Eartips are different so I just bought them and it worked perfectly now for three weeks!
• Make sure your ears are fully healed before re-trying of course, never endanger your hearing!

The replacements eartips are really completely different. Slightly different color, no smell whatsoever, not before or after washing and no reaction at all, no even after a sweaty fitness workout :-)

I am very happy with this solution and hope this helps someone else. I notified Apple about this as well with all details.

Hello everyone - I wanted to share my experience with my Airpod Pros and about me having the same exact reaction as many of you on the forums here.

I received my Airpod Pros in July 2020 as a birthday gift from my wife. I bought her a pair as well for her birthday in the spring and she enjoyed them a lot so she decided to get me the same gift - I was pumped! As an avid user of the original Airpods, I was looking forward to the noise cancellation and better fit that would come from having the silicone tips and new tech.

I wore the AirPods for a few months and didn't really notice anything until about September - when my ears started to get flaky, and literally drain (so gross). Around the same time period, my wife began to have the same exact issues after wearing her Airpod Pros - flaky, rashy, drainage, general pain in the ear. We never shared our headphones or anything like that so it was interesting to us that all of a sudden we started to get side effects from wearing these headphones. So after alot of different uses, we decided that it was indeed the Airpod Pros causing our issues with our ears so we reached out to Apple in December of 2020.

As some people on the forums here stated their experience with Apple Support - it went about the same. The reps asked a ton of questions, asked for us to send pictures of our ears, pictures of the headphones themselves, you name it. After all the pictures were sent in, we got another call from the rep and he began to ask us a list of questions about our symptoms - describe exactly what is happening, when did we notice it, do we have pre-existing conditions/reactions to certain materials, etc. We cordially answered these questions to the best of our ability and one of the last questions they asked was how many Apple products have we owned so I rattled them off:

• Airpods (1st gen)
• Airpod Pros (2 pair)
• iPad (4th gen)
• Ipad Air (1st gen)
• iPad Pro 12.9 (1st gen) with silicone smart folio keyboard case
• Apple Watch (1st gen)
• Apple Watch Series 2 (multiple straps leather and silicone)
• iPhones
  • iPhone 4s
  • iPhone 5s
  • iPhone 6 Plus and iPhone 6s
  • iPhone 7 plus
  • iPhone X
  • iPhone X XS Max
  • iPhone 11 pro max
  • iPhone 12 Pro Max + iPhone 12 Pro
• Apple TV 4k (4 of them)
• MacBook Pro 15" (x2)
• MacBook Pro 16"

Needless to say - we have A LOT of apple products not even including the Beats products we currently own. I also told them that I have had no issues wearing my 1st gen Airpods along with countless other in-ear buds from Beats, Bose, etc and that this is the first time ever that headphones have caused my ears to react the way they did. I never had issues with the apple watch that I wore DAILY for years with no issues. Never had issues with any of the silicone cases that Apple produces for iPads or iPhones.

Long story short - our case continued on through December and January and we found out a few weeks ago that we are both getting a full refund for both of our Airpod Pros. We are currently waiting for the refund (6-8 weeks) but at least we are receiving them.

I found it very interesting that when I talked to 4 different case managers throughout the process and they all looked at the case, they were dumbfounded and shocked that we had the issues we were having. I politely told them that there are countless other people on your own forums (Apple Support forums) in addition to Reddit and others that are all experiencing the same issues we are. These reps made it seem like my wife and I's case was very isolated and that it was very odd that this was happening to us since they haven't heard or seen anything like it before.....

I really love Apple products (obviously from my list) but it really leaves a sour taste in my mouth that Apple is failing to admit that there is an obvious issue here. The only difference that I could tell between the original Airpods and the Airpod pros is the unique smell they had when you first get them. No other Apple device that I have owned had a candy-like smell to them when first opening them up for the first time. The smell lingered on the device for weeks.....I wonder if this is what the underlying issue is? Is this the unique chemical that is causing all of our issues? The only reason why I think that this may be the cause is that the original Airpods plastic stems did not irritate my skin like the Pros; the silicone from Apple for the cases, watch straps, etc have never irritated my skin.....but this smell is the only thing that I could think of that has been uniquely different from every other Apple device that I have owned.....

My wife and I are the lucky ones and are at least getting a refund....I wish all of you the best of luck....this really does suck!

Cheers,

Andrew

Some things I can tell you from my research.

1. Clear fluid draining followed by irritation is not a normal allergic reaction. Symptoms are more consistent with ear damage. I infer from my conversations with the team working on this that they are trying to determine if it has to do with the electronics or sound.
2. I also experimented with different tips, and also tried taping both the tips and body of the AirPods to my wrists (including while the AirPods were on and playing). I got a mild, delayed reaction to the body of the airpods
3. They are clearly concerned, and have a safety team working on it.
4. They had me return mine for testing - have been waiting for + 3 months for my refund!!!

If you look at the earphones in your ears, you will see that much of the contact is with the body of the earphones. For several reasons, I don't think the problem for many of us is with the tips.

1. I don't react to other models of in-ear earphones with silicone tips.
2. Switching to Comply foam tips did not stop the reaction
3. My reaction, and that of many others on this site, is not a typical allergic reaction (beginning with clear fluid drainage). A typical allergic reaction would begin with contact dermatitis. Google Otorrhea to learn more.

George - thanks for your reply....the reason why I ask is that the headphones pieces dont touch my ear, and the irritation happens only where the tips touch my ear not the actual plastic piece on the headphone.

I also saw an earlier post from Xenion (in bold below)

That is why I am curious about the replacement tips since they dont have a smell to them like the stock eartips we receive in the box....hopefully he/she can get back to me on this.

As it is mentioned in some other threads, please invest the 8-10 bucks to try out the AirPod Pro replacement eartips by Apple. The original ones offered in the Apple store! I was baffled to learn, see, feel and smell that they are indeed not as the stock ones you're get. The outside package looks similar but even the actual package inside is different.

To give a shortened background:

• I used the AirPod Pro from their product launch for a year without issues until I broke them
• I bought a new APP unit and after 3-5 days joined the club of people with severe issues for 2-3 months in total (it was frustrating)
• I tested the AirPod Max with the same strong reaction :-(
• Before giving up I picked up the hint that the replacement Eartips are different so I just bought them and it worked perfectly now for three weeks!
• Make sure your ears are fully healed before re-trying of course, never endanger your hearing!

The replacements eartips are really completely different. Slightly different color, no smell whatsoever, not before or after washing and no reaction at all, no even after a sweaty fitness workout :-)

I am very happy with this solution and hope this helps someone else. I notified Apple about this as well with all details.

Jonathan, I have cleaned my Powerbeats Pro regularly as described. I initially had no problem, it was after about 9 months use that the issues started. My concern is that something in the material is causing the problem, sometimes it manifests immediately other times over a period of time. In the UK if a substance is used that can cause such issues in the manufacturing process the company supplying the product is liable. I am now considering using my contacts and having these analysed by a laboratory to determine if such a compound is present

Pelelieu,

I hope you have better look with Apple engineering then I did, they took nearly a week to come back and say I should clean them regularly, which I do after every run. I have access to a lab so I am intending to get independent analysis performed as I do not intend to let this go, like you I bought these to use not sit in a box. The cost is not as important as the potential safety issue with these with so many people being effected.

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

This is the second time somebody has suggested I contact Apple support. As previously stated I have been through that experience which was a complete waste of time and effort.

The main reason I have joined this forum is to learn of other people’s experience, as it was inferred that my problem was an isolated experience. As I have already said I am now pursuing other courses of action to determine if this this is a safety issue by independent assessment of the product, I do not intend to let this matter drop.