Pimple in ear: causes, ear lobe bumps and care

A sore bump in the ear is often called a pimple, but it can be a few different things: a spot or a boil in the ear canal, a cyst, an infected piercing, a keloid scar, or a rash. Most of them need the same first care: do not squeeze it, and do not put anything in the ear. This guide explains each one, how to care for it, what to do about bumps on the ear lobe, and the signs that need a doctor quickly. It is part of Skinli's guide to acne by face area.

Skinli gives general education and is not a doctor. This page names no medicine and no product. Blackheads in the ear have their own guide: blackheads in the ear.

What a pimple in the ear can be

What you see or feel	What it may be	Source
A painful lump in the ear canal that fills with pus	A spot or boil	NHS, MedlinePlus
Pain, itching, scaly skin or fluid from the ear	An outer ear infection	NHS, MedlinePlus
A smooth, round lump on, behind or in the ear	A cyst	MedlinePlus, NHS
A sore, red or puffy bump at a piercing, with yellowish fluid	An infected piercing	AAD, NHS
A raised scar at a piercing that keeps growing	A keloid	AAD, NHS
Flakes, crusting or cracks in and around the ear	Seborrheic dermatitis	AAD
An itchy rash where earrings or earphones touch	Contact dermatitis	AAD, 2025 study

A doctor can tell these apart by looking. The NHS says a GP or pharmacist may look in the ear with a small light and a magnifying glass, a tool called an otoscope.

A spot or boil in the ear canal

The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) says: "Boils are pus-filled skin infections that occur around a hair follicle or oil gland." The NHS describes a boil as "a hard and painful lump that fills with pus."

The ear canal is a painful place for one. MedlinePlus, the US National Library of Medicine's health site, names the ear canal and the nose as places where a boil can hurt a lot. It explains that a boil hurts more as pus builds up and less once it drains.

The NHS ear infection page covers this. It says: "If there's a spot or boil in your ear, a GP may pierce it with a needle to drain the pus." That is a job for a doctor. The AAD says: "Never squeeze or pierce a boil or stye yourself, as this can spread the infection."

Outer ear infection

The NHS says an outer ear infection is "Caused by something irritating the ear canal, such as eczema, water or wearing earplugs, or a fungal or bacterial infection". It lists these symptoms of an ear infection:

• pain inside the ear,
• a high temperature,
• difficulty hearing,
• discharge running out of the ear,
• a feeling of pressure or fullness inside the ear,
• itching and irritation in and around the ear,
• scaly skin in and around the ear.

MedlinePlus calls an outer ear infection swimmer's ear. It says pulling on the outer ear can make the pain worse, and that scratching the ear canal, or using cotton swabs or other small objects to clean out earwax, can hurt the skin inside it.

The NHS says most ear infections "clear up within 3 days, although sometimes symptoms can last up to a week." A pharmacist or GP may give antibiotic tablets, ear drops, or both, depending on the cause.

Earphones may play a part for some people. A 2025 study compared people with outer ear infections to people without them. It found that "Contact allergy to earphones/earplugs was more common in OE patients", where OE means outer ear infection. The authors say their study had "a small sample size and reliance on self-reported data", so the result needs larger studies.

Cysts in and behind the ear

A cyst is a closed pocket under the skin. MedlinePlus says the cysts found most often in the ear are sebaceous cysts, which form from dead skin cells and oil. It lists three places they form: the earlobe, the ear canal and the skin behind the ear.

The NHS describes skin cysts as round lumps just under the skin that "sometimes have a small, dark spot in the middle". It says you "may be more likely to get a skin cyst if" you have acne. It also warns: "Do not squeeze a skin cyst. If it bursts it could become infected".

MedlinePlus says an ear cyst needs no treatment if it causes no pain and does not affect hearing. A cyst that becomes painful may be infected, and a doctor may treat it with antibiotics or remove it. A 2012 case report of one patient says "The earlobe is a potential location for giant epidermoid cysts", so a cyst on the ear lobe can grow large.

Have any new lump checked. MedlinePlus says some skin cancers can look like a cyst, and advises having any new lump examined. The NHS advises seeing a GP for a lump on the skin when you do not know what it is.

Pimples on the ear lobe and piercings

The ear lobe has a few common causes of bumps of its own.

An infected piercing. The AAD says: "Some piercings, like earlobe piercings, are more common and less risky than other body piercings." It also says: "If the skin around your piercing gets sore, red, or puffy, or a hole oozes yellowish liquid, you may have an infection."

The NHS says a new piercing can be tender and itchy for the first few weeks, and can make a pale fluid that forms a crust. It says a piercing may be infected if the skin around it is swollen, painful and hot, and red or darker than usual, depending on your skin color. Blood or pus coming out of it, or feeling hot, cold or shivery, are also signs. For a suspected infection, the NHS advises an urgent GP appointment, and says: "Leave your jewellery in, unless a doctor tells you to take it out."

Small lumps on a cartilage piercing. The NHS says: "If you've had an ear or nose cartilage piercing, small lumps can sometimes form around the piercing." It explains: "The lumps, called granulomas, are trapped fluid." It says to soak a pad in warm water and hold it against them once a day.

A keloid. A keloid is a raised scar that keeps growing. The AAD says: "If the skin around your piercing becomes raised, you may be developing a type of scar called a keloid." It names ear piercing as a common cause and shows a photo of a girl's earlobe: "When it began, the keloid on this girl's earlobe looked like a pimple. It continued to grow." The AAD says the first signs can take 3 to 12 months or longer to appear after the skin is injured, and that "A keloid on the ear, neck, or belly may hang from the skin."

The NHS says keloid scars are most common on the chest, shoulders, chin, neck, lower legs and ears. It advises people who get keloids easily to avoid tattoos and piercings, and says: "Surgery to remove the keloid scar is not usually recommended because it's likely to grow back bigger." A dermatologist treats keloids. The raised acne scars guide covers them.

A rash from earrings. The AAD lists jewelry, "including wedding rings and body piercings", among the most common causes of allergic contact dermatitis, an itchy rash where the skin touches something it reacts to. It says jewelry often contains nickel.

Flakes and rash around the ear

Seborrheic dermatitis is a common skin condition that causes a scaly rash on oily areas of the body. The AAD lists the ears, "behind and inside", among the places it appears, and says: "Seborrheic dermatitis can cause inflammation around or inside the ear. You may see flakes, crusting, cracks in the skin, or oozing from the ear." The AAD says it is not contagious. A dermatologist can confirm it and treat it.

How to care for a pimple in the ear

• Leave it alone. Do not squeeze, pick or pierce it. The AAD and the NHS both say this can spread an infection.
• Put nothing in the ear. The NHS says: "do not put anything inside your ear to remove earwax, such as cotton buds or your finger".
• Keep it dry. The NHS says not to let water or shampoo get in your ear and not to swim while you have an ear infection.
• Ease the pain. The NHS suggests painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen, and says children under 16 should not take aspirin. MedlinePlus says warmth on the ear may ease swimmer's ear pain.
• Use warmth on the outside only. For a boil on the skin, the NHS advises a clean cloth soaked in warm water, held against it "for 10 minutes 4 times a day". Keep the cloth on the outer ear.
• Wash your hands. The AAD says: "Always wash your hands before touching newly pierced areas."

The AAD describes deep pimples on other parts of the skin: "If you have a deep, painful pimple, you might not be able to see it, but can still feel the painful lump." Inside the ear, let a doctor check a lump like this.

When to see a doctor

The NHS says to ask for an urgent GP appointment, or to get help from NHS 111, if you have symptoms of an ear infection and you:

• feel generally unwell, have a high temperature, or feel hot, cold or shivery,
• "have swelling around the ear",
• notice "fluid is coming out of the ear",
• "have a change in hearing or new hearing loss",
• feel sick or vomit, feel dizzy, or have a severe sore throat,
• have diabetes, a weakened immune system, or a heart, lung, kidney or neurological condition.

See a doctor at a routine visit when:

• a boil has not healed after a week of home care (MedlinePlus),
• earache does not get better after 3 days, or ear infections keep coming back (NHS),
• a lump on or behind the ear keeps growing or you do not know what it is (NHS, MedlinePlus),
• a piercing stays sore, red or puffy, or a raised scar starts to form (AAD).

Acne on the neck, the hairline and the back of the neck has its own guides: neck acne, hairline acne and acne on the back of the neck. For why squeezing any spot can cause harm, see should you pop a pimple.