Ear Blackheads: Why They Happen & What To Do About It

Bowe lends her stamp of approval to professional blackhead extraction: “Extraction is so effective there,” she notes. Big, big caveat: You never want to attempt extractions at home. Leave the squeezing to the professionals, especially near the sensitive ear canal. We should note, most blackheads will actually crop up in the conchal bowl (the hollow space in your ear) rather than in the actual ear canal itself; so make sure whoever does perform extractions around the delicate opening is extra careful. 

However, you can (gently!) approach an ear blackhead just like any other clogged pore: Celebrity esthetician Shani Darden recommends you apply a “very thin, thin, thin layer” of AHA serum for ear zits, which can help unglue dead skin cells and encourage cell turnover. If you’re especially prone to clogged pores in the area, you’ll also want to make sure you’re cleansing the ears regularly. Nothing too intricate or product-heavy—a good rinse in the shower should be A-OK. 

To prevent the ears from becoming an oily breeding ground for blackheads, perhaps give your ears a break from the buds to encourage airflow. It’s not a perfect science, but if you wear the headphones for hours and notice your ears are more waxy and oily all of a sudden, it might be worth the tweak.