# Pimple in my ear! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 28, 2012, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pimple-in-my-ear/645424 "2012-12-28T20:48:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pimple-in-my-ear/645424/1 "2012-12-28T20:48:37Z")
If I had the skill that some of you folks do at creative, nigh-literary profanity, I’d put this in the Pit–but I don’t. When I get irate, my vocabulary contracts down to variations on the word “fuck”, which is pretty boring, I’m afraid. But that’s not the point. The point is that I have a pimple. In my ear. Not on my ear, IN MY EAR. Not deep–it’s hanging out, just inside the old aural canal, being swollen and hurting like a very hurty thing if touched and dully aching the rest of the time. How the heck am I supposed to squeeze a pimple that’s in my ear? I suppose I’ll let it alone for a while and avoid sleeping on that side and not use earbuds in that earhole and hopefully it will subside meekly of its own accord. Going to the doctor for an earhole pimple would be a bit of a bother (though I suppose an excuse to talk to him about a few other things. I refuse to admit that the earhole pimple might be a blessing in disguise, however!). ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pimple-in-my-ear/645424/2 "2012-12-28T20:49:17Z")
Try a hot compress to bring it to a head. Ouch! ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pimple-in-my-ear/645424/3 "2012-12-28T20:53:00Z")
First off, I want you to know I’m not _advocating_ doing this. But I’ve heard that you can take a nice, clean bobby pin and use the curved end to press on a zit in a tight spot. It’s what I’ve heard. Not advocating it, just in case you try it and it doesn’t work out well. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pimple-in-my-ear/645424/4 "2012-12-28T20:57:03Z")
Yeah, that would be a lot like the little wire loops that are used for doing extractions when you get a facial. A totally legit way to squeeze a tight place, I guess. (gets popcorn) ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pimple-in-my-ear/645424/5 "2012-12-28T20:57:06Z")
Had this. More than once. Not a big deal. Don’t mess with it. Don’t squeeze it prematurely because you could well end up forcing the infected goo further in. Tincture of time. And a hot bath, or hot compresses to bring it to a poppable state. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pimple-in-my-ear/645424/6 "2012-12-28T20:59:37Z")
> [@chiroptera](#): > > Had this. More than once. Not a big deal. > Don’t mess with it. Don’t squeeze it prematurely because you could well end up forcing the infected goo further in. > Tincture of time. And a hot bath, or hot compresses to bring it to a poppable state. Isn’t this always the way? There’s always got to be one person who acts like an adult and gives sensible advice! ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pimple-in-my-ear/645424/7 "2012-12-28T21:16:31Z")
No, I am not using the blackhead remover or bobby pin on it. Did I forget to mention it hurts really rather a bit? If anything, I’d use one of the sterile, extremely short lancets that I have (don’t ask) to poke it–but because it’s on the side of my head, and therefore hard to see, I’d just wind up poking randomly at my earlobe. I would gladly trade this for a pimple on my butt or crotch. Whole other league of annoyance here. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pimple-in-my-ear/645424/8 "2012-12-28T21:33:20Z")
You’re in need of a special kind of friend, LawMonkey. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pimple-in-my-ear/645424/9 "2012-12-28T21:37:48Z")
Tweezers and two mirrors. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pimple-in-my-ear/645424/10 "2012-12-28T22:00:47Z")
_“It looks like mustard!”_ [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjvgO0i4Ces) ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pimple-in-my-ear/645424/11 "2012-12-28T22:05:30Z")
That’s why I got married. Just in case I ever get a pimple in an unpoppable spot. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pimple-in-my-ear/645424/12 "2012-12-28T22:07:39Z")
> [@InternetLegend](#): > > Isn’t this always the way? There’s always got to be one person who acts like an adult and gives sensible advice! Shit. Sorry, Now you’re making me feel old, dammit. Stop that. And get off my lawn, you whippersnapper. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pimple-in-my-ear/645424/13 "2012-12-28T22:39:55Z")
> [@Antigen](#): > > That’s why I got married. Just in case I ever get a pimple in an unpoppable spot. Ah yes; my ex once spent a lovely evening digging an ingrown hair out of the back of my neck after the hipster barber pointed it out to me. She was a good 'un; shame I couldn’t hang on to her. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pimple-in-my-ear/645424/14 "2012-12-28T23:59:03Z")
I had one just like it a few years ago. Here’s what I did accidentally, and perhaps you can do it on purpose: I had taken a piping hot shower, and when toweling off, noticed that my ear felt sore. I felt the ear canal with a finger; obviously something was wrong in there. I very gently introduced a Q-tip, trying to find just where the sore place was. I pressed it against the sore place and heard a small “crack!” in my canal, and withdrew a Q-tip covered in goo (sorry -TMI). Another pressing or two got more out, and then I washed and dried the place and applied Neosporin with another Q-tip. The piping hot shower was what raised it up, I’m sure. Let hot shower water play gently on your ear for awhile, and then proceed with gentle pressure from a Q-tip. ---
**Author:** ![dexter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dc4da7/32.png) [@dexter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dexter)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pimple-in-my-ear/645424/15 "2012-12-29T00:26:33Z")
> [@Antigen](#): > > That’s why I got married. Just in case I ever get a pimple in an unpoppable spot. Pretty much the only part of married life that I truly miss. Sad but true… ---
**Author:** ![SerafinaPekala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@SerafinaPekala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SerafinaPekala)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pimple-in-my-ear/645424/16 "2012-12-29T00:38:32Z")
Given the proximity of the ear canal to the brain (in most cases) I vote for see a Dr for treatment. ---
**Author:** ![mcgato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@mcgato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcgato)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pimple-in-my-ear/645424/17 "2012-12-29T01:35:59Z")
> [@LawMonkey](#): > > Ah yes; my ex once spent a lovely evening digging an ingrown hair out of the back of my neck after the hipster barber pointed it out to me. She was a good 'un; shame I couldn’t hang on to her. 🙂 Was it the ex that you couldn’t hang on to, or the hipster barber? I’m a little uncertain here. ---
**Author:** ![SpaceRace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@SpaceRace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpaceRace)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pimple-in-my-ear/645424/18 "2012-12-29T02:17:18Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > _“It looks like mustard!”_ > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjvgO0i4Ces](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjvgO0i4Ces) I see I found myself a fellow zit fan 🙂 As for the pimple, lancing a cyst can be really… interesting. I suggest watching some videos online then using the tools. Perhaps some ora-gel might help numb it before hand? ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pimple-in-my-ear/645424/19 "2012-12-29T02:32:25Z")
I once had a pimple in my nose. Not on, IN! Sometimes you just have to wait and let nature take its curse. ---
**Author:** ![Sateryn76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sateryn76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sateryn76)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pimple-in-my-ear/645424/20 "2012-12-29T02:33:59Z")
Don’t be a pussy. Pop it! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pimple-in-my-ear/645424.md?page=2)