Earrings, without a doubt, enhance your appearance. They complete a look, giving it a perfect finish. Studs are not only evergreen, but so versatile that they complement all types of outfits and face cuts. Having said that, many people face the problem of falling ear studs.
Ear studs fall due to numerous reasons. Some of them can be the loosening of ear lobes, the shape of your ears, the lock not closing properly, the design of the earring, or even the stud getting stuck in your hair. The good thing is, the fall may be prevented if certain things are kept in mind while buying as well as wearing the earrings. Buying the right weight of the studs, getting the earrings inspected periodically for wear and tear, using rubber stoppers and carefully securing the earrings are some of the the ways. Addittionally, earrings come with different backs and locking systems, you may choose the right one based on the type of stud you buy.
Identifying the reason of the fall can help us prevent them from falling. So, let’s address this common problem by sorting out the reasons behind the falling of ear studs.
Why do my ear studs keep falling off?
There could be several reasons behind your ear studs falling off. The causes can be categorized broadly in two ways — the shape or features of your ear or the problems of your ear studs. Following are the most common reasons that can make your ear studs fall off.
- Not secured properly: When your earrings are not secured well, there is a high probability that they will come undone and hence, may fall off.
- The shape of the outer ear: Our ears consist of three parts–inner, outer, and middle. The auditory canal that holds the rubber or foam of the earbuds is actually a part of the outer ear. Each human ear is unique, almost like a fingerprint. So the design of your lobe and auditory canal might not be suitable for holding an ear stud.
- Ear lobe droop: Any heavy earring, if worn on a thin ear lobe, tends to cause earlobe droop. This eventually makes your earrings unfit for your ear, resulting in studs falling off.
- Cartilage deficiency: Cartilage deficiency can make your ear weak and fragile. It’s not suitable for holding an ear stud. You should do regular check-ups anyway, especially if you’re a woman. If it turns out you have some syndrome that causes cartilage deficiency, that is a much bigger problem than ear studs falling off.
- Design and size of your ear studs: There are roughly five kinds of ear studs that are available in the market. Some of them are less susceptible to fall than others. Choose your ear studs carefully, and it will prevent the earrings from falling off. The types of earrings that are less likely to fall off have been discussed later in the article.
- Earring back becoming loose: Some earring backs are susceptible to getting loose especially the ones with wing backs. The good thing is, this issue is easy to identify and you sense it while putting on your earrings. However, there are times wen we are wearing our studs for months and the earring back becomes lose eventually. Whatever the reason may be, your earrings will most likely fall off, if it has a loose earring back.
- Too much friction: If you have the habit of touching your earrings or playing with the studs, or if you keep checking frequently if your ear stud is there, stop. Too much friction or action of the ears will surely make the ear studs fall off. Leave your earrings alone.
- Stud getting stuck in hair: This is something that normally happens when either your stud is too heavy, or too light in weight. Such studs or the locks get tangled in hair and begin to move from their place. They eventually come undone and the stud falls off. The probability of this scenario materializing increases when you keep your hair open as opposed to being tied away from your ears.
Why do earring backs get loose?
The main reason behind ear studs falling off is because they become loose with time. Following are some reasons as to why ear studs become loose.
- Wear and tear: Ear studs often fall if they are used regularly or are made of poor quality. So with use, the studs will definitely wear out and maybe even become a bit rusty. This causes your ear studs to get loose.
- Reduced friction: Due to wear and tear, sometimes the friction between the piece of earring the back reduces considerably. This is when the earring back is not able to hold the earring in place and becomes loose.
- Discrepancy in size: When we are buying earrings, we don’t really think to check out the little piece of metal behind the gorgeous piece of jewelry. Often the ear studs can be faulty from the very start. Don’t buy earrings just because they look good to check if they are functional.
- Overuse: Using one earring or the same ear studs for multiple earrings over and over again can make the earring back loose. Buy separate ear studs for each of your earrings. Don’t buy plastic ear studs. They simply don’t work, and it is terrible for your skin.
- The natural oil in our body: With time you will see the ear studs and back of the earring getting oily or smelly. Make sure to clean your ear studs from time to time. Body’s natural oil is bad for the friction between the metal pieces and can make your ear stud get loose.
- Earlobes getting bigger: Again drooping earlobes and bigger holes can make your ear stud seem loose while they are not loose at all.
- Earring weight: Although most earring backs are designed to be in accordance with the weight of the earrings, it might not always be the case. So if your earrings are heavy, they might put undue pressure on the back. This leads to the back becoming distorted and hence, loose.
What do you do when earrings fall off?
If your earrings are falling off, here are something you can keep in mind in order to not lose them.
- Secure well
Always check your screw back earring and other ear studs, too, after putting them on. If they seem loose, take them for a check-up.
- Get them inspected
Normal wear and tera may make the earring non-uniform, making it distribute the weight unevenly. Wear and tear sometimes makes the screws lose as well. Getting your earrings inspected can help spot such issues. It is always a good practice to take your earrings to the jeweler to get them inspected in order to identify these issues at early stage.
- Tweezers
To fix butterfly earring backs on the go, you can use tweezers. This is not a long-term solution, but it can come in handy when you are in a hurry to fix it. Just squeeze the wings with a tweezer, and it’ll stay for the week.
- Visit your jeweler
If possible, you can visit your jeweler to get the earrings re-pierced if it was a fresh piercing, or you may ask them to have a look at it. If there is a problem with your earrings, they can help To fix butterfly earring backs o
- Carry a zip-lock bag or a small jewelry pouch
If you feel your earrings falls or if you feel that they are getting loose, just open them and keep them in the zip-lock bag or pouch, so you don’t lose them.
- Use screw-backs
We all know, screw-back earrings are painful, but they are also the most secure ones. You can only open the earrings by completely unscrewing the backs, so there’s a pretty low chance of losing them. But if they cause you irritation or too much pain, avoid using them. You can go for hook or friction back ear studs.
- Sanitize them
If you need to put on your earrings back, it is a good idea to sanitize them and clean with a muslin cloth. This may help prevent any potential infections.
How do you tighten flat back earrings?
First and foremost, in order to wear a flatback earring, you must first insert the flatback post through your piercing, instead of pushing in the front post. Once the flatback post is well inserted, now insert the front post, or the front of the earring into it. Now gently press and secure it.
We all know that flat-back earrings are much more comfortable than other ear studs. Flatbacks look much more elegant too. They can feel secure against your earlobes, but it is much harder to tighten them than regular earrings. In order to ensure that they are tight, you need to ensure the following:
- Check the bend: Ensure that the front post is slightly bent in the middle to provide some grip. Sometimes the post becomes flat and the earring slides out of the flatback post.
- Look for wear and tear: Due to the earrings being old, wear and tear causes the friction or the spring action between the poll and post to get impacted. This may make the earrings loose. If this is the case, you must reach out to a professional.
- Get the right size: Each individual’s ear is unique. The flatback earrings come in various post size. 6mm to 10 mm is the most common range. Now based on the shape and thickness of your ear, you must pick the right size. If you pick a smaller size, the earring would not close properly, which may lead to the the earring coming undone easily. If you pick a bigger size, the weight balance will not be proper, which will also increase the risk of the stud falling from your ears.
- Get it repaired or replaced: Flatbacks are meticulously designed and crafted. It is not possible to manually fix them at home in most cases. This is why, it is recommended that you take it to a professional. They will inspect the piece and either replace the flatback instead or make changes to the front post.
What are the best earring backs that do not fall off?
Here are some earring backs available in the market that are more secure than the others.
- Screw back earrings
Screw back earrings are the most secure ones in the market. To open them, the earring backs have to be unscrewed completely. But they have their problems and are virtually impossible to fix or tighten.
The butterfly-shaped screw-back earrings are an exception. They can be fixed pretty easily. But if the screw is damaged, it becomes useless.
- Grip earrings
Grip locks are an invention of beauty. The idea of locking your ear studs against your backs is revolutionary, but it still has the problem of being painful or becoming smelly. But these take up much less time to put on than screw-back ones.
- Back lifters
These earrings are also butterfly-shaped. So they can be easily fixed, and they also don’t have the problem of getting stuck. But they are not as secure as a grip or screw back earrings.
- Push back earrings
Push-back earrings are secure and less painful than screw backs. It also takes up less time to put on.
How do you keep hook earrings from falling off?
Hook earrings are safer than stud earrings, but they can also become loose or fall off. These tips will help you from losing them.
- Angle the hook
This is a very useful “do it yourself” trick. Mostly fish hooks fall off because the loops are not angled. Use tweezers to angle the hook in a triangular shape so that it does not slip out while you’re out.
- Rubber stoppers
Rubber stoppers are easily available in your nearest jewelry store. These stoppers are very useful, especially for Fish-hook earrings. Rubber stoppers are very effective, but you can use a variety of stoppers according to your preference. Remember to choose stoppers that do not irritate your skin.
- Properly hook the earrings
It may be that your hook earring is falling off simply because you’re not properly inserting the hook in your year. Properly hook the earrings before heading out.
How do you keep heavy earrings from falling off?
Junk jewelry, especially heavy metal earrings, is very in style right now. But the weight of these can be brutal to your ears and may keep falling off. Here’s what you can do. To minimize the drooping of your earlobes you should wear heavy earrings for a short time.
If they are hook earrings, you should always angle the hooks and if they are held on by studs, use screw backs to hold them up.
In the following table, we have discussed variants of ear studs, their features, and the average price range. Take a quick look to get the summarized idea of the article.
| Variants of Ear Studs | Features |
|---|---|
| Screw Back | -Most secure earring backs. -Can be time consuming and painful to put on |
| Flat Back | -Secure, but less secure than screw backs -Can be painful to put on |
| Push Back | -Susceptible to fall off -Can become oily or grimy |
The bottom line
While it is common for the earrings to fall off, it is not an issue that cannot be helped. What is great, by paying attention to certain areas, you can prevent your earrings from falling off. Hope the above information saves you and gives you solutions from losing your favorite earrings. If you face the problem of drooping or sagging earlobes, go for a rubber stopper, to make sure your earrings stay in place.
Until next time!
