Do Clip On Earrings Hurt?
Do clip-on earrings hurt? It's a commonly held belief that they do, but they don't have to! We are often asked "are clip earrings painful?" so we've put together this guide to show you why clip-on earrings might hurt and the simple steps you can take to get hours of comfortable wear from your favourite clip-on earrings every day. Adjusting the tension of your clip-on earrings
There are a number of factors that can affect the comfort of your clip-on earrings. The most common cause of clip on earring pain is a matter of incorrect tension. Many clip earring wearers have experienced clip earrings that pinch, which over the course of a few hours - or even minutes! - can become intolerable. Thankfully most clip-on earrings can be easily adjusted using just your fingers or basic household tools.
We published an article back in January 2018 which zoomed up the ranks to become our most read article of all time - a position it still holds with several viewings daily! This article has useful step-by-step instructions to help you adjust most types of clip-on earrings, including paddle back, mini clip, simple hinge, and hinge-and-screw earrings. Here is an example of how easy it is to loosen your paddle back earrings (and if you make them too loose, there are also instructions to tighten them again!). Click on the image to visit the full article or see it in "related posts" below.
Personally I've had plenty of success loosening my paddle back earrings using my fingers to gently lift the tension bar when I've been caught out by tight earrings at parties or events, but if you find that fiddly (and you don't want to carry a screwdriver with you everywhere!) we sell handy purse-friendly clip earring tension keys too! Click the image to go to the product page.
Wearing your clip-on earrings in the correct position
While the earlobe isn't heavily supplied with nerves and blood vessels, there are a couple of nerve branches that extend into the lobe from the Great Auricular Nerve and the Vagus Nerve. Sometimes the position of your earrings can be quite literally getting on your nerves! Everybody is different, but generally these nerve branches are towards the outer lobe - try pinching your lobes now to see if you can feel the difference! When wearing your clip-on earrings, aesthetically they look better positioned closer to the jawline, and they're also less likely to hurt there. See our article "How to Wear Your Clip-On Earrings" for more information.
TIP: Pull your lobe slightly out away from your face when clipping on your earrings. It gently moves the nerves away and helps place your earrings in the best position. Believe it or not, IT WORKS!
Sometimes it's in the design
Clip-on earrings are available in lots of beautiful designs to match earrings for pierced ears, but not all of these designs are ideal for spreading the weight or evening out the pressure. Generally, the wider the paddle on the back the better the pressure distribution - ideal for larger or heavier earrings. Small lightweight earrings are usually well supported by mini clips or screw backs, with simple adjustments to the tension finding the perfect comfort level (don't forget our guide for instructions!).
The back of the decorative section - the bit that touches the front of the lobe - can also play a big part in all-day comfort. If the clip closes against a little nib (often the case with hollow backed earrings) instead of against a smooth flat surface, there can be a tendency to pinch. Thankfully, manufacturers and designers know this and keep such earrings small and light! If you do have small or sensitive lobes, it's worth bearing this little nib in mind when choosing your clip-on earrings and opting, where possible, for earrings with a wider and smoother front lobe piece.
Adding comfort with cushions
A lot of our clip-on earrings come with little rubber cushions that secure through the hole in the paddle. These can aid in gripping the lobe without increasing pressure, but the downside is they're easy to lose. Losing them isn't generally a problem if the tension is correctly adjusted for comfort anyway, but if you're a fan of them we're looking at adding bags of rubber cushion 'refills' to our site soon. Subscribe to our mailing list and we'll let you know when they're available!
If you've tried adjusting the tension but find there is still a bit of 'pinch', or if you simply want the extra bit of comfort that more cushioning can provide, then these beauties are a godsend! Clip Slips are designed to slip over regular paddle back fastenings to ease pressure and contact. There are six in a pack and they're perfect for sensitive ear lobes, large or heavy earrings, or keeping in your purse for clip earring emergencies, just in case you discover a little late that the new pair you're trying out require adjusting!
We have a range of clip-earring comfort accessories. Click here to see them all.
Have you been putting off trying clip-ons?
If the thought of clip-on earring pain has been putting you off trying clip-on earrings for yourself, but post earrings aren't an option, we hope we've inspired you to give clip-on earrings a go. We have a huge range of clip-on earring styles available in our store (over 500 product lines and growing!), so if you haven't already, maybe now is the time to see for yourself just how comfortable clip-on earrings can be!
Next week: "Gemology - W is for..."
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