Why Is My Ear Crusty?

Crusty ears can be a sign of ear eczema or other skin conditions like psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis. Crusty ears could also be due to environmental factors, such as temperature changes or exposure to substances that trigger allergies. If an ear infection occurs, your ear can even become wet and crusty.

Treatment for dry, crusty ears depends on the cause. Crusty ears are not typically a sign of a serious condition and can usually be managed with lifestyle changes, over-the-counter (OTC) ointments or lotions, and prescription drugs.

This article explores some of the more common causes of dry, crusty ears and what you can do about them.

Overcleaning Ears 

Overcleaning the ear can lead to dryness as it removes skin oils and earwax (cerumen) that act as barrier protection to the delicate ear canal.

Earwax is especially important as it is slightly acidic and helps prevent bacteria and fungi from growing. It also acts as the ear's self-cleaning system by capturing debris which is gradually pushed out of the ear canal by jaw movements.

If dryness persists, the skin of the ear canal can start flaking, itching, and developing little cracks. This allows even more moisture to escape, which can accumulate on the skin's surface and crust over.

The risk of overcleaning is even greater as you get older as the production of earwax typically slows down. While it's important to avoid the excessive build-up of earwax, unnecessary cleaning is more likely to compromise the ear than to help it.

How to Safely Remove Earwax

The best way to remove earwax is to use a soft washcloth or tissue on the outside—not the inside—of the ear. If that doesn't dislodge the earwax, try softening the plug with several drops of baby oil, glycerin, mineral oil, distilled water, or commercial ear drops. You can then suction out the fluid with a rubber bulb syringe available at most drugstores.

Never use a cotton swab, paper clip, or any instrument to clean out the ear as this may not only push the earwax in further but also damage the ear canal and rupture the eardrum (tympanic membrane).

Difficult plugs should be treated by a healthcare provider who can rinse (irrigate) the ear canal and gently suction out the debris. They are also trained to extract larger plugs with specialized instruments.

Environment

The ear canal is the passage that runs from the outer ear to the eardrum. Its position generally provides it protection from excess moisture and exposure to the elements, but not always.

There are certain environmental factors that can compromise the skin of the ear canal and lead to dryness and crusting. These include:

• Cold temperatures: Exposure to extremely cold temperatures can cause the skin of the ear canal to dry out. Ongoing exposure can cause the skin to crack, leading to itching, pain, and crusting.
• Swimming: When water gets in your ear and stays there, it does the same thing that soaking in bath water does: It dries out the skin. In severe cases, this can lead to an infection called swimmer's ear (otitis externa) that causes pain, impaired hearing, and sometimes crusting.
• Allergies: Allergic rhinitis (hay fever) can cause the blockage of the Eustachian tube that runs from the throat to the middle ear. This can trap fluid in the middle ear, leading to an ear infection (otitis media). In severe cases, fluid can leak in the ear canal and cause crusting.
• Excess sun exposure: Overexposure to the sun can lead to actinic keratosis, a condition that causes rough, scaly patches of skin on the head and face, including the tops of the ears. in severe cases, the patches can crack, ooze, and crust over.

Eczema

Eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, is a common skin condition in children but can affect people of all ages. It is not an allergy but is one of several atopic (allergy-related) conditions that include food allergies, allergic rhinitis, and asthma.

Eczema is a chronic (long-lasting) inflammatory condition that can flare up occasionally, especially when you come into contact with certain skin irritants. Eczema often occurs behind the ears but can sometimes extend into the ear canal, causing dryness and cracking.

Psoriasis

Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease that affects over seven million adults in the United States. It is caused when the immune system inadvertently attacks skin cells resulting in inflammation, causing them to multiply and shed at an accelerated rate.

The rapid cell turnover causes the cells to pile up on the skin's surface, leading to scaly, itchy lesions called plaques.

Psoriasis can affect the entire body, including the outer ear. Scratching only makes things worse, causing pain, bleeding, and crusty scabs.

Seborrheic Dermatitis

Seborrheic dermatitis is a form of eczema that mainly affects the scalp, causing scaly patches of inflamed skin. Seborrheic dermatitis can also affect the face, eyebrows, eyelids, chest, sides of the nose, and ears.

When the ears are affected, the patches typically develop behind the ears. The patches can be whitish or yellowish in color and appear flaky or crusty.

Seborrheic dermatitis is often triggered by exposure to a fungus that normally lives on the skin called Malassezia. While the fungus doesn't "cause" seborrheic dermatitis, the overgrowth of Malassezia on the skin can trigger an abnormal immune response, leading to a seborrheic outbreak.

Dehydration

Dehydration occurs when your intake of water is less than what your body needs to function normally. When you are dehydrated, one of the first organs affected is the skin. To conserve water for major bodily functions, the body will draw water out of the skin, causing skin cells to shrink and collapse.

This not only causes your skin to appear looser and saggy, but it can also make it feel dryer. If you are chronically dehydrated, areas of skin with the least underlying fat can become scaly, flaky, and start to crack.

Because the ears have very underlying fat (and are instead scaffolded by cartilage), the skin can easily become dry and crusty. The symptoms can be worse if older and/or live in an arid, desert-like climate with low humidity.

Drinking plenty of water and using moisturizers are easy fixes for this common condition.

Managing Crusty Ears

The main goal of treatment is to restore moisture and reduce itching after diagnosing the cause of your crusty ears.

Typical treatments for psoriasis and eczema include topical steroid creams or ear drops. They can be found either OTC or as a prescription.

If a fungus is to blame for your crusty ears, antifungal ear drops may be prescribed. Factors that trigger flare-ups, especially in the case of eczema, should be eliminated to help with the recovery.

Home treatment options center around keeping your ears clean and reintroducing moisture to the area. Petroleum jelly can help moisturize your ears and reduce any itching that could lead to further irritation.

If you must clean your ears, do so gently with a washcloth or tissue, and wash only the outer area of the ears.

Summary

Dry, crusty ears could be a result of temperature changes or allergic reactions to the products you use. It could also be caused by skin conditions like eczema, seborrheic dermatitis, and psoriasis. To find the best treatment for your crusty ears, you have to find out what’s causing it first.

Having crusty ears can be irritating, especially since they are often very itchy. The good news is they are not commonly associated with serious health conditions and can be treated easily.