Sore on Tip of Ear Won't Heal

Because your ear protects the mechanisms by which you hear, any wound or sore can be cause for concern, especially when it does not heal. A sore on the tip of the ear is not always cause for concern, but can be disturbed more than other places on the ear if you wear glasses, put your hair behind your ear or have a nervous habit of picking at your ear. If you try healing methods, yet the sore still does not heal, it might be time to call your physician.

The Basics

Your ear is made of elastic cartilage, a flexible, tough material that does not have a lot of blood vessels compared with other areas of your skin. This means your ear has a higher tolerance for pain, which is why piercing the ear doesn’t hurt as much as other areas. To heal, your blood vessels must carry new blood and oxygen to the ear. Because the ear doesn’t have as many vessels, it’s not unusual to find that a sore heals more slowly, according to website Head and Face Medicine 1.

Lifestyle

Why Are My Pierced Ears Sore?

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When a sore on your ear has been slow to heal, it’s important to evaluate the lifestyle factors that could be affecting healing time. If you have a habit of picking at or disturbing the sore, you might have to make a special effort not to disturb the sore to allow for healing. You also might be unconsciously picking at the sore as you sleep, which might require you to wear protective gloves or mittens while you sleep to prevent scratching. Another factor that affects healing is your diet. Your body needs substances such as protein to repair a sore. If you do not get enough nutrients to support healthy cell growth, the sore on your ear might stick around a little longer.

See Your Physician

If you have had the sore on your outer ear for more than four weeks with no signs of healing, it might be time to call your physician. After taking a look at your ear, your physician can recommend further testing or special wound-healing treatments, such as therapies to stimulate blood flow to your ears.

Extreme Circumstances

Earaches and Cycling

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When you experience a sore on the tip of your ear, think back to where you got the sore -- curling-iron burns or the after-effects of a sunburn’s peeling skin are two examples. However, if the sore showed up on its own, this could indicate a potential cause for concern. Because the tip of the ear is where the sun hits your ear, it’s possible the sore could be the result of a skin cancer. See your physician if you cannot remember the source of the injury, and it has not been healing.