Sometimes the smallest things can just pass you by, but one TikToker was left shocked after discovering that she had been wearing her earrings wrong.
Creator @catalinasmith2002 shared her newfound discovery on how the jewellery should be worn in a TikTok video, which has quickly gained over 281,000 views on the video platform.
Catalina showed the back of a butterfly earring and wrote: “I’m sorry was I not the only one who didn’t know you are supposed to take the plastic part off???”
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As she delicately twists the plastic part, the piece almost immediately pops off in her hand.
She wrote in the caption that her 'mind is blown' after her friend showed her how to remove it.
However, she's not the only one, as many others have just realised this too and took to her comments to share their shock.
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“OMG, I’m 60 – my whole entire life is a complete lie” wrote one confused fans.
"WHATT" a second commenter exclaimed.
And someone else said: "ummm, I'm only learning about this now.."
One person even added that they’d avoided wearing some earrings because of the plastic backing.
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“I couldn’t wear my earrings because I was allergic to that plastic bit,” they said, “…all for it, not meant to be there.”
Some users even said that they’d thrown away the plastic backs because it made earrings ‘painful’ to wear.
But some viewers had differing opinions.
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Whilst the plastic backs can be removed, they do offer extra security and support especially when wearing heavier earrings – as many users pointed out in the comments.
One TikTok user said: “No you don't. It keeps the earring in place."
Another said: "It's for heavy earrings, it helps support them."
And a third said that because of her 'weak ears', the backing 'holds the earring better'.
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But for those still confused about whether to remove the back or not though, please know that it’s a personal preference.
Hatton Garden jeweller Henry Pruwer told the Metro: "There are so many different types and weights of earring, that there is no hard and fast rule about removing any plastic piece from earring backs."
He added that if it 'feels comfortable and looks OK, then it is fine to keep the plastic piece in place."
However, he advised that 'the heavier the earring, the more important the back is to counterbalance and keep the earring in place'.
The more you know, eh?
Katherine Sidnell