I have been at 8 gauge for about half a year now I think, during this period I've been wearing the same steel plugs with the same black o-rings.

For about a week now my lobes have been mad itchy, at first I thought the stuff I use to massage my lobes with had gone bad, so I went out to the store and bought a new bottle of jojoba oil, I also gave my plugs and the o-rings an extra good wash.

I thought that had actually worked until I woke up today and had a mad itchy lobe again.

I also tried to just go without any moisturizing stuff for a while, thinking maybe that could be the culprit but to no avail.

Could it be that I have itchy ears because of the weather? Its been getting colder here and I spend alot of time inside with the heater on, but then again my lobes don't feel dry.

I read something somewhere about having a nitrile(?) allergy, could it be that somehow all of the sudden I have that even though all the time ive been stretching I never had any signs of it?

Is it possible that I put the o-rings unto my plugs to tight and that somehow makes them itch? I've been losing my plugs alot while I sleep so I try to put them on extra tight nowadays so im less likely to lose them. (I do always find them back, but its anoying anyway)

The itchyness does subside if I don't wear my plugs for like, a day or two but I also don't want my holes to shrink. I'm not really sure what to do?

 Yes, it could be the weather, and yes, it could be the o-rings. I had no problem with black nitrile o-rings until I reached 2g...now I can no longer wear them. I'd get some clear or colored silicone o-rings ASAP and give them a try

I've actually had the same problem with the o-rings. I wore o-rings for like a year or two without a reaction and then my lobes just got all messed up... really itchy,super dry, and flaky. I switched to just some glass double flares or organics for about 6 months so I didn't have to use o-rings, and i just Aquaphor when my lobes start to get dry. I use Aquaphor on my ears when they feel dry because i try to stay away from oils as I tend to have reactions to that sort of stuff. It works perfectly for me - probably because it's designed to help with dry and damaged skin. so maybe give that a try see if it works for you too!