Nickel Rash: Do You React to Your Jewelry



Posted: Monday, November 16, 2009

by Rosie Wallace
http://www.itchyskinrash.net

Have you gotten red skin bumps due to wearing certain pieces of jewelry? What about zippers? For some people that can create skin redness and marks. It isn't always easy to figure out the source of a rash because a metal rash may not begin immediately.

Generally the offending metal is nickel. This is a very common element in keys, rings, cell phone components, jewelry, buttons on pants and even bra snaps. The resulting problem is called contact dermatitis and it's an allergic reaction. Just as some people get hay fever , others have allergic reactions in the form of rashes. It generally will remain in the area of direct contact but may spread by the fingers making contact with it.

Okay, so what do you do? First of all, look at what you have and see if you have jewelry that you wear out of habit and you don't even like. This is easy to give up! Some people will put a piece of tape underneath their watch so that the metal doesn't directly touch the skin. This is something no one will see and can protect your skin. You can also get plastic items instead of metal but this is a challenge. Zippers may cause reactions for some and if that is the case then getting clothing with plastic buttons is the best bet since metal buttons will have the same reaction usually.

The quality of the jewelry you get can make a difference. For instance fourteen karat gold or silver is a higher quality. Just as we can find dermatology tested moisturizers, there are also hypoallergenic jewelry items. So many people have issues, that there is now a whole industry for this. Be careful about piercings as this should be stainless steel and not a cheap situation.

To heal the rash there are drug store creams made with hydrocortisone. This is usually used twice a day. You can also use natural ingredients such as tea tree oil, neem oil, aloe vera and mixtures of baking soda with water to soothe the skin. Flax seed oil will help stop the inflammation and itching.

Take a good look at the items that touch your skin to avoid a metal rash and brainstorm on substitutes so that you don't aggravate an existing problem. If you have skin that is sensitive to metal you may also have contact dermatitis to other situations like the ink in tattoos or certain types of fabric.

Learn more about nickel rash allergies and common pediatric rashes

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