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You are here: Free Beauty Tips >
Health and Beauty > Nickel Allergies |
Are you Allergic to the
Nickel in Your Jewelry?
If you have problems with a skin rash, redness,
swelling, itching or burning in areas where you
are wearing jewelry, you may have a nickel
allergy. Nickel is commonly used in most jewelry,
since it's cheap and strong, but around 15% of the
population is allergic to nickel. If you've
recently gotten your ears or body pierced and are
experiencing allergic symptoms, you may have
become sensitized to the metal your jewelry
contains. White gold and other gold that is less
that 14 carats can bring on a reaction, since
white gold is made with nickel and other forms of
gold contain some amount of nickel as a hardening
agent. Sterling silver is plated with nickel,
which stays shiny and bright when silver might
tarnish, and so is frequently used in silver
jewelry.
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Causes and Symptoms of Nickel Allergies
If you're wondering about the cause of nickel
allergies, keep on wondering. Some people never
develop sensitivity, but those who do may find
symptoms appearing up to ten days after their
exposure to the allergen. After you've experienced
your first reaction, you will have become
sensitized to the nickel and will react to it in
24-48 hours forever after. If you have an
especially ferocious reaction, you may find
yourself at the dermatologist: some doctors
prescribe cortisone cream to alleviate skin
related allergy symptoms. But once you've
determined that it's the nickel that's causing
problems, it's better not to get prescription
creams: they have side effects. Just stop wearing
the offending jewelry.
--Editors Tip ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Getting a Rash From Your Jewelry?
 Many people find that certain jewelry leaves them with a red, itchy rash. This is typically due to a reaction to the nickel that is used as a hardener for other metals. With the popularity of piercings and costume jewelry, this can be a huge problem for some. Careful consideration of the materials and metals that are used in your jewelry can often avoid the problem entirely. Better metals typically cause far fewer reactions. Unfortunately, not everyone can afford pure gold for their “ornaments!” Sterling silver jewelry is one type of jewelry that is affordable, beautiful, and nickel-free. Sterling silver will not cause you to have that nickel reaction or rash, allowing you to wear the jewelry longer or more often. While some people complain that silver will tarnish, a quality piece of jewelry will require only occasional polishing to stay beautiful and shiny!
Find nickel-free, beautiful sterling silver jewelry that you can enjoy wearing every day!
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How to avoid nickel allergic reactions
What to do? There aren't any vaccinations: your
best bet is to avoid nickel. If you have a recent
piercing, making sure to use only stainless steel
posts, and once the symptoms are gone, pay strict
attention to the kind of jewelry you're buying.
Replace your jewelry with pieces guaranteed to be
nickel free; remember, you can suffer allergy
symptoms from rings, necklaces, bracelets,
earrings, belts or body jewelry. 18 carat gold
should be all right; platinum is also known as
hypoallergenic. Nickel free or alloy free white
gold is made with palladium, a type of platinum,
which costs more that the white gold made with
nickel.
Nickel-free jewelry does exist for allergy
sufferers
The down side of having a nickel allergy is that
nickel free jewelry often costs more, making you
more difficult to shop for. If you usually shop in
fine jewelry stores, you probably won't have a
problem, but if like many of us, you buy your
earrings in drugstores or kiosks, you have to pay
special attention to make sure you get items
labeled as hypoallergenic or nickel free.
Stainless steel earrings and other piercing items
are available in a wide range of styles, and
they're inexpensive.
If you have a piece of jewelry that causes you
allergy problems but you can't bear to part with
it, you can try coating the whole piece in a
couple of coats clear fingernail polish. Some
people find that the polish prevents contact to
the extent that they don't suffer the allergy:
others have to give up the jewelry or endure
swelling, itching and burning—all of which make
wearing jewelry somewhat pointless, since your
skin will look so awful that people won't be able
to truly admire the sexy new studs in your ears,
lips, belly or tongue.
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