Allergy Hero!

Nickel Allergy & Jewelry Allergies
By Nathan Hartnett

Many people know that some metals can produce reactions on a person’s skin, including rashes and even blistering. This fact sheet will endeavour to explain why this occurs, and provide other resources and updates.

Nickel is without doubt the primary reason people experience skin reactions when wearing jewelery. The most common adverse health effect associated with wearing jewelery that contains nickel is a type of skin irritation called allergic contact dermatitis. A person can develop an allergy to nickel following repeated contact with nickel found in jewelery. Sweat from the skin acts as a corrosive to metals, which allows nickel in jewelery to be in direct contact with the skin.

Once a person is sensitized to nickel, any further contact with nickel will cause an allergic reaction. Nickel sensitivity is usually persistent for life.

Allergic contact dermatitis produces a red, irritating and itchy rash that may persist for several days. In severe cases blisters may form. This rash will develop about two days after exposure.

So reactions can be quite severe, and can also develop over time. Just because you don’t have a reaction now, doesn’t mean you won’t in the future. The article continues to explain where nickel is found, and how you can prevent these reactions occurring, or even prevent the gradual onset of allergic contact dermatitis:

You are most likely to come into contact with nickel by wearing nickel-containing jewelery such as earrings, body rings or studs, watches, rings and bracelets. Nickel is also used in the manufacture of clothing (eg. Belt buckles, clasps, zippers, jeans buttons) and clothing accessories (eg. Handbags).

Nickel may also be present in white and yellow gold jewelery in varying proportions. Nickel is added to gold jewelery as a hardener and therefore may be found in ‘finer’ jewelery, including wedding rings. Dermatitis may occur years later as the exterior wears away exposing the nickel.

Jewelry that is silver, solid gold of more than 14 carat, or labeled ‘hypoallergenic’ should be safe in most cases. However, high quality stainless steel and titanium are the better nickel-safe options for jewelery.

If you are highly sensitive, and have found that you still react to stainless steel, you should only wear titanium, as it is the most hypoallergenic metal, and the only metal that can be guaranteed not to cause irritation. This is because titanium as an element bonds to any nickel that is present, preventing the nickel from “leeching” into the skin.

So in summary, just because you may not be able to wear most jewelery, doesn’t mean there aren’t alternatives!

Nathan Hartnett
Titan Jewelery - http://www.titanjewellery.com.au
More Information About Titanium -
http://www.titanjewellery.com.au/g/10478/learn-about-titanium.html

Register now at http://www.titanjewellery.com.au to go into the draw to win your choice of titanium jewellery!

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