Nickel allergic? Help me out please!

[johnsontrio]

DD is 4+ allergic to nickel. Rash from the button on her blue jeans etc. and can't even hold coins without getting a raised imprint on her hand. The pediatric allergist that diagnosed her told her to never, ever get her ears pierced because even gold jewelry will often have nickel added to the posts in order in to make them stronger. The only jewelry she can wear is gold or silver for a very short period of time, couple hours maybe. Gold jewelry isn't practical for a teenager given the price of gold these days so she only has her class ring. Gold will be fine once she is older and can pick pieces she will be happy with for the long run.

We just purchased a Pandora bracelet for her friend's birthday. I had no idea that Pandora is nickel free. She bought a couple rings from them yesterday and now thinks she would like a bracelet. Before I invest a bunch of money in one, I am wondering if anyone here with a nickel allergy has worn Pandora?

Anyone have any other information I might find useful?

 

[beavismom]

Sorry I can't help with the original question, but my daughter is allergic to nickel too and you can coat her pants buttons and even earring posts with clear nail polish to help minimize the irritation. There is a commercial product that does the same thing but is more costly. You can also get a kit that tests items to see if they have nickel.

 

[golfgal]

DD16 reacts to jewelry. She hasn't had issues with buttons, etc. though. A friend makes jewelry and we found that 100% sterling works ok for DD, at least well enough for an evening. Nail polish painted on the posts helps some too. As she has gotten older she has been able to tolerate it better. We did find some earrings from Lia Sophia of all places that she can wear almost daily so that was good for her.

 

[SleepyMom]

No help about the bracelet, but we were just told this week DD17 has a nickel allergy. We were told we could cover the button on the pants with either cloth or clear fingernail polish, and we need to find new earrings for her.

Thankfully DD doesn't seem to have any issues with other jewelry that we've noticed (yet). Hope someone can get you some answers about the bracelet.

 

[FredinFL]

They have surgical steel posts now that I believe are nickel free for ear piercing. They also have surgical steel plated with 24 K gold if that helps.

 

[trip]

I developed my allergy after I got my ears pierced. I have tried "painting" my jean buttons with polish but it doesn't work for me. What I do is put a bandaid across it.

There is a line a jewelry called "simply whispers" that I have some luck with.

http://www.simplywhispersstore.com/

My watches have to have stainless steel bands and watch backs. Very limiting!

 

[TaraPA]

DS13 has a nickel allergy as well. While jewelry isn't an issue for us, be sure you tell the dentist & orthodontist - they will have to use alternatives if she needs any fillings, retainers, braces or other dental appliances that would normally be nickel or a nickel blend. Also make sure it's noted in her medical files in case she would need emergency surgery, especially one where pins would be involved.

 

[teacup princess]

My daughter has a nickel allergy and she has a pandora bracelet. She doesn't wear it for a long period of time usually, but it's not been a problem for her.

Also, as far as earings go, Claire's has a sensitive solutions line which is nickel free and my daughter can wear those just fine. Painting posts and buttons doesn't work for her. We usually put surgical tape across all her buttons.

 

[disykat]

No thoughts on the Pandora, but on the allergy.

I didn't realize until fairly recently that I have a nickel allergy, I just thought I didn't like jewelry. I figured it out after we figured out my son had one.

He plays a brass instrument and broke out in a nasty rash that wouldn't go away. It took forever for it to dawn on us that it got worse when he played more. Now he uses plastic mouthpieces, and has a gold plated for his main instrument.. Darn kid keeps learning more instruments!

If she decides to play an instrument some day keep this in mind!

 

[wowsmom]

I have a nickel allergy and have had reactions to buttons before - actually got rid of one pair of capris, because every time I wore them, I had red spots. (They had buttons on the side and in other strange places! )

I wear my Pandora bracelet(s) every single day - sometimes 2 or 3 at a time - and have never had a reaction to them. I put them on about 7:15 am and don't take them off until after dinner and haven't had any problems.

 

[johnsontrio]

DS13 has a nickel allergy as well. While jewelry isn't an issue for us, be sure you tell the dentist & orthodontist - they will have to use alternatives if she needs any fillings, retainers, braces or other dental appliances that would normally be nickel or a nickel blend. Also make sure it's noted in her medical files in case she would need emergency surgery, especially one where pins would be involved.

Thought I posted this but it must be lost in cyberland somewhere. Funny you should post that. We found out DD has her nickel allergy when she got her palate expander. It attached to a bar for 12 hours a day that pulled her midface out. The bar had a foam pad on the forehead and the chin and she immediately broke out in a wicked excoriated rash that wouldn't go away. I feared she had a latex allergy and off to the pediatric allergist we went. Turned out she was 4+ nickel allergic and when the drool soaked into the pad on her chin at night, it caused that terrible dermatitis.

Her allergy is on all medical paperwork and luckily we haven't needed anything yet. That is good advice, thank you!

I have a nickel allergy and have had reactions to buttons before - actually got rid of one pair of capris, because every time I wore them, I had red spots. (They had buttons on the side and in other strange places! )

I wear my Pandora bracelet(s) every single day - sometimes 2 or 3 at a time - and have never had a reaction to them. I put them on about 7:15 am and don't take them off until after dinner and haven't had any problems.

In the early years we never noticed a nickel allergy because she wore mostly Gymboree leggings until she went to school and then she wore school uniforms. I bet she only wore jeans a couple days a month and never in the summer. Glad to hear the Pandora bracelet is not causing you trouble. She said she wore the rings almost all day yesterday and no itching or hives. I was thinking of getting her a gold cross for graduation but the chain alone is almost $700. A Pandora bracelet will be a nice gift for graduation if that is what we decide. Are your ears pierced? If so, what do you wear?

 

[Pastamom]

I too have a nickel allergy.

I have a Chamille bracelet and can wear that just fine.

I have a problem though with watches, jean buttons, bras (the loop that connects the back of the bra to the the strap is often metal.) I can not wear anything Lia Sophia unless I want a "red" necklace around my neck for the next couple of days.

Some earrings I don't have problems with, some I do. Maybe they are making more nickel free??? I also got a "silver" Disney watch that I rarely have a problem with...must be coated in pixie dust

A word of caution....in my teens I ignored my allergy and my pierced ears were constantly infected...the wholes in my ears got bigger. As I go older, I switched to nicer jewelry, but I had an emerald and diamond earring fall out of one ear (back still attached) I ended up having cosmetic surgery to close up the wholes and had them repierced (for about $600). Everytime I see a kid with an expander in their ear lob I want to say "Do you know how much that is going to cost to get fixed???"...but then I say to myself "do you realize you sound just like your Grandma and you are not that old yet???"

 

[johnsontrio]

I too have a nickel allergy.

I have a Chamille bracelet and can wear that just fine.

I have a problem though with watches, jean buttons, bras (the loop that connects the back of the bra to the the strap is often metal.) I can not wear anything Lia Sophia unless I want a "red" necklace around my neck for the next couple of days.

Some earrings I don't have problems with, some I do. Maybe they are making more nickel free??? I also got a "silver" Disney watch that I rarely have a problem with...must be coated in pixie dust

A word of caution....in my teens I ignored my allergy and my pierced ears were constantly infected...the wholes in my ears got bigger. As I go older, I switched to nicer jewelry, but I had an emerald and diamond earring fall out of one ear (back still attached) I ended up having cosmetic surgery to close up the wholes and had them repierced (for about $600). Everytime I see a kid with an expander in their ear lob I want to say "Do you know how much that is going to cost to get fixed???"...but then I say to myself "do you realize you sound just like your Grandma and you are not that old yet???"

Your experience with your earlobes is what the allergist was referring to. DD tends to have more noticeable scarring and he thinks she will develop scar tissue in response to earrings if she has a reaction. Since we have very little jewelry she can tolerate, I hate for her to go down this road. I have absolutely forbidden her from getting any piercings while she lives with us or is supported by us. I hope she doesn't have to learn this one the hard way.

 

[Imzadi]

There is silver jewelry called "fine silver." It is called that as it is 99% pure silver. It is more pure than sterling.

Other than that, I've also heard just to coat the jewelry with nail polish or a thick, clear lacquer.

 

[MichelleVW]

Your experience with your earlobes is what the allergist was referring to. DD tends to have more noticeable scarring and he thinks she will develop scar tissue in response to earrings if she has a reaction. Since we have very little jewelry she can tolerate, I hate for her to go down this road. I have absolutely forbidden her from getting any piercings while she lives with us or is supported by us. I hope she doesn't have to learn this one the hard way.

My youngest DD is allergic to nickel and can't wear cheap earrings, but the nickel free ones don't bother her. She now has her belly button pierced and the top of her earlobe pierced with no problems.

 

[TaraPA]

Thought I posted this but it must be lost in cyberland somewhere. Funny you should post that. We found out DD has her nickel allergy when she got her palate expander. It attached to a bar for 12 hours a day that pulled her midface out. The bar had a foam pad on the forehead and the chin and she immediately broke out in a wicked excoriated rash that wouldn't go away. I feared she had a latex allergy and off to the pediatric allergist we went. Turned out she was 4+ nickel allergic and when the drool soaked into the pad on her chin at night, it caused that terrible dermatitis.

Her allergy is on all medical paperwork and luckily we haven't needed anything yet. That is good advice, thank you!

Sorry you had to find out the hard way! We always assumed DS had a nickel allergy from the rashes he got from snaps on his pants & jeans, so we figured we'd better get him tested before orthodontic work. His palate expander is removeable - which let me tell you, has been the biggest pain! Yes its easier to turn because it's outside of his mouth, but getting him to wear it 24/7 is the biggest battle in this house. I tell him all the time that I'm calling the orthodontist to have them put a permanent one in his mouth so I'm sure he's wearing it - rash or not! He's gotten some pretty hefty punishments for not wearing it, hiding it, lying about wearing it, etc. that an allergic reaction to nickel would be the least of his problems....

 

[MomofKatie]

DS13 has a nickel allergy as well. While jewelry isn't an issue for us, be sure you tell the dentist & orthodontist - they will have to use alternatives if she needs any fillings, retainers, braces or other dental appliances that would normally be nickel or a nickel blend. Also make sure it's noted in her medical files in case she would need emergency surgery, especially one where pins would be involved.

I second this. My mom has a severe nickel allergy. She broke her foot in the early 90's and had surgery to repair it- they put in a pin. Within a few weeks, she developed terrible recurring hives all over her body, but didn't make the "metal pin= nickel problem" connection. She and her doctors couldn't figure out what could be causing them, so she went through a grueling series of tests for food allergies, medications, environmental issues- everything that they could test for, they seemingly did. She went through YEARS of breaking out in huge, raised painful allover hives at least 3 times a week.

FINALLY, she got relief- she started having pain in the foot that had had surgery. Her doctors xrayed and found that the pin was being forcefully ejected from her bone. There was a huge abcess full of infection around the pin in her bone. Her own body had been trying to get rid of the nickel alloy pin for years. She had surgery to remove the pin and fix the abcess, and she has had no hives breakouts since.

 

[sunshine1178]

This is really interesting. My mom and I can only wear nickel free earrings (nice stuff at Target, btw -- earrings and necklaces.). She had both knees replaced 2.5 years ago, and I don't know what metal is in the artificial knees. Hmm.

I second this. My mom has a severe nickel allergy. She broke her foot in the early 90's and had surgery to repair it- they put in a pin. Within a few weeks, she developed terrible recurring hives all over her body, but didn't make the "metal pin= nickel problem" connection. She and her doctors couldn't figure out what could be causing them, so she went through a grueling series of tests for food allergies, medications, environmental issues- everything that they could test for, they seemingly did. She went through YEARS of breaking out in huge, raised painful allover hives at least 3 times a week.

FINALLY, she got relief- she started having pain in the foot that had had surgery. Her doctors xrayed and found that the pin was being forcefully ejected from her bone. There was a huge abcess full of infection around the pin in her bone. Her own body had been trying to get rid of the nickel alloy pin for years. She had surgery to remove the pin and fix the abcess, and she has had no hives breakouts since.

 

[TheColtonsMom]

This is really interesting. My mom and I can only wear nickel free earrings (nice stuff at Target, btw -- earrings and necklaces.). She had both knees replaced 2.5 years ago, and I don't know what metal is in the artificial knees. Hmm.

My mother has a nickel allergy too and only wears "simply whispers" jewelry (as mentioned by PP) she also has artificial knees but the new joints are porcelain coated so have not caused problems.

 

[daisyduck123]

There is a line a jewelry called "simply whispers" that I have some luck with.

http://www.simplywhispersstore.com/

I second this. 30 years ago, when I did have pierced ears, this was the only brand I was able to wear.