Nickel/Metal Allergy

[Wish Upon A Star]

DS is allergic to nickel. We found this out when he was a baby when he woke up one morning and had a raised rashy circular outline of the snaps down his chest.

Today he was wearing my dad's dog tags on the inside of his shirt and he forgot about the allergy and where the dog tag was laying he has a rash.

He'd like to get his ear pierced, but, being allergic to metal I don't know if he can. He doesn't like gold, but would rather wear white gold.

Does anyone know if a 14k white gold earring has any nickel components in it? What kind of earring would he be able to get pierced with?

Anyone have this problem?

 

[KimR]

I have a metal allergy and I was never able to wear pierced earrings. I tried various kinds, but I always had an awful reaction (even with the supposedly hypoallergenic earrings). That was years ago, though, so maybe now there are more alternatives available. My neighbor said her DD had problems until she tried a specific kind of earring (sorry I can't remember what it was!)

 

[LindaG4458]

I have a nickel allergy. I can never wear cheap earrings even if they are labelled 14K gold. If I do my ears will be bleeding and weeping within hours. Also beware of ones labelled 14K posts. That will be the only thing 14K and the fronts and backs will still cause a reaction.

Sorry I can't tell you about white gold. I do know that sterling silver is out, too.

Does he want a stud earring? If he wore a hoop with a short wire he might be able to have a yellow gold wire put on it and it wouldn't show.

Good luck. I can sympathize with the problem.

 

[Blondie]

I didn't start having a problem until after my pregnancies! Before then I had quite an extensive collection of cute and whimsical ("costume jewelry") earrings.

I tried the hypo allergeic earrings, specifically from a mail order place, I think they were called "Simply Whispers" or something like that, but after awhile, I couldn't wear them either!

Now it's nothing but 14-24 kt. gold for me. I can't wear silver either.

 

[figment95]

A lot of 14k gold is processed with nickel (14k is only 14 parts gold and 10 parts other metals). Piercing studs are usually made of surgical steel so they are supposed to be hypoallergenic (sp?). You can buy 14k piercing studs. A lot of the stores recommend them because they say they are better; but If you have allergies, the cheap, surgical steel studs are actually better because they are not processed with any other metals. Unfortunately, you won't know if your son can tolerate earrings until he actually gets his ear pierced.

 

[helenabear]

I was going to recommend surgical steel as well... they are nickel free and never have caused a problem with me. Also for a more expensive option after the fact, try platinum. Platinum is not 100% pure but usually what it is mixed with will not react with skin at all.

 

[Laura]

My husband has a nickel allergy. He wears a platinum wedding band and it causes no reaction. Titanium also will not cause a reaction. Surgical steel does have nickel, but the nickel evidently does not leach out and irritate the skin as it will in other metals.

White gold usually has more nickel in it than yellow gold does. Nickel is added to make the gold look whitish. It's plated with rhodium most of the time to give it an even whiter look, but the rhodium plating often wears off. (This is why we went with platinum wedding rings.)

The EU has been cracking down on goldsmiths to remove nickel from jewelry, so European websites might be a good source. Also there's Simpy Whispers. http://www.simplywhispers.com/ I've never bought anything from this site, but they seem to have nickel-free jewelry or jewelry that won't cause allergic reactions. They'll probably have studs or something that your son could wear and still be masculine.

But beware of the term "hypoallergenic". There are no standards that manufacturers are required to meet in order to label jewelry or cosmetics "hypoallergenic"; it's mostly a marketing tool.
http://www.cbc.ca/consumers/market/microscope/micro_2000/hypoallergenic.html
http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cos-224.html

 

[tar heel]

I'm horribly allergic to nickel. It's amazing what you find it in -- I am allergic to my work nametag because it is magnetic and you put the metal part under your clothes! I can wear good gold and silver, though. The problem with silver is that a lot sold as sterling isn't.

I can wear a necklace or something like that a couple hours. I have some cheap pieces I bought in the Southwest that are fun to wear. I gave up on my pierced ears, though, after 15+ years and many infections.

 

[ilovepcot]

TITANIUM is safe. Places in most malls that pierce ears have studs that are Titanium that they can actually use to pierce with. It looks nearly the same as sterling.

 

[Saffron]

I have a nickel/metal allergy, but I can wear sterling silver, but only good quality sterling silver. I buy all my sterling from QVC and I have never had a problem with my allergy or with their quality of their jewelry.

But ... I also need basic gold pieces, so I buy "gold" earrings from Simply Whispers! I have never had a problem with their products and the prices are fantastic. The great thing for you son is if he is only getting one ear pierced, they sell single earrings! I have 5 holes so that comes in handy.

Good luck! I know how icky those nickel allergies can be!

 

[MomofKatie]

My mom is extremely allergic to nickel/metal. She can't even have surgical steel in contact with her body. She had severe hives for five years, following surgery for broken bones in her foot. It turned out that they had put a plate and screws in her foot to repair the break. By the time they figured out that the metal was the cause of the hives, and operated to remove itl, it had corroded inside her! Yikes! She is better now, thank goodness, but those metal allergies can be serious!

Her wedding band is platinum, and she never had any problems with it. She can't wear gold, white gold, or silver. Someone mentioned titanium- I don't know if she ever tried it out, but it might be a choice, too.

Good luck!

 

[Laura]

Yikes indeed, MomofKatie! I read that the nickel in surgical steel doesn't leach out due to some metal bonding/structure thing, but obviously it does. Perhaps it leaches out slowly enough that it typically doesn't cause reactions except in people like your mother.

Titanium jewelry typically has no nickel added to it as an alloy. It's not as easily workable into shapes as platinum is, but it's cheaper, lighter and can be more scratch-resistant. I found this site for titanium rings: http://www.titaniumcommitment.com/faq.html It says that they add aluminum, vanadium and tin to titanium.

 

[MomofKatie]

Laura- yes, it was really gross! She also had a problem back in the late 50's- she fell on ice and broke her hip. They inserted a metal rod in her thighbone to repair it, and about 3 years later, she started having lots of pain in that leg. Turns out the rod had begun working itself out of her bone!!! Same story- her body rejected it violently, literally pushing it out! They removed it, and she still has it. It shows some pitting and corrosion. Bleach!

 

[MomofKatie]

Oops! That was supposed to be "Bleagh!" not "Bleach!" Sorry!

 

[DisMN]

I've got that fun allergy too. They make inexpensive/cheap earings now and all you look for is "Nickel Free" on the card they come on.

Seems to work for my allergy. If it were anything but earrings I'd suggest what helps me be able to wear my watch. Clear fingernail polish placed on any parts that touch my skin works quite well...but I don't think you can or should do that with earrings.

 

[FreshTressa]

I have yet to find a pair of gold earings I can wear, no matter the karats.

Some sterling silver is okay, but still hit or miss. I can't wear surgical steel, and the nickle free are hit or miss, although I can tolerate them for half a day.

I'll have to check out the titanium. I have not tried that yet.

 

[HollyJoy]

My oldest daughter (7) seems to have an allergy to metal as well. She's never been tested, but anytime she wears a metal necklace (which has usually been the cheap stuff.. nothing real), she breaks out in a rash on her chest and neck.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I have a nickel allergy along with a couple of my kids. My daughter will sometimes wear the wrong jewelry and get a rash. Anything we wear should be labeled "nickel free". I have a problem with the snaps on pants, etc. Kind of a pain sometimes (more so when they were babies), but there are worse problems.

T&B

 

[cynsaun]

White gold has MORE nickel in it than yellow gold.

 

[LindaG4458]

iI can't wear the Simply Whispers or surgical steel either. I do best with 18K gold.

I also have to wear leather watch bands and have to coat the buckles with nail polish. If I wear a watch overnight there will be a rash under it that will take weeks to cure.

This is why I remove my jewelry as I walk in the door and put it on again as I leave.