A Nickel's Worth of Rashes

A little nickel can cause a lot of discomfort, especially if you wear it in your ears, nose, navel or on your wrist or fingers. and if it didn't cost much. Nearly 15% of people tested for allergies react to nickel and that number is rising, probably due to the increase in body piercing. A lot of inexpensive jewelry is made with nickel, and nickel is an increasingly common cause of skin sensitivities called contact dermatitis.

People sometimes mistake a nickel allergy for a chronic infection. It's probably a nickel sensitivity if you have an itching, red, oozing, weeping, crustiness where metal touches your skin. Sweating worsens nickel allergy rashes. And staying away from it isn't all that easy because nickel is found everywhere as part of the metal mixtures used in routine daily living. Nickel is found in zippers, bra hooks, belt buckles and metal eyeglass frames, eyelash curlers, doorknob handles, shoelace eyes and nail files to name just a few.

A skin allergy test can tell you if nickel is causing the problem. Then look for jewelry that doesn't contain it.

And if you're getting your ears, or any other part of your body, pierced, doctors suggest using stainless steel posts for the piercing and using them until the holes heal. Then check for earrings that are labeled hypoallergenic or nickel-free.

Click here for more about contact dermatitis.

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