While accessories and jewelries enhance our beauty and appearance, it is very important to know what constitutes them as skin sensitivity to metals has been on a recent high. Nickel, cobalt and chrome are the metals that commonly cause allergic contact dermatitis, also known as ACD.
Gold, platinum and palladium are among the other metals that cause allergic contact dermatitis. The effects of metal allergies are prevalent with women as jewelries and pierced earrings are a common feature with women.
Metals that cause severe allergic contact dermatitis:
- Nickel: Nickel by far leads to greater skin allergies than any other metal.
- Cobalt: Cobalt, by nature, is found along with nickel and therefore, metal objects can contain both cobalt and nickel to have far reaching consequences on the skin.
- Chrome: Chrome on the other hand, is generally found in hard metal substances and can cause irritation to the skin if you frequently use tan leather products.
Composition and Description of Nickel:
Nickel is a silver-white metal used for electroplating and for making alloys. Nickel is also known as niccolum sulfuricum. The most common exposure to nickel is costume jewelry and other metal objects.
Jewelry Dermatitis:
Jewelry dermatitis is the best example of metal allergy, and it is most common in the case of earrings. This happens because the metal pushes the innermost layer of the skin, that is, the epidermis, to expose the fluid tissues and leave them vulnerable to infection and allergy. Metals of the same type can affect only the ears and not necessarily the fingers or hand. Wrist watches and eyeglasses are other causes for metal jewelry dermatitis.
List of metallic items containing nickel:
- Earrings
- Buttons and zippers
- Keys and coins
- Utensils and instruments
- Furniture with metal parts
- Batteries
Tips to avoid metal allergies:
- Avoid piercing your ears if the region swells up.
- Get a coating done for your jewelry.
- Keys can also be made of aluminum instead of nickel.
- Get a metal test done for every metal jewelry or object that you possess.
Symptoms for metal allergies may increase with different seasons and may worsen with perspiration. This often happens because sweat causes the metal to melt due to the heat and humidity. This initiates further itching and allergic reactions. So, always enquire into the kind of metal jewelry you wear.
