Living With Metal Allergies

Living With Metal Allergies

Metal allergy, which is a form of contact dermatitis, is a rather common skin condition. Quite a few people may have this condition and not even realize it. There are plenty of people who believe they can’t wear anything but gold, or platinum or even silver. Often this it not true and many people do not realize that in most situations they can find a less expensive alternative. It all depends on the metal content. For instance the most common metal that causes a reaction is nickel. Nickel is used in a wide variety of jewelry including gold, although not too often.

Signs and Symptoms of Metal Allergy

The symptoms of a metal allergy is reddening of the skin where there has been contact with the metal, note the kind of allergy it is classified as ‘contact dermatitis’. Which there are many types of allergens that cause contact dermatitis, such as poison oak or even for some people wool. An itching and or burning sensation usually accompanies the reddening of the skin in the area that has been in contact with the metal. In some severe cases a blistering rash can occur and may resemble pimples. The skin may reveal scaly, raw and thickened, sometimes oozing, crusting or draining may occur. As well as swelling, tenderness or warmth of the skin exposed to the metal.

Complications and Treatment

Infections may occur so it is important that if you have broken out to keep the area clean and dry, but do not touch it too often as this can irritate it more. The best thing is to clean the area once or twice a day and keep it covered. If the itching or burning is too much to bear you can always use a cortisone cream, for swelling you can use cold compresses on the skin.

Severity

The severity of the reaction often depends on several factors such as the duration of the contact, whether or not the skin has been broken, how sensitive you are to the metal causing the reaction, and the concentration of the metal you are sensitive to. For example if you are allergic to nickel, and a piece of sterling silver that contains a small percentage may not break you out but white gold with a high percentage of nickel might. Not that all sterling silver or white gold contains nickel but some pieces might. There is no specific formula for alloying silver or gold and all manufacturers have their own recipe.

Prevention

Obviously the best method of preventing the uncomfortable results of a metal allergy is to avoid the metal causing the sometimes-painful reaction. This as we all know is not always possible. For instance what are we suppose to do when a belt buckle or zipper on some of our favorite pieces of clothing starts irritating our skin? Are we just supposed to throw them out?

Protecting Your Skin

The best thing is to see you physician and have a patch test done to identify the specific allergen, this can usually be accomplished with three office visits, or sometimes less if you have self tested by purposely exposing yourself to the alleged culprit. But sometimes it may be a favorite pair of earrings and the easiest fix is to apply a coating of clear fingernail polish to the metal that contacts the skin. Although this will eventually wear, on an item you use regularly it can last for 2-3 weeks before you need to apply another coat. Or if it is bra hooks you could just get a small strip of comfortable fabric and place is as a barrier. Some cases you can just take an antihistamine.