Nickel Allergy Questions

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whoops

O.G.
Dec 4, 2008
1,762
69
#1
Hey! So I always thought that I wasn't allergic to Nickel. But then it just was brought to my attention that maybe the rash on the back of my ear from my earring is from a Nickel allergy! I've had the bottom pierced since I was in 3rd grade and the second piercing was in 7th grade. I'm 24 now.

I wear two earrings, the one on the bottom never bothers me. However, the top earrings bothers me on the right side top piercing only in the back. My left ear has the exact same earrings but no reaction. I've even switched the earrings back and forth to see if it was the earring? I've read that it could just be that when I first pierced it, the earring wasn't nickel free so it didn't heal well only on that side. Or that I just sleep on this side so it has irritated it.

I've always never been able to wear cheaper earrings under 14 or 18k gold. But these earrings are 18k and it's only on one ear! and only the back!

I've also had the trinity ring and no rash has showed up so far on my finger. It gets tingly but I think that is more cause I'm not used to wearing a ring and it's awkward because now it feels weird when I don't wear it.

My questions:

Does this sound like a nickel allergy? Or do I just need to clean them more often?

Can you develop a nickel allergy later in life?

Why is it only showing up in one ear?

How long does an allergy take to show up?
 
#3
My bf saw the back of my ear and flipped out because the engagement ring we ordered is white gold and he went into an immediate "We switching to platinum!"-quest. LOL

So i just want to make sure that when I tell him to not worry and that white gold should be okay I'm not lying. I don't want to have it come and then have to rebuy the setting because I'm allergic. But I've been wearing white gold for years in ears with no problem and yellow gold on my wrist. I can't wear "cheap earrings" because my lobes get red but I just want to be sure. I actually never thought it was an allergy but now I had to reconsider it.

I've been trying to research it and I'm thinking it's just build up that got in there and irritated it since I never remove my top earring. I definitely have to work on being more clean about it because I've never been good about it.

I still would love to hear experiences from girls who have or have developed allergies later on in life.
 
#4
You can definitly develope allergies later in life. I developed metal allergies during my first pregnancy. I can't wear any alloyed metals in my ears, except maybe yellow gold. My earrings are all titanium and niobium. I can't even wear sterling, stainelss or surgical steel.
I have no other metal allergies in the rest of my body. My nose piercing was even fine (metal wise) even after my ears became sensitive.
As far as your trinity ring goes, we thought my husband was allergic to his white gold band, but it turned out he was sensitive to something in a soap he was using and it would get under his ring and not rinse away completly.
But your WG will be palladium alloyed. Most palladium alloyed WG doesn't use any nickel, and at worst they use 4%..you could contact them and ask them if it helps ease your mind, but I'm pretty sure you are fine :-)
Oh and as far as it being one side, are these cartilage ear piercings? My left side upper piercings always bothered me, but it had to do with the cartilage never healing right. But usually a metal allergy will bother your hole more so than the back. I can wear my titanium earrings with cheap backs (when I lose the good titanium ones) with no problems.
 
#5
as far as you engagement ring goes, if you can afford platinum, it's the safest choice. I had a terrible time when I got my ears repierced and I got platinum earrrings--wore them exclusively for a long time until my ears really healed.
 
#6
skphotoimages said:
You can definitly develope allergies later in life. I developed metal allergies during my first pregnancy. I can't wear any alloyed metals in my ears, except maybe yellow gold. My earrings are all titanium and niobium. I can't even wear sterling, stainelss or surgical steel.
I have no other metal allergies in the rest of my body. My nose piercing was even fine (metal wise) even after my ears became sensitive.
As far as your trinity ring goes, we thought my husband was allergic to his white gold band, but it turned out he was sensitive to something in a soap he was using and it would get under his ring and not rinse away completly.
But your WG will be palladium alloyed. Most palladium alloyed WG doesn't use any nickel, and at worst they use 4%..you could contact them and ask them if it helps ease your mind, but I'm pretty sure you are fine :-)
Oh and as far as it being one side, are these cartilage ear piercings? My left side upper piercings always bothered me, but it had to do with the cartilage never healing right. But usually a metal allergy will bother your hole more so than the back. I can wear my titanium earrings with cheap backs (when I lose the good titanium ones) with no problems.
Click to expand...

Yea, I think it might just be my ears because I haven't reacted before to anything. The piercing isn't a cartilage one it's just a secondary hole. I'm actually debating letting it close so it won't cause me any more grief.

I hope the ring is okay. My bf is scared but I think it should be okay. I've heard in extremely cases people can react badly to the way platinum feels. So we will just wait and see....
 
#7
sdkitty said:
as far as you engagement ring goes, if you can afford platinum, it's the safest choice. I had a terrible time when I got my ears repierced and I got platinum earrrings--wore them exclusively for a long time until my ears really healed.
Click to expand...

It's not about the price so much as durability and ammount of exposed metal. Originally we went from platinum to white gold for cost reasons but them the more I looked into it, white gold is the better choice for not showing wear as much since the shanks are polished. I just can't figure out why it's only one ear this time.
 
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