Jewelry is a great way of self-expression, it’s there to add flavor to our outfits and help us elevate our style. But what happens when jewelry becomes the bane of our existence? What happens when you notice a jewelry rash, redness, or irritation?

If that happens, it’s possible that you developed some sort of a metal allergy. So, what next? Should you stop wearing jewelry altogether? Or is there a solution?

In this article, we will answer all those questions and more. Just keep on reading.

What’s a jewelry allergy and what does it look like?

Jewelry allergies occur when you're sensitive to one or more metals in the jewelry that comes into contact with your skin. This sensitivity is heightened, especially with piercings, as the metal penetrates the skin, triggering a stronger allergic reaction.

Your allergy can manifest in many different ways. For instance, the most common type of allergy is jewelry rash. Your skin will be red irritated and itchy, and you might also notice bumps and blisters.

Jewelry allergy looks no different than other allergies, the only difference is that it will appear on the same place where the jewelry touched the skin. So, if your ring caused the irritation, you’ll see the rash on your finger once you remove the ring.

Which metals cause allergic reactions and skin sensitivity?

You can be allergic to almost any metal, however, most people are allergic to nickel or brass. Nickel is the most commonly used reactive metal that can be found even in precious metals such as gold and silver. 

Nickel is used to improve the strength of precious metals because they are too soft and can’t hold jewelry shape. That’s why anything less than 24-karat gold is an alloy and contains other metals such as nickel or brass. 

Other jewelry metals that can cause allergies include copper, brass, and even platinum. But regardless of the metal, the irritation it causes will look pretty much the same.

How to deal with jewelry allergies?

If you notice that some piece has irritated your skin, you’ve likely developed an allergy. In that case, take off the jewelry and find out what it was made from. You can either visit your dermatologist, or you can invest in a metal testing kit.

The kit will help you figure out which metal you’re allergic to. Simply apply the solution to the jewelry with a cotton swab and wait a couple of minutes. The solution will change color and tell you what your jewelry was made from. 

Once you figure out what you’re allergic to, you’ll be able to stay away from those metals and find safer alternatives.

Skin-friendly alternatives

It’s great to know that you don’t have to stop wearing jewelry just because you have allergies. Thankfully, there are numerous skin-friendly, nickel-free jewelry alternatives that you can wear without sacrificing your style.

Blomdahl has a lot of hypoallergenic, nickel-free jewelry options that you can explore. You can even look into body piercings because their jewelry has medical quality.

Hypoallergenic jewelry is made of metals that don’t irritate skin or cause allergies. Some of the most common hypoallergenic metals include titanium, platinum, cobalt, and higher-karat gold.

Other skin-friendly tips

There are other tips that can help you prevent allergic reactions and irritation caused by jewelry. For instance, regular maintenance and cleaning of your jewelry can remove dirt, oil, and bacteria that accumulate on them. This build-up can not only tarnish your jewelry but also contribute to irritation and allergies.

Maintaining your jewelry properly is not complicated and you can do it at least once a month. All you need is a mixture of warm soapy water and a toothbrush, and that’s it.

This next tip is for everyone who loves wearing earrings but struggles with earrings posts and backs. If you have sensitive ears, you might want to switch to hypoallergenic gold or platinum posts for your earrings to reduce the risk of an ear infection. 

Alternatively, you can use silicone or plastic anti-allergy sleeves to cushion the earring posts against your ear. Rubber silicone backs are also a good option as they are less likely to cause a jewelry rash.

Where can you buy hypoallergenic jewelry?

You will find hypoallergenic jewelry online, however, be very careful when buying it that way. It’s easy to label a piece of jewelry hypoallergenic or nickel-free, but you don’t really know what you’ll be getting.

In many cases, the jewelry advertised as hypoallergenic only has a thin coating applied to it while they are made of nickel. Once the coating wears off, the nickel will be exposed and you’ll have an allergic reaction.

Ideally, you want to buy jewelry from specialized jewelry stores. There you can try on what you like and be sure that everything is made from high-quality materials that won’t cause irritation and allergies.

Conclusion

Jewelry allergies are some of the most common causes of contact allergic dermatitis. And while having an allergic reaction to some of your favorite pieces is unfortunate, it’s not the end of the world. You can find pretty nice and affordable jewelry alternatives that won’t irritate your skin.