While we have all heard of people having a dust mite allergy, dog or cat allergy, peanut allergy, gluten allergy, and so on, very few of us have heard of the people living with a nickel allergy. Even so, the number of people living with a nickel allergy is actually on the rise, partly due to the ever-increasing popularity with body piercing in which nickel is a common metal. In fact, experts estimate that people with a nickel allergy has risen by as much as 40% over the past 10 years, specific to piercing.
With a nickel allergy, the symptoms can strike people of all ages and both genders. While some people will have immediate reaction, most will have a reaction caused by prolonged exposure to the nickel. If you have a nickel allergy and like piercings, then you might consider using stainless steel, gold, or silver instead.
Nickel allergy is a common cause of allergic contact dermatitis — an itchy rash that appears where your skin touches a usually harmless substance.
Other people who have a nickel allergy include those working with various chemicals or machinery that involves nickel such as hairdressers, hospital staff, or those working with cleaning chemicals.
The problem is that for alloy to be produced, nickel is added to other metals. Therefore, nickel could easily be a component of many things we use throughout our daily lives without us even knowing it. For example, eyeglasses, watches, belt buckles, and even zippers all have nickel. For the person with the nickel allergy, this would be a problem.
Nickel allergy is often associated with earrings and other jewelry. But nickel can be found in many everyday items, such as coins, zippers, cellphones and eyeglass frames.
Other items commonly made from with degree of nickel include pens, razors, scissors, handles on kitchen or bathroom cabinets, cigarette lighters, catches on purses, toasters, needles, and so on. If you have a bad nickel allergy, you can actually purchase a testing kit that can help you identify the things you handle daily that might be a contributing factor. Although avoiding everything with nickel would be difficult, at least you would know some of the items to avoid.
An allergic reaction (contact dermatitis) usually begins within hours to days after exposure to nickel. The reaction may last as long as two to four weeks. The reaction tends to occur only where your skin came into contact with nickel, but sometimes may appear in other places on your body.
Nickel allergy signs and symptoms include:
- Rash or bumps on the skin
- Itching, which may be severe
- Redness or changes in skin color
- Dry patches of skin that may resemble a burn
- Blisters and draining fluid in severe cases
Just as nickel should be avoided by touch, there is also concern about food consumption. Generally, if someone has a serious nickel allergy, his or her doctor would prescribe a nickel-restricted diet in which foods high in nickel would be eliminated. Some of the foods would include:
Beans, Buckwheat, Chocolate, Dried Fruit, Figs, Lettuce, Licorice, Linseed, Millet, Multigrain Breads, Nuts, Oats, Onions, Peas, Pineapple, Prunes, Raspberries, Salmon, Shellfish, Soy Powder, Spinach, Tea, Tomato, Wheat Bran or Wheat Bran Productsand more.
Sources of nickel exposure
Common items that may expose one to nickel include:
- Surgical implants
- Jewelry for body piercings
- Other jewelry, including rings, bracelets, necklaces and jewelry clasps
- Watchbands
- Clothing fasteners, such as zippers, snaps and bra hooks
- Belt buckles
- Eyeglass frames
- Coins
- Metal tools
- Cellphones
- Keys
- Military “dog-tag” ID
- Chalk
- Medical devices
- Laptops or computer tablets
- E-cigarettes
Generally a person with a nickel allergy will experience skin rash and irritation. This dermatologic effect can be magnified by humidity and sweat. Unfortunately, there is currently no way to desensitize the person living with a nickel allergy using pills, shots, or other forms of treatment. Therefore, the best method of treatment is avoidance. If a rash does develop from the nickel allergy, usually cortisone cream will help.
Prevention
The best strategy to prevent a nickel allergy from developing is to avoid prolonged exposure to items containing nickel. If you already have a nickel allergy, the best way to prevent an allergic reaction is to avoid contact with the metal.
However, it’s not always easy to avoid nickel because it’s present in so many products. Home test kits are available to check for nickel in metal items.
The following tips may help you avoid nickel exposure:
Wear hypoallergenic jewelry
Avoid jewelry that contains nickel. Purchase jewelry that’s made of materials that aren’t likely to cause allergic reactions. Look for jewelry made from such metals as nickel-free stainless steel, surgical-grade stainless steel, titanium, 18-karat yellow gold, or nickel-free yellow gold and sterling silver.
Surgical-grade stainless steel may contain some nickel, but it’s generally considered hypoallergenic for most people. Be sure that your earring backings also are made of hypoallergenic materials.
Choose a piercing studio carefully
Check with your state or local health department to find out what rules apply to your area and be certain to choose a studio that follows these rules. Visit a studio before getting a piercing to make sure that the piercer provides a clean, professional environment.
Also, check to be sure the studio uses sterile, nickel-free or surgical-grade stainless steel needles in sealed packages. If the studio uses a piercing gun, check to see if the part that touches the person getting pierced isn’t used on other customers. Check that the studio only sells hypoallergenic jewelry and can provide documentation of metal content of the products for sale.
Use substitute materials
Look for safer substitutes for common nickel-containing items:
- Watchbands made of leather, cloth or plastic
- Zippers or clothing fasteners made of plastic or coated metals
- Plastic or titanium eyeglass frames
- Titanium surgical implants if necessary
Create a barrier
If you have to be exposed to nickel at work, creating a barrier between you and the nickel may help. If your hands have to touch nickel, wearing gloves may help.
Try covering buttons, snaps, zippers or tool handles with duct tape or with a clear barrier, such as Nickel Guard. Clear nail polish on jewelry may help, but may have to be reapplied often.