Am I allergic to jewelry?

You have finally bought a beautiful pair of earrings or that unique ring that you have had your eye on for so long! And of course you can't wait to wear the jewelry. But after putting on the jewelry, your skin suddenly starts to turn red and itch extremely. Oh no, what's going on? An allergic reaction?

An allergy is a severe reaction of the body to a specific substance. When a person with an allergy comes into contact with this substance, an allergic reaction occurs. Skin that becomes red, itches and flakes. These are very annoying complaints that can arise with different materials. In this article we discuss the two most common allergies, nickel allergy and silver allergy. In addition to these two allergies, an inflamed earlobe is also common. But don't panic, we will give you tips on how to solve the inflammation.

Allergy to nickel

You've probably guessed it already, with a nickel allergy your body reacts strongly to nickel. You get itchy, your skin turns red and in some cases even blisters develop. Because the symptoms sometimes only occur after a few hours, it may take a while before you know whether you are allergic to this metal.

Nickel is found in many products, including jewelry. If someone has a nickel allergy, unfortunately they cannot wear all jewelry. But don't worry, there are plenty of alternatives! People with a nickel allergy can wear jewelry made from hypoallergenic materials such as titanium, gold and silver!

What is nickel?

Nickel is a metal that is found in nature and is excavated from the earth. Do you know where most of the nickel goes? Mainly to the metal industry. There it is used to strengthen other metals, such as steel. In addition, nickel acts as a protective element and contributes to the shine of metal objects.

Which jewelry can I wear with a nickel allergy?

Allergy to silver

In addition to nickel, you may be allergic to other substances, such as silver. This material can make your skin tingle, swell and turn red where you wear the jewelry. The reaction can range from mild to severe.

What is silver?

Most jewelry is made of sterling silver, also called 925 silver. This means that the piece of jewelry consists of 92.5% real silver. The other 7.5% consists of a composition of various metals, including copper. The composition of metals is added to the silver because otherwise silver would be too soft to make jewelry.

You will always find a stamp print with '925' on sterling silver jewelry. Is this stamp print also on your silver jewelry?

Which jewelry can I wear with a silver allergy?

Do you think you are allergic to silver? Don't panic, there are plenty of alternatives so you can continue to wear jewelry. In the future, opt for jewelry made from hypoallergenic metals, such as surgical stainless steel, titanium or gold.

Inflamed earlobe due to earrings

Have you been wearing those beautiful earrings all day that you received as a gift from your favorite person, and at the end of the day it turns out that your earlobes are inflamed. Painful and bummed! There are several reasons why your earlobes can become inflamed. Maybe you recently had holes popped and not cleaned enough. The dirt can cause inflammation. But the material of the earrings can also be the culprit. Your earlobes may protest against the metal used and an infection may occur.

If your earlobes are inflamed, give them some extra attention! Apply Sterilon to the earrings once a day and rotate your earring a little. Not too often, otherwise your earlobe cannot heal. Then touch the earlobe as little as possible so that dirt cannot get into it again. If the inflammation does not diminish after a few days, we recommend consulting a doctor.

Although jewelry allergies pose challenges, there are still an abundance of options. By making conscious choices in materials and careful maintenance, jewelry lovers with allergies can still shine with allergy-free options!

Author: Tanja Rakhou is the owner of KAYA Jewelry. The jewelry webshop for personalized jewelry for a competitive price and good quality.