What type of earrings are good for sensitive ears ?
What type of earrings are good for sensitive ears ?
A metal allergy or intolerance can cause your ears to be sensitive to some earrings. According to WebMD, nickel allergy is one of the most common types of skin allergies. Unfortunately, nickel is present in a wide range of everyday items, including jewelry, cell phones, zippers, coins, and eyeglasses. Symptoms of a metal allergy include itching, redness, rash, dry skin patches, swelling, and blisters. These blisters may break, causing crusts and scales. If you ignore these signs, your skin may become cracked, dark, and leathery. If your skin is cracked or blistered, remove your earrings and consult your doctor for treatment to prevent infection.
In many cases, allergy sufferers show symptoms after wearing inexpensive or costume jewelry. These items contain high concentrations of nickel, especially in the parts that hold the earrings to the ears. White gold, yellow gold, and nickel alloy also causes allergy symptoms. Although sensitivity types and levels differ from person to person, most metal allergy sufferers can wear jewelry with surgical or implant-grant stainless steel, 14K, 18K, or 24K yellow gold, pure sterling silver, copper, platinum, titanium, or plastic parts. Since most metals used to make earrings are alloys, the small amounts of zinc or nickel mixed with, for example, silver or gold may cause an allergic reaction in some people.
Earring Materials Suitable for Sensitive Ears
If you experience a severe allergic reaction when wearing non-hypoallergenic earrings, consult your doctor. You may need to undergo an allergy test to identify which metal causes the reaction, as nickel does not cause all allergies. If your symptoms are not severe, and you want to spare the expense of an allergy test to identify which one is the problem, finding the ideal metal for your ears may involve some trial and error.
The table below lists and describes common materials present in earrings. The majority of these are safe for everyone, but some earrings that feature the metals listed may contain small amounts of allergens. For example, stainless steel contains some nickel, but the alloy’s structure, which tightly binds the nickel, means it seldom causes problems for those with nickel allergies.
