Allergy to metal

Hi,
Is your ring solid or with openings?

Openings. See picture below. Just got estimate for redoing and I think I am going to go to the extra cleaning and drying of skin first before having it recast.
Why do some casters use nickel anyway…it is not in the formula and I never thought to ask.

ej

I’ve had this as a recurring problem since I started making jewelry in the early 70’s, both personally and with my customers. I had a conversation with a dermatologist a few years back about my own case and what she told me is that metal allergies are pretty rare, but they definitely exist. More commonly, my case included, the problem is not allergic reaction, it’s dermatitis probably caused by trapped moisture or other irritants. She also told me to tell anybody that asks about it to consult a dermatologist and not try to self-diagnose the problem and then self-treat. You might just make it worse.

She prescribed a steroid cream for my dermatitis and it worked well, but took several weeks.

Check with your doctor and/or a dermatologist if you can. That’s the only way you’ll know for sure what’s up and it may save you the expense of making a new ring only to find that it won’t fix the problem. I mean, what if it’s not the metal but the dish soap next to your kitchen sink that’s causing the problem?

All the best,

Dave

I am assuming this is the issue and trying to keep my finger dry. Will see if it works. Thanks.

Esta Jo Schifter
Shifting Metal
www.shiftingmetal.com