I copied and pasted the following medical report that came
across my desk. In view of the recent thread re:Nickel jewelry, I
thought this might be of interest.
"Nickel is the leading cause of contact allergy in America," he
added. The rise of nickel allergies in America has coincided with
the popularity of body piercing. Redness, itching, swelling and
crusting may mimic infections, but are probably an indication to
avoid nickel products, said Cohen. Home test kits to determine if
nickel is present in a metal are available.
Those at increased risk for nickel allergy had childhood eczema,
have hayfever or asthma. “It lasts for life. Once you’ve become
allergic to nickel, you’re never going to get rid of it,” said
Cohen. “Surgical-grade stainless steel and titanium probably
represent safer materials,” he said. “When piercing any part of
the body, always use caution and utilize only safe and sterile
equipment. At the first sign of infection or allergy, consult
your dermatologist.”
My husband has nickel sensitivity and it isn't a pretty sight.
We have coated the back of his watch with a clear lacquer and he
alternates arms.
G’day; I have had problems with a watch back causing sore places on
my wrists, particularly in summer when perspiration is likely to
quickly form a perfect breeding ground for all kinds of bacteria, and
which in turn form substances which react with metal in the watch
back. Rather than use a lacquer which soon wears off - and some
lacquers might cause as much difficulty as bare metal - I apply a
circle of first aid adhesive fabric dressing strip, and find that
cures the problem. It can be removed and changed easily whenever
necessary. Unfortunately this is not so useful for rings, but there
are available very thin first aid dressings which, after application
to the inside of the ring, can be cut to perfect size using a new
scalpel blade or double sided razor blade, both easily obtainable from
model and hobby shops. I have seen plating with gold or silver
advocated to help this problem, but unless that plating is quite
thick, it will soon wear off. Cheers, –
I have a nickel sensitivity also, and have found that Timex watches
seem to work okay for me. I am break out when I wear anything less
than 14 K gold, or sterling silver. Other metals that are okay are
titanium, rhodium, platinum. But I know what you mean on the watches:
they all have stainless backs. The other choice might be to have
that back piece custom made out of some other material.