Nickel Allergy and the Search for Hypoallergenic Jewelry
"What jewelry can I use if I'm allergic to nickel? How can I find earrings that are safe for me to use with my nickel allergy?"
I've heard this question from so many of my patients, and I've dealt with this question myself. The fact is that if you're dealing with nickel allergy, you know firsthand how frustrating it can be to try to find the right earrings, necklaces, bracelets, or rings. Especially since sometimes even pieces that claim to be "nickel-free" still manage to break you out.
I've dealt with nickel allergy myself for many years. And as a dermatologist, I've developed strategies and identified the brands, metals, and products that can help my patients successfully avoid nickel while still wearing beautiful jewelry. Below are my recommendations for hypoallergenic jewelry, along with the strategies I use myself and some of the companies that sell nickel-free jewelry.
My Own Case of Nickel Allergy from Jewelry
It was Saturday morning. I had just woken up, and I noticed that my earlobes were itching.
Not just itching, though. My earlobes were red, swollen, and oozing. Looking at them, I knew the culprit.
The problem was my earrings. Specifically, the nickel that was used in the earrings. (A lovely pair of costume jewelry earrings that I had worn all day on Friday.)
I’ve been allergic to nickel ever since I was a child and I first got my ears pierced. Now that I'm a dermatologist, I know exactly what to do when I'm dealing with a nickel allergy.
What is nickel?
Nickel is a metal and it’s used in all types of metal objects because it’s strong and inexpensive.
When you hear about nickel in jewelry, you might assume that it’s just costume jewelry that's an issue. But nickel is used in far more than just costume jewelry. In fact, nickel is frequently mixed with other metals to create alloys. That means you might find nickel in expensive white gold, or expensive titanium jewelry, or other types of jewelry.
For myself, I’ve gotten a lot savvier about preventing rashes from nickel exposure. And as a specialist in allergic skin reactions, I've advised many, many patients with nickel allergy. In this post, I’m going to describe several options for jewelry that you can use when you have a history of allergic reactions to nickel.
Why is nickel used in jewelry?
Nickel is widely used, in all sorts of objects. Nickel is inexpensive and it's strong, so it's used in many types of jewelry.
It’s also used in all sorts of personal and household items, such as watchbands, snaps and buttons on jeans, eyelash curlers, cell phones, and scissors. It's even used in some implantable medical devices.
How can you tell if you have an allergy to nickel?
When people are allergic to nickel, they’ll develop a rash right at the site of contact. With time, that rash may spread. A common scenario is when women wear earrings and start to develop a red itchy (and sometimes oozing) rash on their earlobes.
With this type of allergic reaction, the rash is delayed – it usually takes 2 to 3 days before the rash shows up, although it may take as few as hours or as long as one week.
This rash isn't only delayed--it can also be long-lasting. In fact, once the rash is there, it can take up to 8 weeks for it to go away.
While you may suspect an allergy to nickel, patch testing is required to confirm this allergy.
If you think you may be allergic to nickel, what strategies can help protect you against nickel in your jewelry?
There are strategies to help protect you against the nickel in your jewelry, such as using barrier coatings or metals. You can also purchase jewelry that does not contain nickel.
I'll mention several sources below for these, but please note that I do not have affiliations with any of these companies, and therefore cannot certify them. Shop, as always, with caution.
1. USE A PROTECTIVE LACQUER COATING
If you love a piece of jewelry that contains nickel (let's say your wedding band), you still might be able to use it. One strategy involves the use a protective lacquer to help prevent the release of nickel from an object. In other words, you can paint on a lacquer to provide a barrier to the release of nickel.
Eventually the lacquer wears off, so you'll have to reapply it periodically. Although you could use clear nail polish, you'll have to make sure the nail polish itself doesn't trigger an allergic reaction.
For my own jewelry, I use a commercially available solution that provides a protective coating. The one I use is called Nickel Guard (available at www.nickelsolution.com). It provides a protective lacquer that's similar to nail polish but without potential allergens.
2. ASK YOUR JEWELER TO APPLY A PROTECTIVE METAL COATING
For an expensive jewelry item, like a wedding ring, you can also take it to your jeweler and have them apply a coating (NOT a plating) on the inner surface of the ring. Platinum or rhodium are hard metals, and would provide a layer of protection. I have several earrings that my jeweler coated with rhodium, and I'm now able to wear them without any problems.
3. CHECK YOUR JEWELRY AT HOME WITH A NICKEL TEST KIT
If you're purchasing jewelry, and you're not sure if it contains nickel, you can purchase a nickel test kit. This kit contains a chemical (in solution) called dimethylglyoxime. The use of this chemical does not harm the object being tested.
When applied to a metal object with a cotton swab, the solution will turn pink in the presence of nickel. This test may not pick up miniscule amounts of nickel, but it's usually a good screen for jewelry. One company that sells the test kit is www.nickelsolution.com.
What kind of jewelry can you wear if you are allergic to nickel?
Options for hypoallergenic jewelry
There are many options for hypoallergenic earrings, necklaces, rings, and bracelets, as long as you're careful. You'll find more details below, but here's a short list of some of the possibilities.
Certain nickel-free costume jewelry
Medical plastic earrings
Some surgical stainless steel earrings
Many sterling silver pieces
Argentium sterling silver (used by some jewelers)
18k gold and above (and some 14k)
White gold made with palladium (*avoid white gold made with nickel)
Some, not all, titanium jewelry
Certified nickel-free precious metal jewelry
I'm allergic to fake jewelry.
Can I use nickel-free costume jewelry?
Yes, with caution
You can look for costume jewelry that’s labeled as "nickel-free". One company that sells nickel-free costume jewelry is www.SimplyWhispers.com. They sell a wide variety of costume jewelry, including accessories such as earring posts.
You do have to be careful, though, in general, with costume jewelry that's marketed as "nickel-free."
At this time, there's no US standard to define this term. In the US, some manufacturers define the term "nickel-free" as being free of nickel in the plating or top layer. When this plating wears thin (which happens over time) nickel may be released.
As a general rule, be careful with plated jewelry, and pay attention to any rashes that develop after wearing so-called "nickel-free" jewelry.
"Medical plastic" earrings are another nickel-free option
Another option would be to use "medical plastic" earrings, as some are certified to contain "0% nickel". One example is "medical plastic" earrings sold by www.BlomdahlUSA.com.
Surgical stainless steel earrings can often be used.
Surgical stainless steel earrings may be an option. Surgical stainless steel is, as the name suggests, a very high quality stainless steel. Stainless steel actually does contain nickel, but the nickel is typically so tightly bound that it is unlikely to be released from the object.
That’s why I often recommend stainless steel objects for my patients who are allergic to nickel.
One example of a company that sells surgical stainless steel earrings is Comfy Earrings.
What about more expensive jewelry or items made from precious metals?
Even expensive gold and titanium jewelry can sometimes have nickel mixed in, so you can't rely on price. This is what to look for when you're choosing other types of metal jewelry:
Does sterling silver contain nickel?
Most sterling silver does not contain nickel,
although you still have to ask
Some sterling silver items contain nickel mixed with the silver, although it seems to be pretty uncommon above .925. To be certain, though, it's best to look for makers of sterling silver who certify that their items contain no nickel. James Avery, for example, certifies their silver as nickel-free.
AVOID German silver or alpaca or nickel silver
These terms refer to the silver color of the item, not to actual silver. These items actually do contain nickel! DO NOT choose these items.
Can I wear gold jewelry?
18 karat gold and above is usually fine
Does white gold have nickel?
Be careful!
Some white gold does contain nickel
While 18 karat gold and above is usually fine, the exception is white gold. In order to make white gold, yellow gold is usually mixed with either palladium or nickel. Unless you know for sure that your white gold is free of nickel, don't choose it.
Titanium objects may or may not be OK
Can you rely on titanium objects? Not necessarily. Titanium is often mixed with nickel. Some jewelry manufacturers will specify that their titanium items are fee of nickel, so make sure you look for that information before purchasing. One example is titanium jewelry sold by www.BlomdahlUSA.com.
Where can I find certified nickel-free jewelry?
Certain manufacturers will certify their precious metal jewelry as being nickel-free
Although there's no standard in the United States that defines the term "nickel-free", certain companies have informed us that they do not use nickel in their jewelry. You can check with these companies to confirm.
Sterling silver jewelry from James Avery
Jewelry from CRISLU
Titanium jewelry from Blomdahl USA
Jewelry from Van Cleef and Arpels
Jewelry from Cartier
There are multiple others
The Bottom Line
The rate of nickel allergy in the United States continues to remain high, and the American Academy of Dermatology is urging regulations to limit the amount of nickel used in personal items.
Until that happens, remember that a big risk factor for nickel allergy is piercing. If you or your child are getting pierced, use nickel-free earrings or body jewelry, and definitely don't use any nickel-containing jewelry until your skin is completely healed over.