Nickel-free belt buckle wanted

A. See letter 10826. Watch out for department store imported buckles labeled or stamped "solid brass" -- they may contain considerable nickel. I've had good luck with some from Lands End, bought a few years back.

A. I am from Canada and have the same problem as you guys. But here is a company in Canada, near me, that supplies belt buckles, nickel free (solid brass). You can call them to order and ask them if those are really nickel free. I will definitely do this!

Leathersmith Designs Inc., Dartmouth, NS, Canada

A. Try nonickel for nickel free belts. They have a decent selection.

A. For the buttons on jeans take those round band aids and put them on it. The other option is to take a thick piece of fabric and double it and sew it around the button on the belt so that you don't get the rash. I am still searching for a belt buckle. It is hard when you have this allergy.

Good luck everyone.

A. Yes. Coating the belt buckle with either nail polish or polyurethane has been reported to work on some dermatology forums. It's a temporary solution since it will wear out though. Probably any will work.

A. I just wanted to let everyone know I searched and searched for nickel free belts and finally found them at nonickel.

A. I haven't had any luck finding jeans without nickel in them. I found it best to paint the button with clear nail polish once every couple of weeks. I haven't gotten this to work with belt buckles since the surface area is greater than on a button though.

A. Hi. There are jeans that most likely do not feature nickel but they are very expensive. Some of them have silver and some have gold. You can research the more expensive and usually higher quality brands via thesuperfuture.com forums, just ask any that feature buttons which are unlike nickel (gold, silver, copper). I have a pair of Levi's which use a copper rivet button. You could also sew a patch over the spot were it contacts the skin.
As for a belt, again, you will probably have to fork out some cash to get one that does not feature nickel. Your best bet is to call up the company that makes the products and ask if they have any that do not feature this metal.

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Ed. note March 2022: Sorry, that domain name is for sale

A. I found a website that has information on nickel allergy including non-allergy earrings.
tlcearrings.com

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Ed. note March 2022: Sorry, that domain name does not appear to be on line anymore

A. My son has the same rash problem as everyone else on this site. We finally found a belt solution. At Kohl's you can get a Braided Leather Belt made by Dockers. The belt buckle is covered with the same leather as the belt. It comes in either black or brown. The smallest size is 32" so it doesn't work too well for the young ones. He still hasn't grown into his yet but it beats having rashes on the stomach. I hope this helps.

A. We were told yesterday by a dermatologist that once nickel gets into one's system, it takes a long time to go away ... months and maybe even longer!
I, too, sew a double layer of felt over all the rivets in my granddaughter's jeans and she still breaks out.
The doctor said this doesn't work, that the nickel still will seek through.
We all need to write all the jeans companies and complain. It's just not fair to all of those that suffer this allergy.
My husband's answer is just make her wear sweats or cottons. Try telling this to a teen in this fashion-conscience society! She'd prefer the itchy rash.

A. I've had a nickel allergy for about 25 years now I'm 33. While growing up it was impossible to find jeans that I could wear. My rashes got so bad that I still have scaring on my belly. However, my mother did come up with a solution that has been working great for the last 25 years.

For Jeans: Iron-on patches work great for any exposed metal on jeans. You can buy a large piece and cut them into small 1" x 1" squares. They work great trust me. Get the thicker kind.

For belt buckles and eye wear: Try titanium or stainless steel. It works great for me.

Hope this helps!

A. Hi,

My 6 year old daughter also suffers from a nickel allergy. We have tried many different things for the snaps on her jeans. The best that I have come up with, are the waterproof band aids from Nexcare. They also come in children's versions with characters on them, they are called Nexcare Tattoo band aids. They will stay on the pants for at least 2-3 washes. They work very well. We are still searching for the right belt and a good pair of earrings. I even bought her platinum earrings and she still broke out in a rash. I did find a watch at Disney that was completely plastic. Even the battery on the back was covered.

Good luck to all with this problem. It is heartbreaking to watch your child cry because they can't wear the same things as everyone else. Hopefully, we can find some good solutions.

A. I have the same problem and got a belt at www.nickel-free.net.

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Ed. note March 2022: Sorry, that domain name is for sale