Living in misery with a nickel allergy

Kamrin,

What a weird question! Heck, in ye Olden Days, the babies probably chewed on lead ... and still lived many years.

It would seem that ANY plated material, common & easily available like a clip, would be 1,000,000 % A.OK.

The main danger, BE CAREFUL, is if the infant swallows the damned clip! ... then you can give it a clip on the ear for causing you worry!

Ed. note: Readers -- Freeman contributed thousands of helpful responses on this site over the years. He was totally lovable and clever, but weird; please don't try to judge him from a single posting  🙂

Spar Urethane


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A. I believe the answer to your question is several coats of clear urethane floor coating. It will give you scuff resistance for a longer time than an enamel based nail polish, which will chip.

Several types of accessories come with a VERY thin lacquer layer to keep the finish from oxidizing while the product is being shipped or inventoried in stores. This should be removed with mineral spirits ⇦ on eBay or Amazon [affil link] before you do the urethane so it sticks.

Of course, the other alternative is to purchase only solid brass belt buckles - slightly more expensive, but they last forever. You could have these silver plated at just about any silver smith or jeweler (that specializes in restoring silver-plate tea sets). These can be urethaned too - which I highly advise, unless you like to polish silver.

Ed. note: A dermatology forum included a response from a dermatologist who felt that urethane was also less allergenic than nail polish. Both products are widely available, and there are proprietary nickel protect / nickel guard coatings too.

Hi,

Times have changed and nickel-free belts ⇦ on eBay or Amazon [affil link] are now pretty widely available. TSA inspection at airports has accelerated the manufacture of metal-free belts, and some even have sophisticated carbon-fiber buckles.

Luck & Regards,


Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
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Tripp NYC

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Nickel-free Jeans

A. I am highly allergic to nickel, and as a teenager, it narrows down the possibilities of jewelry I can wear. I get the rashes on the insides of my arms, and like previously mentioned, I get it where a belt buckle would be, and I particularly have a problem with buttons on jeans. So I paint over them with layers of nail polish, which seems to be working okay. I don't wear belts anymore. But recently I bought a rather pricey pair of pants from the brand Tripp NYC .
they are full of some metal because they have chains and stuff all over them, but after my fourth day of wearing then, I realized that I hadn't painted over them yet, but I also hadn't broken out in the rash. so I assume that there is no nickel in them! I suppose if you want a brand of pants without nickel, Tripp NYC is the way to go. They are expensive though, I bought the least expensive ones and they were about 130.00. they are also a goth, punk brand, but I love them. if you want pants without nickel, you will wear what you have to wear.

Ed. note: Most Tripp NYC stuff is probably nickel-free but we find no corporate claim to that effect, so no guarantees.

A. For all of you who have nickel allergies and can't find jeans, for my daughter I found on nonickel.com; they sell sets of nickel free rivets and buttons to replace all of the old ones in your current jeans. You have to get a alterations person to do it for you but it is worth it. They work so far.

A. I, like many people, suffer from nickel allergies. The most frustrating thing for me has been jeans -- I've tried nail varnish, plasters, big knickers but to no avail. The only success I had was on a trip to LA I found a pair of Levis in a shopping outlet with plastic buttons and no rivets so I was delighted. But these have worn away and are close to the bin.

Recently I decided to search the internet to try finding a solution and I found a number of forums about the same thing. After finding no solution I wrote off to a number of the jeans companies (Levis, Wrangler, Gap etc) I didn't expect a response but I just received an email from Levis and had to share it with my fellow nickel sufferers:

Great news - This covers all garments so all those great shirts with metal buttons are now on my shopping list.

This seems to be directly related to Europe but, who knows, may also apply to the US.

"Zipper: An Exploration in Novelty"
by Robert D. Friedel

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? Thanks, Barbara, but this sounds like bad news rather than good news. They are saying that they will no longer enforce their nickel-free policy except on a surface with "direct and prolonged skin contact". Thus it sounds like zippers & buttons will no longer have to be nickel-free.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
Need project assistance? $100/hr.

A. My sister has Nickel allergy. Try wearing Silver jewelry, particularly sterling or hallmarked silver. That contains much less Nickel if any. Also you may get problems may come from handling coins. My advice is if anyone offers you money insist it is of the folding variety.

A. Jewelry in Europe and much of the world is already nickel-free, Michelle. But many readers from the U.S. have this problem!

For belts, watches, jewelry, and miscellaneous, maybe try NoNickel.com, SimplyWhispers.com, BlomdahlUSA.com, 1928.com, or AthenaAllergy.com

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

A. Some nail polish on the back side of the watch should do that job.

A. I am allergic to nickel, so belts bother my skin and I was told to put clear nail polish on the buckle. you'll have to re apply it every so often, but it should work

A. Jenna, I sympathise with your situation. I have to say up front I am not a dermatologist or medical doctor, so my first advice is that you see a dermatologist and get your situation sorted out. It sounds as if you have become sensitised to nickel; this normally happens if you have had the metal in prolonged and direct contact with your skin for some considerable period - perhaps as long as years. You are not alone in this situation; approximately 15-20% of the UK population are allergic to nickel, but many do not even realise it as they will only see a reddening of the skin near to where the nickel has been. Most nickel allergies are associated with cheap jewellery, as they used to contain nickel. However, for a number of years, it has been illegal within the EU to sell nickel containing articles that are "...in prolonged and intimate contact with the skin..." . This gives me hope that a chin rest for the violin meets these criteria. If it does, all you need to do is to buy a new rest, but check with your musical supply shop that it is nickel free before spending any money! There is also a musical instrument manufacturer in the UK called Boosey and Hawkes who do electroplating of their products. (I am not sure if they have changed their name recently, but they will certainly be on the Internet in some guise and under Boosey and Hawkes). Try contacting them to seek further advice on whether they can help you; they may not manufacture violin chin rests, but they do have suitable plating processes. If they cannot, try contacting the Institute of Metal Finishing and/or the Metal Finishers Association for help. They are both based in Birmingham and should be able to tell you who can take your existing chin rest and replate it with a nickel-free coating. One useful thing about your situation is that you should only use good (and expensive!) jewellery with high purity gold, platinum, palladium or rhodium and you have a built-in test method that will give a fast response if some-one tries to cheat or mislead you - this will be very advantageous where prospective partners are concerned! Good luck and don't give up the violin.

A. Dear Jenna,

Trevor has given you the proper advice.

I have a very severe allergy to particular types of chemicals and the only way I have found to avoid a reaction is to know where they might be used (detergents, foodstuffs, etc.) and to avoid these things or to protect against touching or ingestion. It takes quite a bit of detective work and observation to spot this but it can be done.

It is known that nickel must be solubilized before causing the allergic reaction so anything that will prevent this can be helpful.
Coating the violin parts which touch your skin with something like nail polish or some sort of heavy lacquer should help the situation but this coating must be renewed periodically because it will wear through.
You could also wear some sort of protective material between your skin and the metal part and discard it after use. Saran wrap which is very thin and clingy would do the trick.
Please don't give up on this because although it is a battle you can win it through perseverance!

Regards,

Nickel Alert on Amazon or eBay (affil link) A. Some people are highly allergic to nickel and have sometimes severe skin rashes from nickel exposure, but nickel is not everywhere. Assuming you are not exposed to nickel chemicals, and stay away from nickel alloys (stainless steel and many jewelry alloys), you shouldn't have a problem. If you're staying away from nickel and still have the problem, I'd seek a second opinion. The problem may be something other than nickel. Yes, you may test positive for nickel allergy, but the problem could be something else. Jeffrey Holmes, CEF Spartanburg, South Carolina A. My first comment is that I am not a dermatologist, but I have an interest in nickel induced eczema. It sounds to me as if you may have become sensitised to nickel, that is, you react to the smallest amount and the reaction can come out anywhere on your body. I would suggest you remove all jewellery, including rings, earrings and bracelets as these are the most common source of nickel, where it is used in alloys to make them harder; lots of gold articles contain nickel, unless it is 24 karat gold, then it is pure. Other bits of jewellery can use nickel as an interlayer and this will also cause you problems. In Europe it is now illegal to sell jewellery that contains nickel at levels that could cause your problem, but this is not the case in the US. If you want to wear jewellery, you must ensure it is nickel free, so ask the jeweler to give written proof it is so. I would also suggest you wear rubber gloves only when necessary, as they can make your hands sweat and leave you skin vulnerable to attack. It is possible that your original eczema has been aggravated by the use of washing detergents - this is not unknown and is common where soaps get trapped under rings. Hopefully removing all your jewellery, even if you don't think it contains nickel, will help. I would keep pestering your dermatologist or find one who is more positive to your cause. Once the source of your allergy has been determined and removed, the problem will go away. It is possible that you are not just allergic to nickel, but to other things as well, so get a thorough checkout for all known allergens. I hope this helps. Good luck. Trevor Crichton R&D practical scientist Chesham, Bucks, UK

"Nickel and the Skin"
by Maibach & Menné

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A. It seems to me, that many people have forgotten that humans did not invent heavy metals like nickel. Nickel is everywhere in nature and your food, especially nuts, seeds and therefore also bread contains nickel.
A friend of mine also got nickel allergy, and she got a list from her doctor containing the kinds of food that she should avoid.

Nickel Guard

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A. I think coating whatever is touched with Nickel Guard (or clear nail lacquer or polyurethane) may do a better job; plus it puts the blame on the nickel rather than on the student  🙂

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

MinWax Polyurethane

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A. I've always had a great deal of trouble with belt buckles and rivets, etc. in jeans, and the one thing I've found that works very well is, as mentioned above, polyurethane. I use straight-up clear deck sealant (MinWax), that can be purchased at any hardware store. It's cheap and easy to use and store - a little bit goes a long way -- and adheres well to polished metal (a lot of products will only stay on matte or textured metal surfaces). It's a bit thick to use with jewelry but because it's so thick, it's great for clothing and other accessories - it takes years to wear even a little. I have belts that I coated in high school (I'm 25 now!) and I've only had to re-coat one of them since. It also goes through the wash without a problem, so it can be used to coat pants rivets and buttons.

My only proviso with the MinWax is that if you coat a belt buckle, it's best just to coat the sides that touch your skin - if you coat the visible side of the belt, use just one coat (use 2 or 3 for contact surfaces) because if you lay it on very thickly, it will yellow (*very slightly*) over time.

For jewelry, I use the "nickel-guard" product offered by Athena Allergy.

It's expensive and I've had more than one bottle break when I carry it in my pocketbook, but it works exceptionally well. The nickel 'detect' that comes with it is pretty useless - it smells like pure ammonia ⇦ on eBay or Amazon [affil link] (pretty unpleasant) and I don't need it - I'll get a rash in five seconds if there's nickel in the product! I wish they were sold separately....

Good luck!

Cetaphil Products

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A. I too have severe eczema on my hands. I have gone to a dermo for most of my life without much relief. I cannot use detergents, soaps, or lotions with any fragrance at all and am highly allergic to nickel. I am on an allergy medicine, get 3 steroid shots a year and have tried to use every cream and ointment available.

The only things that I can use are Cetaphil face, body wash and creams ⇨
and any free & clear cleaning product. I read somewhere that if you apply clear nail polish to the backs of rings or any part of jewelry that touches your skin, if will prevent your allergy from flaring up. I tried this and my finger swelled up within an hour so much so that it stayed swollen and inflamed for 12 hrs. I finally took 2 rounds of Benadryl and my finger calmed down enough for me to take my ring off. I am now allergic to my wedding band and engagement ring that I have been wearing for 4 years without any problems.

I fear there is no help for problems with this. It's gotten so bad that my fingers have been actually creating slivers of cuts and gashes. I've tried everything.

A. I too have severe contact dermatitis on my hands which began about 5 years ago whilst living in Arnhem Land Northern Australia. I have suffered frequent infections and have been prescribed steroids. Although, still to be patch tested, it has been suggested by the Dermatologist that it is a nickel allergy This is really depressing and I understand your pain as your hands are your most used tools. There is a degree of disability as you lose your sense of touch and your fingers don't move efficiently, tasks take longer, getting a job is hard and your hands look awful. Simple tasks become painful and awkward. Things like keys, coins, door handles, taps, zips, cutlery, pots and pans just to name a few. I even avoid stainless steel as it does contain a small amount of nickel but will ask my dermatologist.

A. I'm in the process of starting up a medical alert jewelry business and have been doing quite a bit of research into coatings. The one thing that I have found that is quite durable is "UV curing resin". For $12.50 and a nice sunny day, you can coat the back of any flat metal (except earring wires, which would become too thick with the resin). Leave it flat out in the sun for a couple hours, or get a UV nail lamp ⇨
and it cures in about 10 minutes. The resin can be found at ultradome.com or you can get Lisa Pavelka's Magic Glos ⇨

(it will pull away from the sides a little so you will need a second coat).

Please also note that nickel is not the only metal you can be allergic to! My sister can't wear 18 carat gold, which is only gold and copper. Niobium and titanium are the least allergenic of the metals, so if you must wear earrings for fashion sake, use those metals.

"Nickel in the Human Environment"
by International Agency for Research on Cancer

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! I'm 21 years old. When I was 15 my sister-in-law gave me a ring; it was silver with fake diamond or something. Anyway, after some time of wearing this ring, a red rash appeared around that section; it then spread to my other fingers on that same hand after time. I never went to a doctor or my gp about it until I was 18. The doctor gave me some cream which never worked. I went back a 2nd time to the doctor; they gave me some other cream which never worked. Then I recently went back again, asked to be referred to a dermatologist doctor, which I have to wait another 3 months until my appointment date. But yeah it's awful. I haven't been diagnosed with nickel eczema but I'm 99% sure I have it after reading a few things today on internet. But I know it's really embarrassing and my hand looks so old it's awful.

A. I have suffered from a nickel allergy on and off for years, most recently in a tropical country where the itchy rash spread up my arms because of touching my sweaty forearms after initial contact with stainless steel products, especially cookware and door knobs.

Nickel is one of the most common substances causing contact dermatitis.
Another is latex and I note that you are in the cleaning business so could be using latex gloves. This was my experience. Once I recognize what the problem is and take counter measures things improve rapidly.

Good luck to you all ... this is definitely an unpleasant experience.

Dan Mayoh
- Surrey B.C. Canada
January 27, 2012

Ed. note: Nitrile gloves ⇦ on eBay or Amazon [affil link] are a good alternative for those allergic to latex.

A. I have the same problem. I found that the exercise equipment at the gym has nickel plating and that was causing most of my reaction on my hands. It took me months to figure it out (I wear no jewelry so knew it wasn't that). I have had a rash for six months.

The only thing I've found that works is coating the affected areas in Eucerin ⇦ on eBay or Amazon [affil link] (the stuff that's like petroleum jelly) overnight (I put thick layers of the Eucerin on and cover with giant bandaids or bandages). That at least helps with the cracking and reduces some of the pain after a day or two of that. It doesn't take away the itchy bumps when I do accidentally expose myself to it, but at least the reaction is reduced and my finger cracks aren't as painful.

I hope that helps you.

Maria B
- Sacramento, California, USA

Iron-on Patches

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A. My daughter suffers from nickel allergy as well. I actually cut out circles from iron-on patches ⇨
(packets can be bought in craft store), and iron them over the backsides of the buttons that come in contact with her skin. And you can't see it because it's on the inside of the jeans/pants.

Corey Ginger
- Kings Park, New York, USA

Titanium is non allergenic

Q. Gold, most alloys, silver, most alloys, anything lesser (brass, copper, etc) forget it. I am most strongly nickel-rhodium, and 'surgical stainless' or 'hypoallergenic stainless' usually has enough nickel to cause issues. Rhodium, it seems most sterling is flashed with it to keep it bright. Coatings don't stay on, platings usually don't stay on long enough. I have enough horror stories of pairs of 14k yellow or white gold where one post was okay for awhile and the other was immediately a problem. I started MAKING my own adornments to avoid allergens. I have finally decided to try some of the titanium and 950 platinum (solid) as the last choices left. Does anodizing Titanium make it more or any less allergy possible?

[no, I gave up wearing jeans over 30 years ago]

What coatings can someone suggest; the titanium is also listed as 'stainless' so if it does cause a problem, a few replacements I am considering finally might need "backup"

I've tried silicone and I just hate the feel of it. I got to wear my 14k white and yellow wedding band for 3 days. After over 30 years I'd like something less than $1500 of platinum... so suggestions for coatings?

Tanning Lamps

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A. I developed the problem with my hands. My doc didn't know what it was, prescribed a cream, (which didn't work at all), and suggested the dermatologist. I have tried several things, like calamine lotion, the steroid cream, peroxide, neosporin, and even prescription burn cream. If you want this to go away, almost overnight, GO TANNING! I learned this from a good friend who had eczema on his elbows pretty bad. IT WORKS! OF COURSE, it is not a permanent cure, but results are almost immediate!

Ed. note: Sounds possible. Years ago I went to a dermatologist for scalp eczema, and the treatments included several minutes of very strong light (I think UV).

A. Hi All, Just wanted to share my experience with my nickel related hand dermatitis in the hope of helping others with this painful condition. As a 20-something person in the 80's, I wore a lot of large metal costume jewelry and after wearing a large necklace in the heat of the summer, got my first painful rash and initial diagnosis of contact dermatitis. I stopped wearing costume jewelry and was fine until I was a young mother in my 30s. Wanting to provide healthy food for my family, our diet was high in whole grains with lots of fruit and vegetables. Heavy into the salad craze at the time, I consumed lettuce, tomatoes and other raw vegetables on a daily basis. But it was after a friend brought over a large chocolate cake that my hands began to blister, weep, and eventually crack and split open. The itching was sooo bad I was in tears at times. Hands cracked and bleeding I went to a dermatologist in NJ where I was living at the time.

The Dr. (who was also Merv Griffin's dermatologist) did a patch test and found not only did I have nickel allergy but also housewives' eczema and allergic to preservatives commonly found in shampoo and conditioner - something else that I used daily. He had seen a recent article about nickel related hand dermatitis and gave a copy to me. Nickel is naturally found in the earth and therefore can be found in many foods. I stopped eating lettuce of all kinds, onions, corn, mushrooms, peppers, legumes, nuts, chocolate, tomatoes (especially canned). I wore gloves when working with potatoes, zucchini, or eggplant. Over time, I began to see an improvement and was able to introduce, in moderation, most vegetables.

I work with only with Sterling Silver and 14K Gold fill in my work and the only material I've ever had a problem with is 14K White Gold fill so I stay away from it. I have a corticosteroid cream that I use sparingly when I have an outbreak. The key is to get it out of your system by avoiding nickel containing foods. Wear gloves to prevent exposure - I avoid latex. Cotton gloves at night if you think you are scratching. Most recently I was told after applying my cream that wrapping the hands with some plastic wrap will help the medicine penetrate and work better. I recommend using the internet to learn as much as you can. If you can avoid steroid creams, do so. I am beginning to see the effects of using corticosteroids on my hands on a long term basis. Even though I only use the cream occasionally, I can feel my skin beginning to thin and more sensitive. Best wishes everyone!

Quaternium 15

Nickel Guard

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Q. Okay, here is my ordeal, nickel allergy, yes. I have the same problem with belts and jean button backs. Though coating the buckle, back of jeans button with anything may also be a problem. The chemicals in those products mentioned earlier, if they contain anything related to or used with Quaternium 15 and other formaldehyde related agents I am SOL, I have recently learned that I am severely allergic to Quaternium 15 and mildly to formaldehyde, as I welt with both, and blister with the first mentioned chemical.

So any other suggestions would help. I just had to replace a whole bunch of shampoos, conditioners and hand/body lotions because of these allergies -- not up to replacing my belts. And, no, I do not tuck my shirts in, it's a girl thing. So any other suggestions would be great... Thanks! ⇦ Answer?

A. I have been having a lot of redness and sulfite allergies.
Well I had an allergy test done and found out I have nickel allergies and a slight Gold allergies. There is hope for you who have these allergies. It is called NAET [Nambudripad Allergy Elimination Technique]. It works to get rid of allergies. It is a process and you have to be dedicated but then it will be over. I feel your pain and frustration and I had to drive an hour and a half to go to my appointments. I really want everyone who is able to, to try it. And no I am not in anyway associated with promoting it.

A. I have a nickel allergy and have had great success on a low nickel diet as well as avoiding jewelry that is not stainless steel, sterling silver, or 24k gold.

My hands and feet were covered in eczema, which began appearing two years after a nasty tick disease called Rocky mountain spotted fever. Doctors had a hard time diagnosing me because I had no history of a tick bite. I have found that because my hands and feet were the most affected, that is where my nickel reactions localize.

I have been gluten and Soy free for a year and a half and in addition to the reactions becoming almost non existent I also went from having 20 migraines in a month to 2-3. I found that gluten and Soy are major inflammation producing foods which exacerbate the nickel reactions as well as induce a migraine within 2-12 hours of consumption.

Hope this helps! Who knew that nickel in food could be such a pain! Also, I am a 29 y/o female and I had RMSF in June of 2008.

A. I too have been suffering from peeling skin, cracking almost all fingers, bleeding for the last 16 months continuously. I saw several dermatologists. Each one treated me for psoriasis or dermatitis. I have used almost all kinds of prescribed medications and over the counter ointments & creams without much results. Two months ago I requested my dermatologist to do a patch test for nickel. The test results came negative; however, I refused to trust that result and went on a complete nickel-free, histamine-free diet, along with wearing cotton gloves. I began seeing a recovery three weeks after I went on the diet. Now it has been 6 weeks since I started this diet and all my fingers are almost back to normal. There are several websites giving nickel-free, histamine-free food lists.

A. After seeing an allergist, using all kinds of ointments with little cure, he asked if I drink a lot of tea. I would start my day with 3-4 cups. He said quit drinking tea. Couldn't believe it started clearing up. Found also when I worked in the garden my hands would break out. Nickel in dirt? So, avoiding tea, dirt, jewelry, zippers, etc., I no longer have the sores all over my hands, ears & wrists. I also took and still do take zinc 50 mg a couple times a week which is good for your skin and immune system.

A. There is a list of food that you have to quit eating in many sites. Tea , chocolate, nuts and legumes have high content of nickel. Stainless steel also. Try to check if you don't have any other infection in your body, like an urinary infection. Fighting the infection, your body reacts more to the allergies. Try also to do a detox on your body. I try to take anti-inflammatory natural remedies like ginger and turmeric. When I went to the doctor they gave a list products that contained nickel. I also tested positively to allergy to a preservative which includes phenoxetanol that is in many lotions, soaps, and shampoos (including organic products).