Do You Have a Bling Allergy?

Bling, bling bling. The necklaces, bracelets, earrings etc help make us look that extra special, drawing out the glamor in all of us. But for some unfortunate souls, the bling can also draw out the itchy rash and allergic reactions.

So does this mean if you get a reaction to your necklace, you have an allergy to gold or silver? Far from it. In most instances, the cause of reaction is to the nickel based element which are usually mixed along with the gold necklaces or silver bracelets and earrings.

In fact, I’ve seen many cases of people with bling allergies only to be cured by wearing jewelery with 22 – 23 carat (95% – 99% pure) gold.

With the gold prices sky rocketing, this can be a very pricey treatment to beat the bling allergy.

So does this mean you can no longer bling your way through a night club, or glamorize yourself in a ballroom? No, not at all, here are your solutions

First of all, you need to identify if the actual jewelery is causing a reaction to your skin. This can easily be done with a simple trial an error. Put on your favorite piece of jewelery and if a reaction is triggered, you’ll initially experience minimal redness and possibly itching. If the jewelery is not removed, you skin reaction may result in swelling and extreme discomfort leading to conditions such as rash and spots.

Now don’t be alarmed as this may be just a once off reaction you’re experiencing. This test needs to be repeatedly 3 – 4 times to get a accurate conclusion that the jewelery is the culprit for causing the allergic reaction.

Don’t despair, here are some solutions.

* If you have the money, then simply purchase jewelery with as much pure gold as possible. Buy one that is at least 18k and preferably 22 – 23k

* For those with a very mild skin reaction to nickel allergy, you can get away with wearing most jewelery by having strong clean skin. Keeping yourself clean, dry and calm (avoid sweating) is enough to prevent the rash from appearing. Keep your skin strong by avoiding chemical personal care products when cleansing and moisturising.

* Makeup powder can be also applied to your skin prior to wearing your jewelery to create a protective shield between the skin and the metal substances. Foundation can be your good friend if you need to wear a necklace. Put a heavy coat of foundation across your neck and chest before wearing your necklace.

* We mentioned above to keep your skin clean, this includes preventing yourself from sweating. Sweat is a big triggering factor that can contribute to the formation of an allergy. Especially throughout the hot season it is highly recommended to avoid wearing your jewelry for long hours especially when exposed to maximum heat.

* If you wear a ring, you can wrap a small band-aid around your finger before putting on the ring. This way to create a barrier with the ring and your skin.

* The best way to avoid a bling allergy is to find out which metal you are allergic to and have that metal eliminated from your jewelery safe. Be creative, wear aluminium.

The next time you go bling shopping, be sure to to request from your dealer the gold manufacturers publish data sheets which show which alloys are present in their gold. A jeweler who creates brand new jewelry with new gold will be able to tell you exactly what’s in the gold.

In order to find true nickel-free jewelry, you need to find a jeweler or retailer who knows enough about their product and it’s origin to guarantee the nickel content.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Enjoyed this Post?

Subscribe to our RSS Feed, Follow us on Twitter or simply recommend us to friends and colleagues!