Stainless steel / nickel - allergic reaction?

I'm allergic to nickel. I used to get this with watches all the time. A cheap, quick fix is clear nail polish and I think there's even a clear brush on specifically for this.

The only advantage to being allergic is if my ex someone tells you they spent a fortune on a 'gold' ring and your finger breaks out in agony...?

x

A couple of people mentioned the nail polish, but wouldn't it have to be redone quite often? and if it flakes off, would you end up in a mess again?

I have this - always have had. I can wear ONLY gold silver and platinum jewellery (oh, what a shame) although for some reason don't have a problem with my current stainles steel watch. It may be that the watch has a layer on the back which is rubbing off leaving you with the base metal beneath (just a thought) or that you have suddenly developed an allergy to stainless steel.

For earrings I get stuff called 'Backs' I think which comes in a tiny pot - clear liquid - you don't have to paint it on or anything, just put a bit on your fingers and brush over your ear and then dip the post of the earring in to the pot - lasts all day. I get mine in a good local jeweller.

For your watch you could try this stuff - rub it over your skin before wearing the watch. I don't know how long it would last, as there's probably more chance it'll rub off with a watch.

Tbh if you want to wear the watch consistently then I'd consider getting the back of it silver or gold plated - I don't know about rhodium, maybe try wearing something rhodium plated for a day or so to see if it annoys.

you have my sympathies. Right embuggerance - I have to be soooo careful and there's so much jewellery that i can't wear - costume jewellery tends to have base metal in it somewhere, even if just the clasp, it'll be itching like a sod in just a couple of hours. Hopefully you don't have it this bad.

Whatever you do let your skin heal completely before you try wearing the watch again - the tiniest bit of irritation will instantly go horrible again if you put the watch against it.

Thanks Lizbeth, that was very helpful x x x

I don't know tbh. I've had it since my teens so I've long since stopped wearing anything that reacts. If the rhodium coating isn't a fortune and is guaranteed to stop it, I'd have it done.

x

£30 they said. But I forgot to ask how long it would last, and I would also need to be sure that I'm not allergic to that also.

Yep I found out coming up to 3 years ago that I have an allergy to stainless steel. Mr WT had bought me a gorgeous watch for my 30th cost him a few hundred quid, I loved it. Wore it for just over 2 years until the skin on my wrist started blistering. I left the watch off for a couple of weeks until my wrist had healed , started wearing it again and same thing happened. I tried nail varnish on the back of it, but that soon wore off. So I came to the conclusion that it had to be silver or gold from there on in.

I had to buy myself a new 9ct gold watch and have happily worn it for the past 3 years with no problems at all. I also can only wear silver or gold in my ears too.

You are not alone.

I still have the lovely watch Mr WT bought me, in its box, doing nothing :o(

Its unusual to be allergic to rhodium, and you can probably get it done much cheaper than you were quoted. I am allergic to nickel too. My wedding and engagement rings are white gold which is gold plated in rhodium (more expensive white gold is sometimes mixed with palladium).

The nail varnish will need redoing but as long as you do it often you'd be ok (you can do it with earings etc too)

Thanks again, I will phone around for some rhodium plating prices ?

Just adding to say the reason for the title....when I Googled first, it said that stainless steel contains nickel? So I am allergic to one or the other.

My friend has a nickel allergy and has to avoid touching paperclips, metal doorknobs and curry house serving dishes (amongst other things)

Most commercial stainless steel does contain nickel, though it's chromium that defines it as stainless steel.