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How to select earrings for sensitive & pierced ears
by
lagod4u
Red, swollen, itchy, oozy, and utterly disgusting. My ear lobes have declared mutiny. I try to quash their inflamed anger with swabs of hydrogen peroxide, but the rebellion continues with increasing strength against surgical steel fishhooks, sterling silver posts, and finally culminates in a victorious standoff against 14k gold-filled leverbacks. Am I condemned to face the world with naked lobes? Must I fall into the ranks of the envious, secretly abhorring every woman whose ear ornaments contribute so vitally to their appearance? Since that fateful day I have been compelled to find answers and sought endlessly for ways to peacefully coexist with the world of pierced earrings. Now I can say with confidence that there is hope. Read on and you too will be able to choose earrings your lobes will love.
The most common cause for a sudden onset of furious lobes is a dermatitis commonly referred to as a nickel allergy or sensitivity. This comes in many degrees of severity ranging from slight itching to alarming weeping and bleeding. A nickel allergy can occur at any time and is, unfortunately, often a chronic life-long condition. In some cases it may be controlled with a regimen of disinfecting the lobes and earrings before and after use with hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol. Sadly enough, many will continue to experience discomfort, finding it is a matter beyond good hygiene. So now what?It seems glaringly obvious. If you have a nickel sensitivity, don’t put nickel in your ears. Yet even armed with this epiphany, choosing earrings is not a simple task. Nickel is a common property in metal alloys, often being present in even seemingly innocuous metals such as sterling silver and gold. Base metals typically have a high nickel content that will leech out through gold and silver plating. It is a good rule of thumb to avoid plated jewelry as the surface layer is extremely thin and will wear down through time exposing your tender ears to increasing amounts of nickel. Even earrings labeled “hypoallergenic” should be approached with caution. While these are indeed hypoallergenic for some, many will find the thin plastic coating inadequate protection from the underlying metal. Also, like platings, the plastic coating will eventually wear off leaving your ears to fend for themselves. Hypoallergenic earrings simply promise to have a lessened likelihood of causing a reaction and by no means should one assume they are nickel free.Now what about surgical stainless steel? The word “surgical” immediately conjures images of an immaculate room full of germ-free doctors and shining tools. Do not allow this association to mislead you. While surgical stainless steel with virtually no nickel does exist, surgical stainless steel jewelry often contains a nickel content of 8% to 12%. It is claimed that the properties of surgical stainless steel bind the nickel so tightly that it cannot emerge and irritate, but this is only true for people with minor to moderate sensitivity. If you would like to attempt wearing surgical stainless steel earrings, be sure that it’s high quality 316L, and not a lesser grade that will likely contain more nickel.So you’ve decided to boycott “cheap” jewelry but have found little respite in switching to silver and gold. This is because pure silver and gold are quite malleable and usually unfit materials for mass-produced jewelry parts. So what you are inserting into your ear is actually a metal alloy, meaning there are other metals present. It is assumed by many that sterling silver will not cause a reaction, as it is typically an alloy of 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper. Unfortunately, there are places that manufacture cheaper sterling products that are weighted down with other metals including nickel. When looking for sterling silver earrings, be sure it bears the “.925” stamp that verifies it’s silver content and also favor sterling silver products produced in the USA, as the likelihood of nickel being present is low. Sometimes you can find earrings made completely of “fine silver”, which has a silver content of 99.9%, and should be safe to wear. Do not be fooled by names such as “German silver” as this is merely a disguise for “nickel silver” which actually contains no silver at all and, clearly, lots of nickel.Gold, like silver, can be a friend or foe. Yellow gold contains nickel, but in decreasing amounts as the karats increase. Depending on your sensitivity level you may be able to wear 24k, 18k, or even 14k yellow gold, but keep in mind that gold is expensive, and an investment will be wasted if you find you are indeed allergic. If you choose to wear white gold, be sure to inquire as to the type of white gold used in the fabrication of the earrings. There are two major types of white gold, nickel white and palladium white. Nickel white continues to dominate the market as it is less costly and easier to work with, but palladium white and new alloys are coming into play as nickel allergies are receiving more recognition. Palladium white gold is virtually allergy free and a good high-end choice for those with severe nickel allergies.Two relatively affordable metals that are progressively emerging onto the jewelry market are niobium and titanium. Niobium jewelry does not contain nickel, and though its natural color is gray, it is easily recognized by the vibrant metallic colors produced through a process called anodization. Niobium does not react with skin and its bold colors are permanent, making it an increasingly common choice for body jewelry. Titanium is also completely free of nickel and an excellent alternative for people suffering from severe nickel allergies. Both titanium and niobium products may be found in select stores and are easily located online through a simple Google search.There are also products created for the purpose of helping people with nickel allergies. One such product that is gaining popularity is Earr’s pierced ear protectors. This consists of plastic sleeves that fit onto your posts or hooks and serve as an effective barrier against threatening alloys. These can be purchased on several websites including aaajewelry.com, which specializes in earring products for people with nickel allergies. Another product you may want to invest in is a nickel test kit offered by allerderm.com. Using this kit will ensure you don’t unwittingly inflame your ears with an earring mistakenly believed to be safe.A final word of advice is to pay attention to the quality of jewelry you are purchasing. Even if you only have a minor nickel allergy, be aware that cheap earrings often have a poorly finished post or hook. A lack of proper filing may leave sharp ends that can scratch the inside of your ear hole, causing a greater chance of infection and inflammation. If you like, you may use a quality emery board to file down sharp ends yourself.Now you know that with careful selection and persistent inquiry, you can find earrings your lobes will accept with pleasure. We dare to hope that the US will soon join Europe and countries such as Japan in strictly limiting the use of nickel in jewelry. Perhaps someday the world will be a nickel free place where our lobes can enjoy their right to wear decorative baubles without fear. Until then, slip some plastic sleeves over your studs and enjoy the fact that advancements in jewelry technology allows even us, the nickel intolerant, to sport beautifully bedecked ears.Jewelry ProductWorld NewsImran Ali
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How to select earrings for sensitive & pierced ears}