<p>Add me to the list of metal allergy sufferers. I have given up on earrings. Gold and bead necklaces are fine, but I did not had good luck with hypo-allergenic or nickel-free ones. Silver or metal clasps on necklaces turn the back of my neck into a war zone.</p>
<p>I had a dermatologist once tell me I had scabbies when I first reacted to the button on my jeans. Guess all MDs didn’t get A’s. Clear nail polish on my watch band works for a while and I tuck in my shirts to solve the jean problem.</p>
<p>I look longingly at silver jewerly. In my next life…</p>
<p>I have the same exact problem. I thought I would have to give up wearing earrings alltogether…until I finally tried titanium earrings. It worked! They do not cause me to have a reaction. Now I need to buy a few different styles. They are not easy to find and there are not too many styles available. I have been searching online. The pair I have now I bought at Claire’s. They are actually meant for those getting their ears pierced. I am just so happy to be able to wear earrings at all that I don’t care that they are small and possibly meant for kids. :)</p>
<p>My daughter and I have the same problem, and both of us have allowed our piercings to close (my d. had her ears pierced at age 6… but quit wearing earrings as a teenager). My d. now often wears magnetic earrings – they look just like pierced. Strangely enough my d. had her navel pierced at around age 15 and she has never had any problem or issue at all there – the people at the place where the piercing was done said that ear piercings actually tend to be among the most troublesome.</p>
<p>When my D was about 18 months, I finally figured out what was causing the 2 funny red spots on her stomach and one on her back–the snaps on her toddler pajamas where the shirt snapped to the pants! Didn’t have another problem until late grade school when the backs of both her thighs were red and itchy. This time it was the seat of her classroom desk chair–the chair legs were attached with metal heads that were on the seat of the chair and irritating the backs of her legs. She took a small pillow to school to sit on to solve that episode.</p>
<p>About that time she got her ears pierced, and that has been nothing but a challenge. Nickel-free, earrings for sensitive ears, Simply Whispers–none of them work for her. Our jeweler recommended trying white gold–and finally we found earrings she can comfortably wear!! The jeweler also said they could do rhodium plating if D didn’t tolerate the white gold. I hope we never get to that!</p>
<p>I react so badly to nickel earrings that I buy my own earring loops (at bead stores) and always replace the loops with good quality 14K gold ones. Niobium and titanium are okay as well. </p>
<p>I had to buy a titanium watch because the nickel in the watch made my wrist itch.</p>
<p>My D also is allergic to nickel, but apparently not as severely as some posters here. Nickel-free earrings work well for her - even cheap ones from Target. She loves earrings, and will occasionally “cheat” and steal my non-nickel-free ones for a special occasion, but doesn’t leave them in too long. She has had the same trouble a previous poster mentioned with her belt buckle. She is also allergic to the metal bits on her violin. She deals with it by using a cloth against her neck when practicing. When performing, she skips the cloth, but it isn’t long enough to cause her severe problems - just a red mark that fades eventually.</p>
<p>We had a hard time finding a watch she could wear. We did find one finally that had a wide leather band, and the metal clock part was mounted on top of the leather, so no metal came in contact with her skin. I noticed that it was looking pretty ragged - I need to find another for her.</p>
<p>I never knew this was so common. My D is a sufferer as well. She hardly wears any jewelry as a result, even 14k gold bothers her. The only thing that works is platinum, but except for one pair of diamond studs that she got from her aunt for a special occasion, that is not really in the budget. She tried simply whispers but really just lost interest in the whole thing, and let her piercings close up. So at least that is a plus, I certainly don’t have to worry about her coming home at semester break with a belly ring --or worse!</p>
<p>I have the same issues with earrings. The only ones I seem to be able to wear are sterling silver. However, I cannot wear a sterling silver necklace as I get a rash around my neck. For necklaces, I use gold only and with no problem. I also have trouble with belt buckles if they touch my skin…and also the backs of some pants snaps.</p>
<p>astrophysicsmom - well, they weren’t 2 sizes too small, maybe just one - LOL! Let’s just say that she and I were about in the same age range and you wouldn’t catch me wearing polyester stretch pants. Then, she had the nerve to say that I was not being supportive…jeez.</p>
<p>I posted before, but I thought that I would add that I too have a belly button piercing, and although my mom was extremely nervous about whether or not i’d have a reaction, I still got it done. It healed quite nicely, and I only had minor, common problems (almost ripping it out once which then caused it to reopen and get an infection, but I was at the beach so the salt water cleared it right up and I ended up changing it for the first time). So as long as the allergies arn’t terribly severe, I wouldn’t worry about the belly. It seems to be the toughest skin, and ears are the worst part of your body to pierce, healing wise (go figure)</p>
<p>I’m allergic to all earrings. I’ve tried all of the above suggestions and just gave up. I had no problem for 25 years, then one day they started gettnig red and oozy every time I wore them. It’s the pits because I love earrings. I hope that some of you have better luck.</p>
<p>I took the earrings which were giving me such a hard time to the jeweler and he’s redoing the backs in platinum. They’re really special (small) diamond earrings that I found for a steal at a Crafts show, and its worth getting them “upgraded” to be able to wear them. Thanks for your advice, as always, cc’ers.</p>
<p>OK, people, I have a great solution for you! I have a terrible nickel allergy also, and several doctors told me to give up wearing any earrings other than nickle free. But nickel free jewelry is sometimes not as nice, plus it meant I couldn’t wear any of the jewelry I already had. </p>
<p>So I walked into the local Claire’s story, which is a costume jewelry place that my little (at the time) D liked. On the counter they had these little plastic do-hickies. The sales person blithely (as if she wasn’t changing my life forever . . ) said they were plastic sleeves for people who couldn’t wear pierced earrings! So for about $4, I bought about 10 of them. The tiny little sleeves slip over the back of the post. Then when you put the earring on, your skin never touches the metal at all. The sleeve is thin enough that it doesn’t bother the hole in your ears or anything.</p>
<p>It was wonderful. I can now wear any kind of earring and never a problem ever again.</p>
<p>Wow, hayden. I think I’ll stop into Claire’s the next time I’m in a mall.</p>
<p>btw, for me - who has found I can only wear solid gold posts, I don’t think it’s ever made a difference whether 14K/18K or whatever. At least not that I know of.</p>
<p>I can settle things down by dipping the posts in rubbing alcohol, but perhaps have just a minor reaction, compared to what I’m reading above. In case it helps anyone, am just putting it out here.</p>
<p>^^Yes, I have also used that as one of my “temporary” stratagems (as with Neosporin dip or nail polish). But only for short time wear, not for all day; and I still might get a bit of a reaction.</p>
<p>I’m going to try the sleeves! The price is right, and my D’s left some of their jewelry at home, so if it doesn’t work, no harm done. It sounds like it will only work for the kind of wire/dangle type earrings, right.</p>
<p>I got my ears pierced about 4 years ago at the pediatrician and they had some earrings which were a hard plastic, that were for people who had trouble with allergies. They also had a safety backing which completely covered the sharp part, so I could wear them to gym. I really liked them and you couldn’t tell they were plastic from the outside, you just saw the little crystal part. I wore them constantly for a year and then lost one in a bad car accident. Can’t find anything else like them so I haven’t worn earrings much for the last 3 years since I was tired of taking them out every afternoon when I had practice and losing them.</p>
<p>Obviously those wouldn’t be good for nice jewelry or fancy occasions, but I wish those were more available for “everyday” earrings. Probably too expensive to produce or something, who knows.</p>
<p>Those are what they looked like! They are a very hard plastic and hold up very well. I wore mine everyday forever. Mine were made for ear piercing so they had a sharper end part. When they are in your ears you really can’t tell they’re plastic, most people were surprised.</p>