There comes a time in many an earring-lover's life where they begin to notice an uncomfortable truth: earrings are irritating their ears. This irritation may manifest in pain, itching, redness, or in severe cases, bleeding. The symptoms may be minimal or overwhelming, but any of these uncomfortable symptoms can discourage someone from wearing earrings at all, and they may wonder what is causing the discomfort. Well, we've got the answer. Two words: metal allergy.
So how do you know if you have a metal allergy? How do you know if you're allergic to your earrings? You probably do not need to visit a medical professional to notice the warning signs. Here are a few ways to check in with yourself to see if you might be having an allergic reaction to metal.
1. Does Jewelry Irritate Your Skin?
Earrings are the most obvious place to catch a metal allergy because they are in extremely close and constant contact with your skin. The most common metal allergy is to Nickel, which is commonly used in earrings. Nickel can even be present in gold jewelry since most gold jewelry is not pure gold but instead is an alloy of multiple metals. You may also notice this irritation with necklaces and bracelets, though it may not be as extreme. Take note of any itching, redness, or pain that occurs when you wear jewelry.
2. Clothing Hardware Woes
It might not be the first thing you think of, but buckles, zippers, and buttons on your clothes in contact with your skin may cause irritation too. This may be as mild as an itching feeling you get wearing certain pairs of pants, but it can be an indicator that your skin is sensitive to metal.
3. Sunglasses or Glasses Frames
There's nothing quite like randomly picking up a one dollar pair of sunglasses and wearing them for the day/week/month, but have you ever thought about what they might be made of? Glasses frames sit against parts of your face, and if they are metal frames that contain nickel or other allergenic metals, they could cause a reaction. Pay attention to how your skin reacts next time you're wearing your metal frames.
If you have noticed any of these irritants creating discomfort for you, you are likely having an allergic reaction to metal. If you are an earrings lover, you will benefit from switching to hypoallergenic earrings. Earrings made of titanium or niobium are the best options to relieve metal allergy symptoms as they do not react to the human body. Check out some of the latest styles from Tini Lux to refresh your accessories and keep your ears happy.
