Forget Painful Ear Lobes With Sensitive Earrings
Pierced ear lobes that have an allergic reaction to earrings may become red and itch, swell and ooze pus. This is not very pleasant for anyone who wants to wear beautiful earrings and look good. When every treatment in the book from swabbing the lobes with hydrogen peroxide to painting the posts with clear nail polish fails, sensitive earrings are the answer.
Inflamed ear lobes are caused by a dermatitis that is actually a nickel allergy or sensitivity. It can be very severe with bleeding and weeping or only slight with mild itching. The allergy is a chronic condition and can erupt at any time. The slight variety may be controlled with rubbing alcohol, anti-biotic ointment and hydrogen peroxide, but even this attention to the problem may not be enough to eliminate the constant discomfort.
It is not easy to simply choose earrings that do not contain nickel, because nickel is commonly used in metal alloys including sterling silver and gold. If the earrings are gold or silver plated, the base metal will have nickel that leaches out. Hypoallergenic earrings have a thin plastic coating over the base metal which may serve for certain people, but not for all. After wearing for some time, the plastic coating will wear off and the allergy will return.
Surgical steel earrings sound like a good idea, and surgical stainless steel with no nickel does exist, but not usually in earrings. They may contain as much as eight to 12 per cent nickel. It may work for those with very little sensitivity, but it will not work for anyone with serious sensitivity. The best surgical stainless steel earrings are 316L quality. Anything less will contain more nickel.
Sterling silver that is made with 92.5 per cent silver and 7.5 per cent copper will not cause a reaction, but most sterling silver has some nickel. Sterling silver earrings should be stamped with the .925 mark.
Gold also contains some nickel, but the more gold in the alloy, the less nickel. The problem with yellow gold is the cost. It may be expensive to buy a pair of 24k, 18k, or 14k earrings and then find they cause allergy. White gold is manufactured with nickel or palladium along with alloys. Jewelry made with nickel is easier to find, because nickel is cheaper. The palladium variety is gradually becoming more common because nickel allergies are becoming more common.
For those who don't want to hit and miss choosing allergy-free earrings, there is pure niobium or pure grade-1 or grade-2 titanium. They have no alloys and will be comfortable to wear for even the most inflamed ear lobes. A small stud can be put in place while the inflammation heals. Once it is completely gone, titanium or niobium earrings can be worn. They can be found in studs, hoops and drops with pearls, gemstones, and Swarovski crystals.
People who need sensitive earrings need to be careful when they purchase jewelry. They should always inquire about the metal content of any pair of earrings they are thinking of wearing. It is worth paying more for beautiful earrings that can be worn for a lifetime and given as an heirloom. For those who can only afford cheap jewelry, they can slip plastic sleeves over the stud posts and enjoy until the time they purchase their first truly nickel-free pair of earrings.
About the Author
To see a multitude of styles for sensitive earrings, please visit http://www.sensitively-yours.com and check out their studs, hoops, birthstones, and more.
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