Taking Care of Silver Jewelry Allergies

It has been noted that as silver jewelry continues to become more popular, there is also a rise in the number of people who are allergic to silver. Jewelry allergies used to be associated with women but, due to the increasing number of men who are wearing jewelry these days, a number of male patients have also been recorded. Unfortunately, most of the people who think that they are allergic to silver jewelry are actually not allergic to the silver metal, but to a different metal content in the silver jewelry. Original pure silver is very soft, making it hard to have still designs, so other components, like nickel, are added to it to make it harder - and it is these added contents that causes the allergies.

The first things you may need to know are the signs of the allergies. One of the signs is a skin rash around the area of contact with the silver jewelry. It is always around the contact area, but sometimes spreads to other surrounding parts of the body. In addition, if you feel itchy in the area of contact of the silver jewelry you should also know that you are allergic to silver jewelry. This may not show immediately, but only after 20 minutes or more of wearing it.

When you notice that you have the signs, the best thing one should do is to stop using the silver jewelry as soon as possible and try your best not to scratch the itching part, as this can break your skin and welcome other infections. See a dermatologist as soon as possible for a proper diagnosis before starting treatment.

If you are in love with silver jewelry and you just cannot do without it, then the best option is to go for sterling silver jewelry. Sterling silver jewelry is 92.5% pure silver and the advantage is that it has no content of nickel, as nickel is the main cause of the skin allergies. Or you can use clear protective coating that will help to stop the contact between the silver jewelry and your skin. Also available in the market are earring sleeves.

A nickel allergy in most cases shows quickly and develops blisters if a patient has continued contact with it for a number of days. It is surprising that some people wear the jewelry for a long time before they start getting the allergy. A nickel allergy mostly becomes a lifelong allergy once it develops.