Random question, then I swear I'll shut up and stop spamming posts

[keilexandra]

If surgical steel is hypoallergenic, how come my ears still get infected (50% of the time) when I wear steel-hooked earrings and 25% of the time when I wear sterling silver? No idea on gold because I don't like the yellow color and find it silly to pay for white gold when sterling silver looks the same and costs less.

Comments

[fireriven.livejournal.com]

Apparently this question is more complicated than a quick Google search can handle and, while I did find a very promising article/medical study, it wasn't free but available only for $31.50.

One thing that stood out to me from another article I found, was: "Surgical stainless steel rarely causes allergic skin reactions; however, not all stainless steel products are nickel-free." So perhaps that is a factor?

Also, where is the piercing? In the flesh or your ear, the cartilage, what? The location can have an effect on the rate of recurrent infection.

[keilexandra]

It's a normal earlobe piercing, first in each ear. When they get infected, there's pus and you can feel a "lump" around the hole. I've never had a skin reaction to anything (unless you count turning green, but that's only ever happened once with my watch that I wear daily). Maybe it's different for piercings? Don't know if the hole is completely healed over although it's been 3-4 years.

[wolfpurrs.livejournal.com]

Or you may need to stop buying earrings from that creepy guy down on the corner. ;)

[keilexandra]

But they're reputable! Like, earrings from Aeropostale and NY&C--I always end up buying them on clearance dirt cheap, and they're really pretty, but I also really shouldn't wear them given my track record with base metal. (Have not noticed any difference between base metal and steel, frankly.)

[wolfpurrs.livejournal.com]

I don't suppose I can talk you into believing that earrings from reputable places like Aeropostale can be found in other, less reputable places on a fairly reasonable basis? I have seen a pair of curly silver bangles (at three different prices) in our local mall, Talbots, and in the slightly more grungy outlet store I ran in to for cheapo jeans a few weeks ago.

It sounds like you've just got obscenely sensitive skin for metals. Best suggestion I can give you if you insist on wearing the cheapies is that if you aren't doing it already, clean your earrings between wears with rubbing alcohol.

[keilexandra]

Oh, I can totally believe that. But if I buy it from Aero, I can at least delude myself into thinking that it's reputable. XD

Obscenely sensitive skin--lovely. Weird, too (I don't react badly to cheap jewelry, just earrings). So clean the EARRINGS, versus my ears?

[ksumnersmith.livejournal.com]

I have a friend with metal allergies who can't wear surgical steel or silver -- especially not in her ears.

You may want to try titanium and/or niobium, though.

[keilexandra]

Hmm. I don't appear to have metal allergies, since I can wear cheap costume jewelry just fine. Sterling has a low enough reaction rate that I can live with the occasional infection, especially if I change earrings frequently (versus wearing the same studs for weeks) and leave the holes free once in a while.

Also, what are you supposed to do when you get an infection? Rubbing alcohol has not helped noticeably, but it tends to go away on its own (I admit I haven't tried continuing to wear cheap earrings, at least not continuously, so the sterling may help?).

[wolfpurrs.livejournal.com]

http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/pa/pa_tnpierce_hhg.htm

There's a chunk in there on caring for your ears once they're infected. Rubbing alcohol isn't supposed to fix the problem - just keeps it from getting worse. The biggest priority is cleanliness in the area, since you know that it's very easily infected anyway.

[keilexandra]

Mmmh. Cleaning everything with rubbing alcohol every single time is a bit too hassling, but I'll try the not-touching-ears advice. Thanks muchly!