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

[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!