Nickel-free jewelry

Do your ears begin to tingle when you put earrings in? Do your ear lobes get red and sore if you wear an inexpensive pair of earrings? Do you develop a rash under your rings or at the back of your neck when your necklace sits? If you have answered yes to any of these questions, you could be sensitive or allergic to the nickel that was used to make the jewelry.

You may have also noticed it on your wrist from your watch or even from clothing where zippers, hooks or metal clasps are used.

Do you have to be selective in what you buy in clothing because you have a nickel allergy? You may not have thought about it before but the metal button on jeans, the clasps on bras, even metal on shoes, these can all cause an irritation to your skin. You may have developed a rash and not known what caused it. Anytime metal comes into contact with the skin, if it contains nickel, it could be a problem.

Look for clothes where there is a flap of fabric over the metal if possible or simply select a different item.

My first pair of earrings were small yellow bows. They were so pretty and much better than that plain metal stud. I was constantly checking in the mirror to see that the bow was the right way up. Then I started to notice, that my earlobes would begin to feel irritated and they would be red. There was also a horrible smell on the post of the earring, even though I cleaned it and my ears with alcohol. I thought I was doing something wrong.

In those days, we used to just apply clear nail polish to anything that caused irritation. I don't think anyone realized it was an allergic reaction to the nickel. I would apply this just to wear earrings to 'fit in' with my friends who never seemed to have a problem wearing any costume jewelry.

As always with Ebay, if you see something you like, buy it, because often when you return you discover that someone else liked it as well and has bought it.

Their lists are always changing and it is a good idea to check frequently to see what the have to offer for jewelry that is nickel free.

When I was 9, after much begging, pleading, and cajoling, my mother finally capitulated and said I could have my ears pierced. This was before there were shops offering to pierce anything you wanted in every mall. Mine was a family affair. I was visiting my cousin's house on vacation in Southern California. It was there, in their little dinette kitchen that I had my ears pierced. After freezing my earlobes with an ice cube, my cousin Judy pierced my ears using a needle that had been sterilize in alcohol. To endure the pain, I squeezed my other cousin, Karen's hand. A pair of simple stud earrings were placed in the hole. My cousin Judy told me to keep it clean with alcohol and turn them frequently to keep the hole open.

Finally I had pierced ears and could return to elementary school with my hair pushed behind my ears to show off the result of my summer adventure.