Allergic to gold?

[tvt]

Is anyone out there allergic to gold?

 

The skin under my ring is really irritated - itchy, red, flaky, and if i wear my ring it opens up into an open blister like area. As such I haven't been wearing my ring the last month.

 

Today my coworker saw that it was still irritated and said that I'm probably allergic to gold? I guess she is allergic to gold and her skin gets this way.

 

Anyone know anything about this? I have a call into my derm, but thought I'd throw it out here!

[CTall119]

It could also be what you call "ring rash"

 

If your band (especially if you have diamonds other then the centerstone) have a piqued roof - so to speak - when you wash your hands/shower/sweat, etc. moisture can get trapped in there...and voila - a ring rash you will get.

 

There are meds to treat this (Clotrimazole and betamethasone dipropionate lotion, for starters) where you place it on the rash...and it will clear right up.

 

I have a platinum ring and mine - at first - did the same thing.

 

Are you allergic to other gold jewelry you have? My ears and neck are sensitive to gold...but for whatever reason, I have better luck with white then I do with yellow...and of courese, the higher the quality (24 as opposed to 14) the softer it is...but also the more pure (meaning less mixers: ie nickel, etc.) it would be.

 

Hope that may kind of sort of help!

[tvt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CTall119 If your band (especially if you have diamonds other then the centerstone) have a piqued roof - so to speak - when you wash your hands/shower/sweat, etc. moisture can get trapped in there...and voila - a ring rash you will get. There are meds to treat this (Clotrimazole and betamethasone dipropionate lotion, for starters) where you place it on the rash...and it will clear right up.

This is exactly what my Derm said when I went in. That I got some harsh soap and water caught in my ring (i have diamonds all the way around and thus have those little holes all the way around my ring too - perfect for stuff to get stuck in) So I haven't been wearing it the past month and have done Cortisone cream and it's still not better.

Maybe i need a prescription strength?

[Helen_S81]

My daughter was having a problem with her wedding and engagement ring (white gold, not sure what karat). When she got the engagement ring she wore it for a year and a half with no problem. Then they purchased the matching wedding band and it didn't quite fit so both rings were taken by the jeweller to be remodelled so they would work as a set. When Katie got them back she couldn't wear them for more than a couple of hours before she had a problem pretty much like the one you describe. She tried a couple of things - one of them coating the gold on the rings with clear nail polish - with no luck. Her husband was upset as she wasn't wearing her wedding ring.

 

She went back to the jeweller again and had the rings sized up, just a small amount, and soldered together. We think what was happening was that 'stuff' (soap, glue, paint, etc.) was getting caught inbetween the two rings and causing a reaction of some kind. Now she can wear them no problem and everyone is happy again

 

I don't know if you have one or two rings so I just mention this as a possibility.

[tvt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Helen_S81 My daughter was having a problem with her wedding and engagement ring (white gold, not sure what karat). When she got the engagement ring she wore it for a year and a half with no problem. Then they purchased the matching wedding band and it didn't quite fit so both rings were taken by the jeweller to be remodelled so they would work as a set. When Katie got them back she couldn't wear them for more than a couple of hours before she had a problem pretty much like the one you describe. She tried a couple of things - one of them coating the gold on the rings with clear nail polish - with no luck. Her husband was upset as she wasn't wearing her wedding ring. She went back to the jeweller again and had the rings sized up, just a small amount, and soldered together. We think what was happening was that 'stuff' (soap, glue, paint, etc.) was getting caught inbetween the two rings and causing a reaction of some kind. Now she can wear them no problem and everyone is happy again I don't know if you have one or two rings so I just mention this as a possibility.

so making the rings a little larger helped her problem?

I have 2 rings - engagement and wedding. I've also worn mine for over a year without any problems. So strange!

[teacherbride]

I am allergic to gold as well, but it's more the nickel alloy in the gold or white gold that's the problem. Even just trying engagement rings on gave me a rash (little blisters that itch then eventually get dry and more itchy).

The rings we ended up buying were palladium, which has palladium alloy instead of nickel. They've been totally fine

[CTall119]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tvt This is exactly what my Derm said when I went in. That I got some harsh soap and water caught in my ring (i have diamonds all the way around and thus have those little holes all the way around my ring too - perfect for stuff to get stuck in) So I haven't been wearing it the past month and have done Cortisone cream and it's still not better. Maybe i need a prescription strength?

I think it is more then likely that ring rash is what you have. I tried everything (neosporin, gold bond mixed with lotion, rubbing alcohol, Cortisone cream) and NOTHING made it itch less, appear less red, or go away. Not until I went to my Primary Care Doc..and said something isnt right (I had been wearing my E ring for almost 9 months when my finger broke out as well)

He gave me a prescription for the lotion I mentioned in my first post...and everything went away almost immediately. I now no longer sleep with my ring on, shower with it on or do the dishes/wash my hands while wearing it.

If I happen to be out and about...I just make sure that I am SUPER careful when it comes to washing and drying (rinse off ALL the soap...and dry really well!)

You'll be fine. Let your finger breathe and clear up...then you'll be all set!

[Birdie07]

I'm allergic to alot of metals. I can't wear belts it is so bad. It touches my stomach gets a blister and itches like crazy. My rings were fine until I got them soldered together. When I went in, I told them that I'm allergic to alot of metals and what they would be using and they told me it'd be fine. Turns out not. I HAVE to take my rings off at night. If I wear them for too long of a period I have problems. So every night I take them off. If I stay home I usually don't put them on. I don't wear any jewelry except my rings. It kind of sucks. As long its white gold or real silver and no fake stuff in it I'm fine. My grandpa was the same way must of got it from him.

 

You could be allergic but if it has never happened before with other jewelry then I say not.

[~*petals*~]

I'm like teacherbride and Calia with the metal allergies.

 

My rings and earring posts are platinum and they don't bother me.... but almost all gold gives me a reaction, especially in earrings. You might try a different type of metal to see if it's any better.

[Helen_S81]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tvt so making the rings a little larger helped her problem? I have 2 rings - engagement and wedding. I've also worn mine for over a year without any problems. So strange!

I think it was a combination. She had them soldered together so they had to be made bigger so she could get them on because the ring(s) were now wider. But in the process of having them made into one ring it eliminated the space that allowed soap and other stuff to accumulate.

I hope that you can figure this out soon! It drove Katie & Chris crazy for over a year! Finally they found a solution that works for Katie!