Have you ever felt itchy after wearing new accessories or clothing with decorative elements? If so, you might have a metal allergy. Once developed, metal allergies rarely go away and can cause ongoing discomfort in daily life. Surprisingly, those with metal allergies should even watch their diet. Today, we explore the symptoms and management of metal allergies caused by common accessories.
Metal Allergy
If you have ever experienced itching in areas where metal accessories touch your skin or where your pants rub against your abdomen, you should suspect a metal allergy. As the name suggests, a metal allergy is an allergic contact dermatitis caused by metals. When tiny impurities from various metals like nickel, cobalt, and chromium penetrate the skin, the body’s immune cells overreact, leading to these symptoms.
Why does the rejection reaction occur?
Although researchers do not fully understand the exact cause of metal allergies, they believe it arises when the immune system mistakenly identifies nickel as harmful rather than harmless, similar to other allergies. Generally, our immune system reacts to protect us from bacteria, viruses, and toxins. However, the immune system remains highly alert when the body encounters allergens like metals. As a result, whenever the body comes into contact with metal, the immune system may trigger an allergic reaction.
Skin Reactions Caused by Metal Allergies
Individuals with metal allergies often notice that their skin turns red, swells, or develops pigmentation in areas where metal touches. They may also experience itching and stinging sensations. Ignoring these symptoms and continuing to allow metal contact with the skin increases the risk of developing severe dermatitis. If scratching leads to wounds, it’s advisable to use antihistamines or allergy medications, and applying steroids can help with inflammation.
More Frequent in Summer
When metal comes into contact with sweat, it can slightly corrode due to the chlorine ions present in sweat, leading to a reaction with the body’s proteins and causing allergic symptoms. While our body has an autoimmune function that helps white blood cells fight off foreign substances to maintain health, these ions are not naturally found in the body, so it perceives them as foreign and begins to attack. As a result, summer—a season of increased perspiration—can be particularly challenging for those with metal allergies.
Be Cautious with Smartphones
Smartphones, like accessories, can also trigger metal allergies. Prolonged contact with metals such as nickel and chromium in smartphones may lead to similar allergic reactions. For instance, long phone calls can leave the ear or cheek area red, itchy, or even blistered. If left untreated, prolonged exposure can lead to thickened skin over time.
Consider a Patch Test
To identify specific metal allergens, consider undergoing a patch test. This test involves applying various substances that may cause skin allergies to your back and then checking for reactions after two days. Once you identify specific allergens through testing, you can confidently purchase accessories that do not contain those metals.
What About Implants?
Implants serve as an effective, permanent solution for replacing lost teeth. However, if you have a metal allergy, you might wonder whether you can safely undergo the procedure. Most implants are made from titanium, but nowadays, zirconium implants are also available, allowing patients with metal allergies to undergo the procedure without worry. Zirconium implants are safe, with no risk of metal allergies, and have high compatibility with gums, resulting in less inflammation or rejection.
Can Clear Nail Polish Help?
If you have small accessories, you can apply clear nail polish to the areas that touch your skin to create a barrier. Although this is a commonly used temporary solution, exercise caution, as the chemicals in nail polish could trigger additional allergic reactions.
Wearing Unwashed New Clothes
When you buy new jeans and wear them without washing them first, you may also experience itching. Calcium hypochlorite soda, used in the bleaching process of jeans, can cause burns, blisters, and itching upon skin contact and may even damage the eyes upon exposure. Among all types of clothing, jeans have a larger surface area that touches the body and are thicker, which means they often undergo more chemical treatment than other garments. Therefore, washing them two or three times before wearing them is advisable.
Be Careful with Food Too
People with metal allergies should also be mindful of their diet. Eating foods rich in nickel can provoke symptoms or lead to systemic allergic reactions. Nickel is commonly found in tea bags, green tea, black tea, chocolate, potato chips, wheat flour, coffee beans, and peanuts. Avoiding these foods is advisable for those with metal allergies.
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