If you are having a recurring problem with eczema, your jewelry may be to blame. While it may not be all of your jewelry, there may be certain pieces that are causing your problem. These are the pieces that contain nickel.

Nickel is a very common metal. It is easy to find and use. Therefore, it is becoming increasingly popular for a variety of applications. One very common application in modern times is for it to be used as filler for silver and gold. When an item is not pure gold or silver, the nickel is mixed in to the metal to thin its purity. Then, the metal is molded into the jewelry you wear.

It is also known to be a metal that many people have reactions to. In addition to facial eczema, a form of contact dermatitis, people are known to break out into other forms of rashes. The most common is the “green’ discoloring on the skin directly under the jewelry.

If your eczema has begun on your earlobes, wrist, neck, or other area where you wear jewelry it is probably the result of a nickel allergy. As with all forms of contact dermatitis treatment, you should immediately stop your exposure to this jewelry. Take off your jewelry and keep it off.

This does not mean you have to forgo wearing a great pair of earrings or watch. As stated earlier, you can still wear pure gold or silver. These can be expensive and may not be a viable option for most people. However, there are other choices available. Many inexpensive jewelers are now mixing in non-reactive metals, such as aluminum, to make very fashionable pieces that will not aggravate your skin. If you look for hypoallergenic jewelry, you should be safe wearing any that you want.