Being one of the unlucky people to suffer from skin contact metal allergies, I just got used to different metals bringing my skin up in nasty itchy weepy patches that were enough to drive even the best of us a little bonkers.
So a few years ago I went on a little mission, using myself as a guinea pig, to find out about what metals might be best for my sensitive skin. I'm happy to say that I discovered some really great metals that I could wear in complete comfort that I would love to share with you.
Stainless steel - watches, belt buckles and jean buttons made in stainless steel worked really well for me. I found that I could wear these all day with no reaction at all. The only downside is that it's hard to tell which jean buttons are made from stainless steel. Top tip - paint the piece of metal button that comes into contact with your skin with nail varnish, or wear a vest top tucked into your jeans to get away with wearing base metal buttons.
Surgical steel - this hypoallergenic metal my saving grace when it comes to wearing earrings. I could only previously wear high carat gold in my ears, even sterling silver would give me itchy ears in minutes. When I tried surgical steel for the first time I wasn't very hopeful, but I found, to my joy, that I could wear them all day long and I didn't even know they were there.
Niobium - As steel does contain a bonded form of nickel, if you have a nickel allergy then Niobium could be a great choice for you. It is a pure metal and doesn't have anything added to it at all. It tends to be used for making jewellery and can be found in some gorgeous rainbow colours, which occur when the Niobium is introduced to an electric current.
Titanium - Is fast becoming the "go to" hypoallergenic metal for jewellery, fashion accessories and even surgical implants as it is nickel free and very hard wearing. It might cost you a little bit more than niobium or surgical steel, but still much less than gold of a high carat.
Through personal experience I would suggest starting with surgical steel to see how you get on, as most of my lovely customers with metal allergies have found that they can wear surgical steel too.
I would love to hear about your experience with metal allergies. If you have any tips that have worked then please do share them below.
Shop for hypoallergenic earrings at Little Gems Jewels.
