From Our Founder, Jennifer Roberge
Over the past few years I’ve noticed the skin around my ring finger can get especially dry and flaky in the winter. But I do also get dry between my other fingers, although not as bad, so I never really took much notice. I’d apply some cream and call it a day. But then, just the other day I realized I had a rash from my wedding ring! The skin was showing symptoms of dermatitis – red, a little bumpy and extremely itchy just around where my wedding ring sits. My other fingers were unaffected, which made me wonder: Could I be allergic to my wedding ring? GASP!
The Common Cause of Wedding Ring Rash: White Gold and Nickel Sensitivity
I did what anyone would do in this type of situation and I Googled it. And to my shock, pages after pages of information appeared with others experiencing this exact same thing – wedding ring rash.
What was even more interesting was the most common cause of wedding ring rash. White Gold. Yup. Turns out jewelry makers often use nickel to make yellow gold appear silver in color. And since nickel is the most common metal allergy, it makes sense that so many people have a “wedding ring allergy.”
Many people, myself included, don’t have a severe allergy to nickel, but may still be sensitive to nickel. When a piece of jewelry made from nickel is worn from time to time, it may not trigger a reaction, but with a wedding ring worn daily, it can certainly trigger an allergic reaction and wedding ring dermatitis. And if you are truly allergic to nickel, then white gold is certainly off limits.
How Diet Impacts Wedding Ring Dermatitis: The Connection Between Food and Flare-Ups
What I found interesting is that when I’m eating healthy (for me this means avoiding the whole long list of foods I’m sensitive to), then my wedding ring dermatitis stays dormant. But when I’m enjoying foods I should be avoiding, my rash flares up and the itching can get pretty intense.
Managing Wedding Ring Rash: From Treatment to Prevention
When I have a flare up, I’ve found removing the ring allows the skin time to heal. If I continue to wear my wedding ring, my rash will only worsen. I’ve been using Organic Manuka Skin Soothing Cream to relieve my red, irritated skin. If I let it go too long and my rash is really severe, wearing eczema gloves at night with the cream really helps.
But ultimately, I hope to prevent the rash from reoccurring in the future by avoiding foods I know cause inflammation in my body, which I determined through food elimination diets.
Nickel Free Metal Alternatives
Sadly I’ve had to stop wearing my wedding ring for a while since discovering I’m allergic to nickel. My husband jokes that this whole wedding ring allergy thing is only my desperate attempt at getting a new ring. Although he’s only kidding of course, little does he know that a new ring may be just what I need.
Platinum
Platinum seems like a good alternative, but apparently nickel is sometimes used in platinum jewelry as well, so not an option for me and most those with an allergy or sensitivity to nickel.
Sterling Silver
I’ve tried wearing a sterling silver ring to replace my wedding ring for around a month and the results were good.
Rhodium Plating
The best option for me turned out to be adding a new rhodium plating to my ring. According to my jeweler friend, white gold is usually coated in rhodium plating and over time it can wear off and then the nickel in the white gold can trigger allergic reactions. Well, there you go. Problem solved, a new coating on my ring worked wonders, until it wears off again...
