Allergy to Metal???

I get the same thing, on and on throughout my life. I have a sensitivity to metal and it doesn't seem to be only the common ones. My body usually reacts to necklaces but never rings and only sometimes to the button on my jeans, always to earrings beginning soon after I had my ears pierced as a kid. I read something about it some time ago, I forget most of what it said except that the allergy usually only develops after having a piercing (if I hadn't pierced my ears I might be able to wear necklaces). Clear nail polish never works for me, I use a sticker on my pants and don't wear much jewelry. It makes me want to not let my daughter get her ears pierced though.

I am severely allergic to metals too, I can barely even wear my engagement ring! In a lot of cases actually gave up on wearing jeans because of it or looked for jeans that have a smaller button or clasp (like dickies). I've been liking the cargo pants now anyway and they are more cofortable. I know how you feel about the allergy though. People think I am joking when I say I can only wear platinum, titanium or 24 kt gold. Not that I want to but that's all I can wear! :) Hope you find something and let me know too! The nail polish thing don't work, tried it.

I have the same problem. I fix it by adding a little peace of cotton and sewing it there. For quick fix I also use band aid but with a little bit more effort is more permanent. Sometimes when is still bothers me I would pull out the button and replace it with a regular one. I get the same problem with silver ear-rings and some watches. Good luck!

The exact same thing happened to me. I started reacting to the button on my jeans and the chain on my necklace whilst pregnant with my 2nd. It had never happened before. He's now 18 months and gradually the reaction has lessened over time, but its still there. I feel that my body has changed alot and still not recovered from childbirth and breastfeeding. He recently weaned so I am about to start a cleanse and really try to boost my immune system before winter kicks in. I think this will help all round. I'll let you know if it makes a difference! You may have to put up with the reaction until your body re-establishes its status quo, which it is not going to do while you are waking multiple times a night!! Hang in there, I think it should improve in time.

Yep, I've been allergic to a variety of metals for most of my life. Nickel is the biggest culpret. I can no longer even wear white gold or sterling silver jewelry, only 14K+ gold or beaded jewelry.

I don't really have any other advice other than to avoid prolonged contact w/ metals. Use several coats of clear polish to fully seal any metal on jeans, belts, etc. Anti-itch cream (like cortizone 10) can sometimes help you heal after the irritation occurs.

You can probably find some good info on google by searching for "contact dermatitis".

And thank you for posting this, by the way. I am wearing a new pair of pants today and you have just reminded me that I need to apply some polish on the button ASAP!

Hi D.,

My grandson has the same problem. We also tried the clear nail polish but ultimately what worked was to take small pieces of sofy fabric folded over and sew them over inside of all snaps where it touched the body. This worked great for him and as he bought more pants we has scraps ready. Be sure and prewash fabric to avoid shrinkage. He is older now and moved away but takes pants into seamstress and has them done.
If he needs to wear the pants that day we would use cloth tape or iron on tape.

I hope that this helps

I have a different occurrance happening - I have worn my cross since High School.....it is sterling silver - it tarnished here and there after time. Now after I have had my son (two and half years later), I have to clean my necklace almost once a week it seems, because it has tarnished so badly that it's black. Our PH balance changes when we have children - sometimes we go back to almost normal and sometimes our bodies are screwed up for the rest of our lives (per say). I think your body is just reacting to the metal a different way now because of your body's PH balance. Sorry - I don't have a remedy.

Ah, yes, I've been there. I've been allergic to metal ever since I can remember. The nail polish solution usually worked for me, although you do have to reapply it fairly frequently - maybe it washed off your jeans? Or you could sew in/iron on a patch behind the button. Also, for me, stress greatly increased my reaction. Maybe work in some relaxation techniques into your day. Good luck!

Oh - if you start reacting to jewelry, Avon used to make this coating for earrings that worked really well for me - not sure if they still make it.

My sister and my best friends son are both allergic to metal and have the same troubles wearing jeans. They both put an iron on patch on the back side of their jeans where the metal would have sat against their skin. Done, Thats it. Problem solved! I hope this helps in your house too!

~H.

I am allergic to metal also. I can only wear surgical stainless steel and sterling silver for long periods of time. When my jeans start bothering me I wear layers and tuck one in. I do have an aunt who gets regular injections so that she can wear her jewelry. I'm not sure what she takes, but you could check with your doctor. I hope you can find a solution that works for you.

I had a reaction so bad a few years ago that it actually created a sore that got nasty and infected (I'll spare you the gross details). It took a couple months for it to totally clear up, and I still have a pink scar from it. Metal allergies are fairly common and nickel is the worst culprit in jewelry and metal buttons, snaps and rivets.

I just used hydrocortisone for the flair ups and the one pair of jeans that really made me flare up I had to give up on. I wore a band-aid for awhile (when it was at it's worse) which is hard on me, because I'm even more allergic to adhesive bandages and get welts and sores from them. It was more to help for the daily friction and pain. I'm glad you posted this question, because the other solutions are great! I'll keep them in mind. Thanks ladies!! :-D

Hi D.,
It sounds like you have lots great sugestions! One thing to add is wearing a watch really bothers my skin. I have found a company called simply Whisper which sell jewerly and watches. I do find my sensistivty is less sensitive at times. My teenage daughter also has it too. (One good thing about that is that I don't have to worry about her comming home with body piercings. She would be one red itchy mess)L.

Yes~I've heard of this! When we were growing up, (way,way back in the 70's) one of my sisters had this problem. She would put nail polish over the snap, but I recall that there were some types of polish that didn't work and my mom figured there must be some type of metal in certain nail polishes...which makes sense since some would work and others would not. Myself, I'm allergic to a certain ingredient in some types of plastics, but I don't know what it is as some plastics make me break out, others do not. Go figure, huh? You might also try putting some of that medical cotton or fabric tape over the snap itself-the kind they use in the hospital or Dr.'s office after a blood draw or I.V. for people who are allergic to plastic.
By the, I can't think of anything else that sister is allergic to, unlike me and a few of my other siblings.
Hope this helps and good luck! ~Mary~

If you're not allergic to other metals (like copper/brass) you can have a seamstress replace all the buttons/rivets with an alternative.

Most dry cleaners do alterations, but if these are expensive jeans, I'd recommend going to Pacific Fabrics and asking both for referrals & for help buying new "hardware".

Also, you can look for paint that bonds to metal (I'm thinking Rustoleum type products, but ask at TruValue or your local Hardware store).

Hi D.,

To further expand on what Tanja said, PH balance controls our acidity and helps us to not be toxic. I would say something in your diet could be off. For me, it was a yeast issue and once that was fixed the rashes went away.

Many Blessings,

K.S.

When my daughter was in high school she began having a rash under the button. She also found that she could only wear surgical steel or gold jewelry, especially earrings. The doctor said it was an allergy to metal. Coating the button with nail polish helped her. I also remember her putting tape over the back. I do think she reapplied the polish after every washing.

She's now been pregnant three times. Come to think of it she may have been pregnant when this happened. She still wears only surgical steel or gold earrings but I think the reaction to the back of the button or snap has gone away. Perhaps it's because she wears her shirts tucked in now. Or because she doesn't buy jeans with metal that contacts her skin. I'll ask her about it.

A suggestion is to sew a piece of fabric over the back. It would be quick to whip stitch a small piece around the edges. You could stitch the iron-on tape over the back.

My son has the same problem. I took a little scrap of fabric and sewed it over the back of the button. It stays in place and he hasn't had a problem with the metal since I did it. It's a little bit annoying to do that with all his pants, but once it's done, I don't have to worry until I get him a new pair of pants.

I also have an allergy to metal. I, however have had it most of my life. I cannot wear any jewlery. I cant even wear 24 Karat Gold. I cant even wear my wedding rings. I also have to wear glasses, but have to use clear fingernail polish and bandaids on them. one thing I have found with my jeans. Sew a lil patch of fabric around the button on the back of your jeans. Its kind of hard, you'll need a bigger needle, but its the only thing I have found that can help, and it lasts longer than the bandaids.Good Luck.

I am one of those bizarre people who developed an allergy to metal in my midteens, so yes it is possible. For my metal doesn't just itch it burns and can cause excruciating pain (especially when it brakes the skin, my arm swells and turns green after injections). I recommend trying a botanical oil. coat the metal with a botanical oil (beauty supply stores sell nail polish bottles full of it), remember to re-coat after each wear, washing, and if you wear the metal in the rain. As long as it doesn't break skin this works for me. It also eases reactions to things like earrings (I got my ears pierced when I was 5 long before my reaction turned violent), although I have to leave them sitting in botanical oil until I'm ready to wear them and strip them off with all my other jewelry when it rains.

You have gotten some great responses on how to deal with the issue, but not fix it. A naturopath would be able to do a blood draw or test your pH to see what has changed and why you are reacting to metal at all. Our skin is our biggest organ we have and when it comes in contact with something that irritates it - it is a bigger problem than just the button. It could be as easy as taking probiotics to balance out your pH. My daughter had this and we were able to clear it up by keeping her off acidic foods and taking probiotics. Don't give up - it can be fixed!

T.

I understand. I am allergic to all metals besides gold. Any metal buttons on clothing would cause me to break out in a minor itchy rash. I started wearing undershirts that tuck in so that the metal is not touching my skin. I know that is not the easiest with all fashions, but it has been worth it to me to simply tuck something in our wear underclothing that block the metal from touching me. Hope you find something that works well for you.

I've never experienced it with metal on clothes, but with jewelry, yes. Sensitivity to nickel is fairly common. If the fittings on your jeans are silvertone, it is quite likely that they include a fairly high nickel content. If the clear fingernail polish did not work, then I'm afraid you may need to consider changing jeans brands. Brass rivets and buttons do not cause problems for as many folks.

Hi! I think your body just changed when you got pregnant and after you had your baby. I never had experienced your problem. But, I have my own. Before I had my second child, sitting in the back seat was totally fine to me. After my child was born, I just can't sit in the back seat anymore because I'll feel like throwing up, all the time! I guess it's just how the body changes. Well, do you really like your jeans or have you tried on other brands to see if it's the same?

Hi D.,
My 13 year old has been suffering with this on and off for about 4 years now. Our doctor said it was an allergy to nickel. Once she gets it, it is very difficult to get rid of. I take small pieces of fabric & glue them on the inside of the buttons of her jeans with fabric glue...the glue is washable so it won't come off in the washer and you don't have to keep re-applying it like nail polish. Don't forget all the small rivets that can also be on the backside of the pants.
The doctor also told us the main thing is to keep the skin hydrated and he gave us an ointment that I currently do not have the name of but said you could use any lotion ( after you bathe while your skin is still damp ) that the main ingredient is water.
good luck :-)

I have an allergy to metal as well. I had a c-section and needed to ensure they didn't use metal staples when they closed the incision. I can't wear earrings unless they're gold or platinum or my entire neck will break out. I haven't noticed the metal button on my jeans, but maybe I need to pay a bit more attention to that (or ensure that my shirt is always tucked in). Sorry this is more of a "me too" email than a "here's what I did" email.

Hi D.
If the only metal you are reacting to is the jean hardware and no other the easy fix is to use nail polish on the metal and when it coms off reapply. The same thing can be done with other metals except pierced ears. A lot of people react to nickel and nickel is used in the plating proses for copper, silver, gold, and other plated jewelry.
Good luck

You can develop a sensitivity to almost anything over a period of time, so the reaction to the metal is completely possible. If these are new jeans, the manufacturer could have changed the composition of the fasteners they are using as well. You may have to find another brand of jeans to wear or remove that fastener and replace it with one that won't cause you any problems. Sorry. You could always visit a dermatologist and see what they have to say as well. Hydrocortizone cream will help the itch and skin irritation.

D.........like most of responses have said allergy....something that can be deadly to some... They can test your blood not only for the ph level but for most anything you might be allergic to.... take bee stings to many times and the body cant handle it... then it goes into antifalactic shock (unable to spell today) and if not treated immeadiatly will die.... Basically there is so many types of metals in items used daily...even fillings for your teeth to crowns on your teeth....to what we cook in...it is leached out over time and use.... Lots of illnesses that come on later in life are linked to allergies and poisons... watch your children for any devolping issues and know what symptons you have and changes...get in tune with yourself... I have worked in dentistry and pathology for 19 years. I have had allergies for most of my life to and my four kids all have them as well.. Now I am unable to work from fibromyalgia at the age of 41 and my youngest is 8... but the more i advocate for myself the more i learn... and there is a link to fibromylgia and allergies...Good Luck and research and listen.. dont settle for an easy answer... how did they get that answer.... do you know how much continuing education your doctor does.... some of them have a feild of interst and a hobbie of research on certian things. Interview your doctor...befor you take the perscription research it....for exsample the new immunizations for girls and cervical cancer.... Making mandatory for them.... and now its harmful to them.... Trust me they all sleep at night, until it happens to them..

blessed be
kim

D.-

I went through the same thing with my wedding ring, I went to a dermatologist and he told me I developed an alergy to the metal. I had the ring professionally cleaned and put clear nail polish on it also, now I can only wear it off and on. I used to be able to wear it constantly (before I gave birth and all through my pregnancy) . My friend can't wear ear-rings anymore.
Good Luck-

L.