Just like delicious junk food, sometimes the jewelry that we love can turn into something that makes us ill and uncomfortable. For people with allergies or sensitivities to nickel, this is a familiar feeling. If you’ve ever experienced an itchy rash or bumps and blisters after wearing a new pair of regular metal earrings, you probably have what’s known as contact dermatitis.
This condition means that you’re allergic to something in the jewelry you’re wearing. The most common cause of contact dermatitis is from nickel, a metal that many jewelry manufacturers use as a base because it’s cheap, easy to work with, and can increase the resistance of softer, more expensive metals like gold and silver. However, more than 18% of Americans are allergic to nickel, and they need to carefully search out medical-grade or hypoallergenic earrings and other jewelry to save their ears and maintain both their style and comfort.
What Types of Medical-Grade Earrings Are Available?
Contact dermatitis can develop at any time, and even a small amount of the irritant can trigger a painful reaction. If you have contact dermatitis because of a nickel allergy, you may feel like your style choices immediately become a lot more limited.
Earrings are a common place to find nickel alloys, so many people stop wearing them entirely. However, you should know that there are still plenty of options available for gorgeous, medical-grade earrings that will save your ears from itchiness, redness, and discomfort. Two of the best options that you can choose are medical-grade plastic earrings or medical-grade titanium earrings. Medical-grade plastic is a cost-effective alternative for sensitive ears, and they can be shaped into any design you want. Medical-grade titanium uses the same metal that’s common in delicate medical instruments because it’s both strong and lightweight.
Choosing Medical-Grade Earrings for Babies
If you’re choosing earrings for babies, many parents and doctors recommend starting with medical-grade plastic post earrings. Even though the earrings look metallic, they don’t contain any nickel so they won’t irritate sensitive little earlobes. Post-style earrings are recommended for babies and young children, as they stick close to the earlobes and won’t get caught on clothing or hair.
Blomdahl USA medical plastic earrings are inlaid with beautiful Swarovski crystals and are available in tons of unique shapes and colors. There are plenty of different earring styles to choose from, and we even sell spare backs made from medical-grade plastic so that you can stock up on these tiny, easy-to-lose items.
Unique Options for Medical-Grade Titanium Earrings
While pediatricians recommend medical-grade plastic earrings for babies and young children, adults will appreciate the sophisticated style of our gorgeous hypoallergenic nickel-free natural titanium earrings. Although the body of each earring is 100% medical-grade titanium, we’ve been able to apply a thin layer of gold, silver, or jet black to the parts of the earring that don’t come in direct contact with skin. This allows for many unique looks while still retaining the benefits of hypoallergenic materials. We also sell pairs of medical-grade titanium safety studs, which will enable you to turn any pair of drop earrings into an adornment that even someone with extremely sensitive ears can feel comfortable wearing.
If you’re purchasing a gift for yourself, your kids, or your grandchildren, it can be hard to know if a nickel allergy is a concern or not. However, with more than 11 million children in the United States alone suffering from nickel allergies, it’s worth avoiding. Plus, with such beautiful and affordable options, medical-grade earrings are always a stylish and affordable choice!
Blomdahl USA is a family company that’s been working for the last 18 years to bring safe, hypoallergenic jewelry to customers all around the United States. All of our beautiful earrings have been designed by top jewelry designers and manufactured carefully, so only hypoallergenic materials come into contact with sensitive skin. The result is stylish, safe jewelry that anyone can wear.