CHAIN STORE BLING LOWDOWN
Put on the trendiest earrings of the season that you got from a popular chain store at a super bargain price, and you look simply divine. The joyful pleasure doesn’t last long though. As the day goes by, your ear lobes start to itch unbearably, and you decide to toss the faulty earrings into the furthest darkest corner of the drawer. Sound familiar? It’s a scenario we have lived and seen way too often. Today we would like to bring to light why cheap jewelry doesn’t do us good at times.
We know that chain store costume jewelry has many advantages. First of all, the price tag that’s several times lower than what we’d have to pay at a jeweler’s is an irresistible temptation. This way, at a relatively low cost, we can pimp up our outfits, and maybe even go a little nuts with the actual clothing. Also, it won’t hurt that much to put away a set of chain store earrings or a pendant when their beauty fades away. We won’t cry if they get lost on a walk. Cheap jewelry can often be quite impressive. At least from afar or at a first glance. Colorful glass beads can dazzle with insane color schemes, and shapes made of plastic would be a challenge to carve in precious metals.
All that glitters is not gold
But what does it matter if sometimes we need to take it off 15 minutes after putting it on. Why? Itching, a rash and swelling. Admit it. You too have had a mercilessly itchy earlobe after wearing fallaleries. The one to blame for all that is nickel. Nickel is the absolute number one when it comes to jewelry-related allergic reactions. They can develop at any age and affect up to 14% of Europeans. That’s why theoretically all jewelry sold in the EU must meet strict requirements of the Nickel Directive regarding nickel content. The limit on the amount of nickel that may be released from jewelry and other products intended to come into direct and prolonged contact with the skin is 0.5 µg/cm2/week, or 0.2 µg/cm2/week for post assemblies which are inserted into pierced ears and other pierced parts of the human body*. As it turns out, however, jewelry does not always undergo the necessary tests; jewelry made in China in particular. But nickel might be the least of your worries when it comes to what you can find in bling purchased via Aliexpress. The highly toxic cadmium that leaves residue in your body and can lead to kidney damage or bone diseases. Even the most beautiful trinkets are not worth it.
Oops… It’s nickel
So what can you possibly expect if there’s nickel in your beloved earrings or band? Most commonly, it will cause a skin reaction in the form of itchy red patches or blisters. In extreme cases, skin may start flaking off or even cracking. Such an allergy can also result in a swelling, which may be pretty alarming for those wearing necklaces or chokers. Often reactions are not quite that severe though. They are unpleasant more than dangerous, but you should still keep a close eye on how your body reacts to new trinkets. If you spot a rash or swelling, it might be allergic contact dermatitis caused by nickel. The reaction is pretty specific, though if you are every in doubt, you can see an allergologist or a dermatologist for a patch test that will unequivocally indicate the culprit.
I got an allergic reaction. Now what?
If you too have fallen victim to nickel, our advice is to remove the regrettable earrings or pendant. You can rinse the affected spot with water and hard soap. Alternatively, if the reaction is slightly more acute, apply some deallergizing ointment. Drinking calcium might also help with mild allergies. However, if your reactions are severe, you should know there are high purity metals safe for you. You just need to forget about all metals with admixture, because adornments that are only plated with gold, for instance, can still hold a mixture of various metals underneath. Same goes for costume jewelry obviously. The majority of them contain nickel alloys or admixture. If you still find it too hard to part with your favorite chain store jewels, and your allergic reactions are not too strong at the same time, you can line them with a layer of clear nail polish to avoid direct contact with skin. But to those among you, who suffer due to nickel content, we strongly recommend refocusing toward timeless designs made from high-quality materials. After all, nothing looks fabulous surrounded by an itchy rash.
* Commission Regulation (EC) No 552/2009 of 22 June, 2009, amending Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) as regards Annex XVII to limit the amount of nickel in materials jewelry is made of.
