Re: Ho would one know or find out if they were alergic to certain metals?

Laura,

You ask a very good question. Allergies to metals are a common cause of 
contact dermatitis. Since manufacturing industries are disappearing from 
the United States and appearing in other countries, the frequency and 
prevalence of metal allergies in the US seem to be getting scarce but at 
the same time these troubling conditions are increasing in the countries 
where the industries have moved. This includes mining, purification and 
smelting of the metals. Some of the metals that cause allergies are: 
Nickel, Chromium, Beryllium, and cobalt. Even gold is known to be a cause 
of allergy in some people.

Nickel and Chromium can be found in jewelry that simulate silver. Beryllium
is found in the frames of eye glasses that resist distortion by bending. 
Berylliumcould also be in delicate appearing but durable earings and 
brooches because of its lightness and flexibility. Cobalt is in hard but 
brittle steel. It is remotely possible that cobalt might be in ear ring 
posts.

Testing for contact sensitivity is best done by an allergist after you 
find out you are allergic. However, piercing the skin around your navel 
could wait until you test whether the actual material of the device has 
some allergy inducing ability. Of course, the time to do this could be too 
long for you to be able to get a refund if you actually do become allergic.

Remember also, that some people are allergic to adhesives like those used 
in bandage tapes so it might be worthwhile to get some "non-allergenic" 
bandage tape in a pharmacy. Then, wash an area of skin on the inner 
surface of your fore arm. place the device (ear ring or belly button ring) 
against the skin and hold it there with the non-allergenic tape. Leave it 
there for a week. 

It takes a while to induce contact sensitivity and a while for that immune 
response to cause a reaction (usually a rash). You might not already be 
allergic to the metal and doing this experiment could result in making you 
allergic to that metal from now on...so think about what you are doing. Of 
course, if you didn't think about this and just bought the belly button 
ring, and used it, you would find out whether or not you were allergic in 
7 to 21 days. This is a ball park figure for the approximate time for a 
cellular and humoral immune response to reach completion.

Once a rash (it might look and feel a little like poison ivy) appears it 
will last approximately 11 days before it goes away. Steroid creams may 
reduce the outbreak but the itchy bumps that appear will stay there for 
the duration.

Of course, your experiment might result in your finding out that you are 
not allergic and wearing jewelry made of exactly that metal will work. 
Other metals might still cause allergy and each time you get a new one you 
may have to repeat the test.