Many people have sensitive ears, and will pay the price if they wear low quality jewelry. What jewelry that someone with sensitive skin should wear sometimes remains a mystery to them, unless they happen across someone with knowledge of quality metals!
"Sensitive" is a very broad term. Most of the time any issue where the wearer is sensitive to jewelry is due to the jewelry being made from low quality metal that contains high amounts of nickel and other metals that are really not skin friendly. Pair those metals with the open-ness of a healing piercing and you've got a recipe for disaster! Some people will absolutely break out in hives if they come into contact with even a trace amount of nickel. These people will break out from all kinds of day to day items such as cheap necklaces, cheap rings, zippers in clothing, and even some cosmetics! This is known as a SEVERE nickel allergy.
Most people do not have sever nickel allergies, but may still have sensitive ears. I am one of those people! My ears are sensitive and do NOT react well to Wal-mart or Claire's earrings. They make even my healed lobes swell up, itch, and sometimes ooze!
Since not all people's 'sensitive' is the same, I'm going to break this blog down into two categories- What jewelry is safe for normal sensitive ears and what jewelry is safe for severely sensitive ears! Find the category that most matches you and read from there 😊
Jewelry for the normal "Sensitive Ears":
Safe materials for sensitive ears includes: 316L Surgical Steel, .925 Sterling Silver, Implant Grade Titanium, and 14kt Gold. These are all materials that we use for our body jewelry! If you have normal sensitive ears, rest assured to know that you can wear just about anything from our shop with no issue! If you're on the more sensitive side of normal sensitive, but everyday items don't break you out, you should probably stay away from any items that contain brass or zinc. These metals are usually hypoallergenic, but it's always better to be safe than sorry!
Jewelry for those with SEVERE Nickel allergies:
People with severe nickel allergies are somewhat limited in their jewelry selections! These people are best wearing Implant Grade Titanium or 14kt Gold Jewelry only. Anything else will likely cause a reaction!
The reason that 316L surgcial steel is not a good option for you is that this metal grade contains trace amounts of nickel. We're talking like .05%- but if your allergy is severe this could trigger you, so it's best to avoid it completely.
To learn more about how to tell if you have a severe nickel allergy, see our Nickel Allergy blog!
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In conclusion, it may be difficult to know what jewelry is best for you. If you break out from everyday metal items, you should definitely stick with Implant Grade Titanium or 14kt Gold jewelry. Though sometimes more expensive, your well being is worth it! (Spirit Adornments prices even these items very affordably! See for yourself! See 14kt Gold items. See Titanium items.)
If you do not have reactions to everyday items, but still have sensitive ears, you are free to try out any 316L Surgical Steel jewelry (most of Spirit Adornments jewelry is made of this hypoallergenic material- you can check the descriptions on each items page for a list of materials used!). Be wary shopping from anyone who labels their jewelry as just "Steel", "Stainless Steel" or "Surgical Steel", because they have not told you the grade of steel used. Grades other than 316L contain more nickel and are more likely to cause reactions! You can also wear .925 Sterling Silver jewelry in your lobes or any fully healed piercing! (Most of Spirit Adornments lobe jewelry is made of this material- you can find the exact material in the description on each items page)
I hope all of our readers have an amazing day and take away some very shareable knowledge from this blog! Not many people are educated on this subject, so it is our duty to share with others!
Until next time,
Kourtney 🖤