Mayo Clinic Health Manager
Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.
Get Started
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffNickel allergy is one of the most common causes of allergic contact dermatitis — an itchy rash that appears when your skin touches a normally harmless substance.
Nickel allergy is commonly associated with earrings and jewelry for other body piercings. But nickel can be found in many everyday items — from coins to necklace clasps, from watchbands to eyeglass frames.
Nickel allergy can affect people of all ages. You may develop nickel allergy after a single exposure to nickel or after repeated or prolonged exposure. Treatments can reduce the symptoms of nickel allergy. Once you develop nickel allergy, however, you will always be sensitive to the metal and should avoid contact.
Symptoms- Davis MD, et al. Changing trends and allergens in the patch test standard series: A Mayo Clinic 5-year retrospective review, January 1, 2001, through December 31, 2005. Archives of Dermatology. 2008;144(1):67-72.
- Tips to remember: Allergic skin conditions. American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. http://www.aaaai.org/patients/publicedmat/tips/allergicskinconditions.stm. Accessed July 14, 2008.
- Weston WL, et al. Overview of dermatitis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 22, 2008.
- Weston WL, et al. Patient Information: Dermatitis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 22, 2008.
- Tattoos and body piercing. American Academy of Dermatology. www.aad.org/members/media/_doc/FactSheets_TattoosBody%20Piercing%20Fact%20Sheet.doc. Accessed July 30, 2008.
- Meltzer DI. Complications of body piercing. American Family Physician 2005;72(10):2029-2034.
- Position statement on body piercing (approved by the board of directors October 24, 1998). American Academy of Dermatology. www.aad.org/Forms/Policies/Uploads/PS/PS-Body%20Piercing%206-15-07.pdf. Accessed July 30, 2008.
- Do's and don'ts when considering tattoos or piercings. American Society for Dermatologic Surgery. http://www.asds.net/DosAndDontsConsideringTattoosPiercings.aspx. Accessed July 29, 2008.
- Torpy JM, et al. JAMA patient page. Body piercing. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2004;291(8):1024.
