Engraved Titanium Ring, Allergic To Titanium Wedding Band ?
Q: Anyway, I've worn
my titanium wedding band continuously for almost 2 years. Only last week
did I notice my ring finger getting itchy and red/raised underneath my
ring. I switched it my other hand. I work in a lab and routinely wear
latex gloves and work with chemicals but I can't remember spilling
anything on myself and I don't have a latex allergy. I have no known
allergies. I do leave the ring on all the time even in the shower so it
does remain wet afterwards. However, no problems for 2 years. This is my
first piece of jewelry except for my watch which is stainless steel. The
nurse at work suggested there could be nickel in the ring but I don't
think that's likely (or is it?) I'm almost hoping my other finger breaks
out to prove that something is wrong with the ring then I may be able to
bring it back. Any ideas? From what I've read, Ti is 100%
hypoallergenic.
A:If you're asking the question in the subject line, the answer is to check
the alloys and either figure out a metal which will work better (usually
people have problems with nickel in the alloy) or find a way to keep the
alloy from sitting against the skin. Sometimes using a thin coat of clear
nail polish will do the trick...but this is not a very good permanent
solution.
I've been wearing my titanium wedding band continuously for nearly 2
years. Just last week my ring finger became itchy and slighty red/raised
under my ring. I switched the ring to my right hand. Except for my
plastic/stainless steel watch, this is the only piece of jewelry I have
ever worn. It was my understanding that titanium was 100% hypoallergenic.
The ring stays on in the shower and when I do dishes so it does stay wet
under there. I also work in a lab and routinely wear latex gloves. I
have no known allergies. Someone suggested that the matte finish on the
ring could trap some irritant. The nurse at work suggested there could be
trace amounts of nickel in the ring but I doubt there would be enough
compared to gold or other metals. Anyway, I'm looking for any ideas--
especially how to clean the ring (never been done except under running tap
water) so my other finger doesn't break out. It's OK so far.
First of all, when it comes to metal allergies, it's not commonly due
to titanium, gold, etc. It's because of what's alloyed with. The
most common metal allergen is nickel, which is alloyed with gold and
several other metals (it's also the reason many people are allergic to
so-called surgical steel).
What you need to do is get your ring coated with a pure metal to which
you are not allergic. The most common one used in this case is
rhodium. Visit a reputable jeweler and arrange to have it done.
Yes he was. Through no fault of his, the body of the post got mostly deleted
when I (the moderator of the rec.crafts.jewelry newsgroup) approved and posted
it, due to a software glitch in my computer. Two versions of the reposted
message appear today.
While nickel is by FAR the most aggressive problem with metal allergies,
allergies to other metals are not unknown. copper is the next most common, not
surprisingly, since its the next most reactive of the common jewelery metals.
it is, in fact, slightly toxic. While it's rare, people can also be allergic to
both gold and silver, though as i say, it's rare. gold especiallly is rare.
Platinum allergies are even rarer. The thing with titanium is that when wearing
a Ti ring, one is not exposed to metallic titanium. The metal forms,