Allergy to Nickel

[PinkRoses]

It has taken me quite awhile to figure out what has caused my eczema to flare on my hands over and over during these past years. I finally realized that it's the nickel in the needles that I had been using. My Mom is allergic to nickel too. It wasn't until I stopped knitting for awhile when I was pregnant that I put it all togehter. I would stop using my needles and my hands cleared right up. I start knitting like crazy and wow, it really flared up. I don't knit for a few days and sure enough, it clears up again.
Good thing I asked for bamboo knitting needles this year! So, if anyone is having this problem you might be having a reaction to nickel. I do have one set of bamboo needles and I never get itchy when I use those. Too bad it took me so long to figure out.

[Marria]

I'm glad you figured that out! I am sensitive to nickel but only if it's against my skin constantly for long periods of time (like with jewelry). Maybe I need to get some gold plated knitting needles for Christmas.

[sorifes]

^^

OMG I don't even want to know how expensive those are

[Koehnae]

I can pretty literally feel your pain, Pink. An accident at work resulted in chemical burns which left me with some severe skin sensitivity on my hands. Since then, I cannot use any metal needles... especially nickel-plated... or my hands get welts and blisters. KnitPick's Harmonies saved the day!




Oh... to have gold needles!

[teachermom]

I've suffered with eczema for years - it gets so bad that I have to get steriod cream/gel to help control it. I finally cleared up a few years ago when I got sick and spent 6 months on steriods - thought I was done with eczema for good. Recently I broke out on my wrist - the only thing that I've changed is that I'm wearing a watch - haven't done that in years - I'm wondering if I'm allergic to nickel - never thought about it till I just saw your post. I don't use nickel knitting needles, just bamboo and birch so my fingers and hands are fine.
Thank you - you may have helped me clear up/find a solution to my eczema problem. I'm not going to wear my watch for awhile and see what happens. If it clears up - no more watches.

[PinkRoses]

Teacher,

My Mom had eczema really bad years ago like I've had these past few years. I would put money on it that your watch has some nickel in it. My Mom could only wear something that was 14k gold and nothing else. So, she just stopped wearing all jewelry. If she wore a cheap necklace she would get an awful itchy rash around where the necklace was. If she wore something without nickel it would go away.

A few years back when I started really knitting like crazy I would get awful eczema. I tried everything and nothing would clear it up. It wasn't until I got pregnant and I pretty much stopped knitting in my third trimester that all my eczema seemed to magically disappear that it finally dawned on me that my needles had nickel in them, the same thing that my Mom had problems with when she was my age.

I also notice carbonated soda flares it up too. I'm a diet Coke addict and when I was pregnant I stopped all soda. If I drink some at work now it will flare me up all over again and when I stop drinking it I seem to have everything clear up. I read on some internet board that a lot of adults with eczema were noticing the soda connection though I'm not sure if it's the caffeine or something else in there that really gets it going.

I'm glad you are possibly helped by this info. Trust me, I struggled for years and years with this. I even had to wear big mesh bandages around my hands in the winter from all the open sores I would get on my hands. It was so embarrasing because it looked like I was in the boxing ring! ha ha ha