Do some earrings give you red, itchy earlobes? You are not the only one. Here you will read what often causes it, what nickel free and surgical steel really mean, and how to check what an earring at YourStyleBase is made of.
Why do some ears react to earrings?
A well-known cause is nickel. Nickel is found in many metals, steel included. With a nickel allergy, skin contact with nickel can cause itching, redness or a rash. An earring sits in a piercing in your skin, which is why ears often react sooner than your wrist, for example.
If a skin reaction does not go away, see your doctor. This article is general information, not medical advice.
What does nickel free mean?
In practice, nickel free usually does not mean there is zero nickel in it. In the EU there is a limit on how much nickel jewelry may release onto your skin (the REACH rules). For earrings that sit in a piercing, that limit is the strictest: 0.2 micrograms per square centimetre per week. Whether an earring stays below it is shown by a test.
What is surgical steel?
Surgical steel is the common name for stainless steel of type 316L. 316L contains nickel too, but it is firmly bound in the metal, so it usually releases little nickel. That is why 316L is widely used for earrings. There are other types of stainless steel as well, such as 304. So stainless steel on a label does not yet tell you which type it is.
How do you check the material at YourStyleBase?
- Every product lists what it is made of under material. Check there before you choose.
- No material listed, or unsure because of sensitive ears? Email us. We will tell you what we know about that item, and what we do not know.
- Earrings that come in sealed packaging cannot be returned once opened. This is for hygiene reasons.
Which earrings do you wear every day?
The earrings you wear most are usually the simplest. A small stud. A slim hoop or huggie close to your earlobe. A fine drop that moves just a little.
Studs sit on your earlobe. Calm, and they work with every hairstyle.
Hoops are small rings. A huggie closes snugly around your earlobe, a creole has a little more room and adds more shape. See all hoop earrings.
Drops move with you. A small star or heart below a little hoop catches the light when you turn your head.
How to wear them
A small gold-tone hoop with a white blouse and your hair in a bun. A silver-tone stud with a grey jumper. Mixing is fine: a stud and a small hoop in the same ear. Keep to one colour so it stays calm.
See all hoop earrings or all earrings.
