• Call me Lenny/Leni@lemm.ee
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    5 months ago

    So wait, how does a nickel allergy work? Like, if they rake your leaves and you’re like “thanks a bunch, here’s some change for your hard work”, do they die Killer Bean style?

    • IzzyScissor@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      It’s a contact allergy, so mostly it just makes you break out in a rash if you wear jewelry or work with tools that have been plated in nickel. It takes time before you break out, although people instantly falling over after getting a handful of change would be hilarious to see.

      • Bronzie@sh.itjust.works
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        5 months ago

        Yeah my Mum has it and has to have her shirt tucked in her pants as the buttons often contain nickel.
        Like you say she gets a red round rash if she forgets.

        • IzzyScissor@lemmy.world
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          5 months ago

          Yeah my Mum has it and has to have her shirt tucked in her pants as the buttons often contain nickel.

          Ugh, same, but there’s a trick - Clear fingernail polish! It will eventually rub away, but it’s worth it so you don’t have to worry in the meantime.

    • Crashumbc@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      Yes, but in all seriousness my mom can’t where watches because she breaks out with red welts where the watch back and even the clap touch her skin…

    • weariedfae@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      It itches and causes a rash that gets worse with prolonged exposure. I can’t even tolerate surgical steel and many gold “hypoallergenic” pieces because those bitches still use nickel as part of the alloy.

      It’s in all sorts of things. Buttons on jeans, zippers, tools, wire, eyeglasses, and obviously jewelry.

      It takes an hour or two of direct contact to start itching and getting raised bumps, less time if it is low quality metal like uncoated wire or something. Prolonged contact greater than a few hours leads to sores and it gets really really itchy and gross from there on out. Stupid jeans.

      How people deal with it is just avoid metal things as much as possible because you never know if nickel is mixed in. For metal jewelry you can pay a pretty penny for higher purity metals with a much lower concentration of nickel (hard to be completely nickel free due to natural impurities) or just wear silicone/resin/leather jewelry.

      Jeans though…those buttons are gonna get you. Most people paint the inside button with nail polish but that shit rubs off quickly. I just make sure I’m wearing at least 2 layers of barrier fabric between my skin and the jeans (1 layer can be pretty permeable).