Erin Dunn of Atlanta, Georgia, developed an “extremely painful” rash that caused dry, bright red patches around her eyes, ears, lips and hands.
She tried to treat her ailment for six months, changing her diet, her makeup and even her pet’s food, but nothing seemed to cure the condition, she shared in a TikTok that now has more than 1.1 million views.
That was until, on a whim, she decided to take off her faux gold earrings, which she had purchased for “extremely cheap” from an anonymous online retailer.
Within 24 hours, her condition began to improve, leading her to believe that the fixtures might have been the problem all along.
The healthcare worker had likely developed an allergy to nickel, a metal commonly found in jewellery, which can cause scaly, dry and painful patches of eczema on the skin, dermatologist Dr Azadeh Shirazi told DailyMail.com. certified and founder of AziMD skincare. .
It is likely that Mrs. Dunn suffered from a nickel allergy. With this condition, if the person is exposed to the product, he will develop eczema.
When the rash first appeared around her eyes, Ms. Dunn went to the ophthalmologist looking for answers. Her optometrist gave her eye drops that relieved her pain, but she sent her home with no cure for her skin.
From there, Dunn made lifestyle changes in an attempt to discover what was at the root of his skin condition. For a time, she thought her mascara might be the culprit and she spent “a lot of money” replacing her makeup.
However, nothing seemed to help and daily life was painful. She couldn’t even wash her face because every time she rubbed the affected area or put something on it, “it hurt like hell,” she said.
Finally, she removed her earrings and rings, and within 24 hours, Dunn said her symptoms began to disappear.
While she blames her cheap jewelry for her reaction, she assured her followers that this isn’t something that will happen to everyone who buys cheap accessories.
Although Dunn claimed that the nickel from her earrings and rings must have traveled through the bloodstream, Dr. Shirazi said that is not how these skin reactions work.
For the rash to develop, a person must have had direct contact with nickel for an extended period of time. So, in Ms. Dunn’s case, Dr. Shirazi said it is not possible that the rash around her eyes was caused by her earrings, unless she had rubbed them into her eyes.
Although she can’t be sure without seeing Ms. Dunn in person, Dr. Shirazi said it’s possible that Ms. Dunn rubbed her eyes and the rings on her hand caused the rash, or she could have used a curling iron. of eyelashes or eye shadow. which contained nickel.
This type of allergy, called contact dermatitis, causes the person to develop eczema in the areas that come into contact with the allergen. Other chronic types of eczema are caused by an overactive immune system.
Jewelers often add nickel to their products because it is cheaper than precious metals but is also durable and adds shine.
Eczema is a skin condition that causes red, dry, irritated patches to form all over the skin. It may form in response to an allergy or it may be a chronic condition.
This painful, dry skin condition is frustrating to treat and can make someone more likely to develop infections if the skin breaks, Dr. Shirazi explained.
Nickel is a metal often used in less expensive jewelry because it is durable, shiny, and cheaper than fine metals such as gold or silver.
In addition to jewelry, it is found in makeup, jeans buttons, cell phones, and scissors.
A nickel allergy can seemingly develop out of nowhere, but it probably occurs over a longer period of time, silently, within the body.
There, the immune system reacts to nickel and identifies it as a threat, forcing the body to respond to the metal as if it were a virus or bacteria, causing the skin to become inflamed and red.
Like peanut or pollen allergies, in general, once a nickel allergy develops, it doesn’t go away, Dr. Shirazi said.
Additionally, it is likely that if you develop a nickel allergy in one part of your body, the rest of your body will be equally sensitive.
So if you had a nickel allergy from a necklace, you could still have a stomach reaction if you wore a pair of jeans that had a nickel button.
Fortunately, allergic rashes someone gets from cheap jewelry should resolve on their own once the person stops using the product, Dr. Shirazi said.
Before it goes away, you can use soothing creams containing aloe or hydrocortisone to relieve symptoms.
Ms Dunn’s video was flooded with users commiserating and sharing their similar experiences.
User Jessi Bell said: “Wait a fucking minute.” I’ve been dealing with something like this for a year.’
‘I believe you. I am SO sensitive to metals and earrings. “My ears will start bleeding immediately and I’ve had them pierced since I was 3 years old (I’m 31),” added user Taylorvalle.
It is not surprising to people related to Ms. Dunn’s situation because this type of nickel allergy is quite common, especially in people who wear jewelry, Dr. Shirazi told this website.
The American Academy of Dermatology An estimated 18 percent of Americans suffer from this allergy, including more than 11 million children.