1. Do you have a rash right below your belly button?

2. Do certain earrings cause your ears to itch after wearing them for a few hours or even days?

3. Does the abdominal rash get worse in the summer?

4. Has a watch ever caused a wrist rash?

5. Have you always had to avoid “cheap” jewelry?

6. Does your rash itch and or burn? Have bumps or hives?

7. Do you have an ongoing rash that does not improve with time?

8. Have you stopped wearing jewelry due to the discomfort it causes?

9. Are you embarrassed to wear a swimsuit because of red abdominal rashes?

10. Have even “hypoallergenic” products caused you to experience an allergic reaction?

Experiencing one or more of these symptoms is a strong indicator of nickel allergy.

See the explanations below for more information on each of the above symptoms, then be on your way to resolving your nickel allergy problems!

 1. Do you have a rash right below your belly button?
Rashes below the belly button usually point to an allergy to a belt buckle or metallic buttons on clothing. Many belt buckles contain nickel, which is used frequently due to its durability, luster, and low cost.
2. Do certain earrings cause your ears to itch after wearing them for a few hours or even days?
If a rash appears on your ear lobes, it is very likely a nickel allergy. It may come on slowly over a day or more or it may appear seemingly right after the earrings are donned. Nickel allergy is considered Delayed Allergic Contact Dermatitis which means it is difficult to pinpoint the exact pair of problem earrings without testing for nickel content.
3. Does the abdominal rash get worse in the summer?
Nickel allergy is a year-round problem but it often worsens during warmer months. Perspiration is the perfect conduit for nickel salts to transfer to the skin, so when the heat is on, your nickel allergies are too!
4. Has a watch ever caused a wrist rash? 
Many people with nickel allergy have given up the convenience of wearing a wrist watch or sports watch due to the intensely uncomfortable rashes these watches may cause. Buying a Certified Nickel Free™ or Certified Nickel Safe™ watch is one way to avoid this problem!
5. Have you always had to avoid “cheap” jewelry? 
Nickel is used by many manufacturers to produce inexpensive yet durable jewelry, causing much nickel allergy distress! However, even some silver and gold products may be alloyed with nickel or they may only be silver or gold plated, that with time may reveal a nickel base. 
6. Does your rash itch and or burn? Have bumps or hives? 
These are frequent symptoms of nickel allergy but they are also symptoms of other allergic reactions. While these symptoms alone do not indicate nickel allergy, combined with other "Yes" answers to these questions, there may be a good indication for it. Only your dermatologist or allergist can definitively determine the cause of allergic reactions.
7. Do you have an ongoing rash that does not improve with time?
If your skin is in continual contact with a nickel laden product, the rash will not improve. Some cases show that with time symptoms may evolve into weeping blisters or dry, leathery, or cracked skin. See also the above answer to question number 6. 
8. Have you stopped wearing jewelry due to the discomfort it causes?
If it seems that there is no jewelry that you can wear due to an allergic reaction, you may want to test first for nickel. If indeed nickel is found in many of the jewelry products you wear, you likely have nickel allergy. However, if no nickel is detected, another metal may be the culprit. This occurs rarely, but in these cases titanium jewelry is recommended.
9. Are you embarrassed to wear a swimsuit because of red abdominal rashes?
Those red rashes may be related to what you're wearing when you're not swimming! Test your belt buckles, jeans buttons and rivets, or any metallic item that is worn in the abdominal area. Even if you typically have a shirt tucked into your pants, the nickel salts can transfer to your skin. Test for nickel, then protect your skin - try Nickel Solution®!

I have nickel allergy, what do I do now?

Test metal products with Nickel Alert®, protect your skin when possible with Nickel Guard® and trust the Certified Nickel Free™ and Certified Nickel Safe™ products from Athena Allergy.  Our products lines are batch-tested and come with the guarantee to never test positive for nickel!