Allergic to stainless steel?

[Alezia]

Is it possible to be allergic to a stainless steel ring? I thought it was a hypoallergenic material.. or so they often advertise on the cheap jewelery.

My fingers are itching bad, I tried to switch ir finger, and it still hurts.

 

In theory, I'd return the ring and get another material or not wear it at all... but as this is an "iron ring" (link removed), I'm a bit at lost =\.

[littlestar]

I guess one can be allergic to pretty much anything. Might also be the Nickle in it causing the allergy.

[Loup]

I don't have any trouble wearing my iron ring Does it start to itch if you wear it on the other hand? Allergies if that is what you are experiencing would quickly lead to the other hand being quite itchy. Perhaps the ring is too tight? Anyways at worst a lot of engineers will wear their ring tied through a necklace instead of on their fingers.

[ghost69]

it's nickel which is in steel. surgical stell contains not nickel. it's they kind they use for surgeries. i have to wear that or pure gold to avoid that myself. i'm allergic to nickel.

[jcrisph]

i dunno but from the cheap stands in the mall i can not wear that so called fake silver, makes my ears hurt and they get all gooey.

[GoldenHillGuy]

Medical SS has nickel. It's probably not Stainless Steel you're allergic to. It's Chinese stainless steel you're allergic to. They make some crappy steel.

[ghost69]

Medical SS has nickel. It's probably not Stainless Steel you're allergic to. It's Chinese stainless steel you're allergic to. They make some crappy steel.

 

hmmm. i only get surgical steel gauges from my ears. the piercers assure me it has 0 nickel content. i have yet to break out.

[GoldenHillGuy]

I worked for a spinal implant place for years. We used 316L stainless, as do most places.

 

From wiki:

 

Type 316—the second most common grade (after 304); for food and surgical stainless steel uses; alloy addition of molybdenum prevents specific forms of corrosion. It is also known as marine grade stainless steel due to its increased resistance to chloride corrosion compared to type 304. 316 is often used for building nuclear reprocessing plants. 316L is an extra low carbon grade of 316, generally used in stainless steel watches and marine applications due to its high resistance to corrosion. Also referred to as "A4" in accordance with ISO 3506.[10] 316Ti includes titanium for heat resistance, thereforee it is used in flexible chimney liners.

 

and

 

.4404 X2CrNiMo17-12-2 316L S31603

1.4401 X5CrNiMo17-12-2 316 S31600

1.4406 X2CrNiMoN17-12-2 316LN S31653

1.4432 X2CrNiMo17-12-3 316L S31603

1.4435 X2CrNiMo18-14-3 316L S31603

1.4436 X3CrNiMo17-13-3 316 S31600

1.4571 X6CrNiMoTi17-12-2 316Ti S31635

1.4429 X2CrNiMoN17-13-3 316LN S31653

 

All contain nickel

[ghost69]

first off, wiki isn't always right. second, i don't see any definition about nickel in your wiki post, unless you are referring to molybdenum as nickel, i dunno.

 

also, i'm no expert, but i'm allergic to nickel, i get surgical steel earrings, supposedly with no nickel, no breakouts thus far (years), so there must be extremely minimal amounts of nickel or none. and possibly, just maybe, the surgical steel you used is different than the surgical steel i get. just a hunch.

 

agree to disagree ghg? we both right?

[GoldenHillGuy]

No, wiki isn't always right, but I know for certain 316 which almost all surgical and implantable stainless is, has nickel. Anyways, agree to disagree!

 

CrNiMo (Cromium Nickel Molybdenum)

[ghost69]

No, wiki isn't always right, but I know for certain 316 which almost all surgical and implantable stainless is, has nickel. Anyways, agree to disagree!

 

CrNiMo (Cromium Nickel Molybdenum)

 

so could be a teenie weenie amount though.

[GoldenHillGuy]

Just to add..........

 

When I used to build molds, we used 17-4 stainless. We got it from a reputable american source.

 

When we would get molds built in China, made with supposedly the same steel, they would come back rusty! I thought SS didn't rust.

 

Point is, a lot of cheap metal that comes from China or places where quality is not the greatest importance, is not the metal they claim it is. That was my point originally.

 

Just because they say its milk, doesn't mean its not tainted with melamine. LOL. Same thing.

[GoldenHillGuy]

so could be a teenie weenie amount though.

 

Yes, could be.

[faeryofpurejoy]

It took years of reactions to shots and photos of my ears reactions to seconds of nickel free stainless steel earrings and ones of my non-reaction to silver to talk my doctor in to inventing a test. They did 2 scratch test with saline, one with metal and one with plastic. I reacted on the metal side only. I have a medical alert bracelet now so no one give me an IV if I'm not conscious to stop them or they don't believe me. Before then I was diagnosed with allergies to several fillers that are in immunizations and nickel. There's nothing that a person can't be allergic to, there are people who are allergic to sunlight and to water. I went from allergic to everything-because I reacted to the needle when I was tested- to having 4 allergies.