Allergies to Nickel Jewellery

Nickel is sometimes used in jewellery as it is quite corrosion resistant and binds well with other metals which make it good for alloying with gold and as a binding layer over a silver item which is to be plated with gold. Nickel does react with compounds of nitrogen, the amino acids in our bodies belong to this group. If you have an allergy to nickel, your body will react to contact with this metal, usually in the form of a rash. Once you have become sensitive to nickel, smaller amounts will be enough to trigger a reaction.

As an example, you have never had a reaction to nickel. However, you have your ear pierced with a nickel plated stud and the nickel binds to the cells in your blood. If the cells change their composition sufficiently, your body will think that you have an infection and your immune system steps in to fight it. When this happens this tissues swell up and more antibodies are sent to fight it which will dissolve more nickel and things escalate.

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