Allergic to body piercing? Cell phones? And tattoos?

What about every day cosmetics or eyeglass frames? Allergists are saying that allergic responses to these commons items are increasing and many time go unrecognized.

At the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) in Phoenix, November 11-16 they discussed these unusual allergies. “Increased use of cell phones with unlimited usage pans has led to more prolonged exposure to the nickel in phones,” said allergist Luz Fonacier, MD, ACAAI Fellow. “Patients come in with dry, itchy patches on their cheeks, jaw lines and ears and have no idea what is causing their allergic reaction.”

Nickel is a very common contact allergen and is found in car keys, coins, and paper clips. With brief contact, there won’t be a reaction. Throughout the day, exposure adds up. And the nickel can travel from the hands to eyelids which are particularly sensitive. Cell phones, jewelry, eyeglass frames and watches can all add up to trouble.

“Allergists are seeing an increased number of nickel allergy among patients,” said Dr. Fonacier. “some researchers suggest that there should be more nickel regulation in the US like there is in some European countries.”

With tattoos becoming more popular and socially acceptable, allergists are also seeing an increase in allergic responses to the ink. “Allergic responses from tattoos come mainly from the pigments used to color the dye,” said Dr. Fonacier. “the issue with body piercing goes back to the increasing prevalence of nickel allergies.”

If you’ve got redness, itching, crusting, swelling, blistering, dryness, scaliness and/or a thickening of the skin, you should see your allergist. These conditions can be treated.

Source: ACAAI, ScienceDaily