Nickel Free vs Nickel Safe

Why choose nickel free ear piercing? Nickel Safe ear piercing?

Most women with pierced ears have, at one time or another, experienced itching, flaking, swelling, soreness or inflammation. These are symptoms of metal sensitivity, the chemical reaction to metal alloys (nickel, primarily) used in modern pierced earrings and ear piercing studs. Some women suffer to be in style; others simply stop wearing pierced earrings.

Questions arise: What kind of earrings are safe? Will really expensive earrings prevent the problems? Where can I buy earrings that are guaranteed safe?

Nickel free earrings and ear piercing studs contain no nickel. There is no nickel in the alloys of the components and there is no nickel in the plating. Nickel is one of the most common allergens in the world.

Nickel safe earrings and ear piercing studs are made from surgical stainless steel, highly polished for a silver look or plated with pure 24kt gold. Stainless steel contains a very small amount of nickel, however, the nickel is tightly bonded in the chemical compound of the steel and nickel will not be released to contact the skin, even when subjected to body salts and chemicals. Stainless steel is one of the safest materials for women with metal sensitivities.

Roman Research only uses nickel free materials and lightweight surgical stainless steel. All of these metals are chemically passive. You say you've bought earrings advertised as being hypoallergenic and had problems? In most cases, it's because of raw brass clasps, harmful alloys and thin gold-alloy or silver-alloy plating used to minimize costs. So-called "premium" earrings of 14-karat and 18-karat gold still contain up to 25% metal alloys known to trigger dermatitis. Pure 24-karat is known to be hypoallergenic but is very expensive. Surgical stainless steel plated with pure 24-karat gold has been proven hypo allergenic and is much less expensive. A friend who had temporarily stopped wearing pierced earrings because of inflammation and soreness was asked to try a pair of Simply Whispers birthstone earrings priced at $12.98. She was able to wear them successfully all week with no irritation or discomfort.

A leading guide used by dermatologists, Fisher's Contact Dermatitis by Drs. Alexander A. Fisher, Joseph F. Fowler and Robert L. Rietschel, cites Roman Research as a reliable source of nickel-safe jewelry. Roman invented the first one-step ear piercing system to eliminate the danger of developing a nickel allergy by using a surgical stainless steel stud to pierce the lobe. The sterilized stud is used only once and remains in place until the puncture heals, thus eliminating transfer of pathogens from one individual to another.