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Nickel is a silver-white metal with a golden sheen. It is used in many ways in a variety of everyday objects, which makes it difficult to eliminate contact with this material in the event of a diagnosis of nickel allergy. Allergic reactions are statistically more common in the fair sex, which is related to the particularly high exposure to the element due to cultural factors.
Nickel – definition
Nickel was discovered around 3-4 thousand years BC, but its isolation, description and classification was done in the XNUMXth century by Axel Frederick Cronsedt. As a component of meteorites, it was an essential element in the production of ceremonial weapons for cultures that valued “iron from heaven”. Nickel was also used in the production of coins.
The name of the element derives from its term by the seventeenth-century German miners extracting ore, who called it kupper nicklichten – false copper.
Smelting kupper nicklichten not only prevented the production of copper, but also released poisonous arsenic, which is a component of the nickel ore that miners found. After examining and describing the properties of the element, it became a component of the so-called German silver, which was extremely popular in the XNUMXth century. Its production was not expensive, and items made of new silver did not tarnish as much as silver ones and were resistant to abrasion.
Nickel has also been used in iron alloys and as a protective coating that increases corrosion resistance.
Nickel allergy
Allergic contact dermatitis occurs in response to the presence of an irritant and is in the form of exudative lumps, strongly demarcated from the environment. These types of lesions ooze plasma fluid that builds up due to inflammation. Papules often cause itching and reddening of the skin, and sometimes their presence is also accompanied by swelling – especially in the case of allergic symptoms in the orbit or genital area.
An allergic reaction to nickel does not necessarily occur exactly at the point of contact with the allergen – dermatitis can manifest on the rest of the body as well. It usually occurs around 12 hours after contact and may last up to a month. In the case of constant exposure to nickel, eczema will accompany us continuously, because it is caused by too high an element concentration, stimulating the duplication of T cells of the immune system.
The ease with which we undergo allergic reactions to nickel is related to its atomic structure. As a light hapten (a substance of low molecular weight, reacting with proteins), it easily penetrates under the upper layer of the skin and binds to the appropriate protein in the form of an antigen. Sufficiently large amounts of it will eventually trigger an allergic reaction on the part of the immune system by overproducing T cells in the lymph nodes.
Nickel in jewelry
As nickel alloys relatively inexpensive to produce, they are very popularly used in the manufacture of jewelry. As this type of offer is much more popular among women, they are exposed to nickel much more often than men. Nickel can be found in low-quality silver products and in the so-called artificial jewelry, devoid of precious metals.
It is worth knowing that in addition to earring pendants, pendants or chains, glasses frames and metal elements of bags, belts or some clothes, and even electronic equipment (phones, tablets, laptops) can also expose us to contact with nickel. The work of a beautician, cashier or musician is also associated with an increased risk of an allergic reaction due to the constant use of items containing a nickel coating.
Nickel in cosmetics and in water
As one of the micronutrients essential for the functioning of enzymes in our body, nickel should go to our body in a daily dose not exceeding 0,3 mg. Various foods contain this element, including chocolate, oats and beans.
At the same time, trace amounts of nickel may appear in the composition of various oxides used in cosmetics, which makes it difficult to control the absorption of the element.
It is worth looking around in drugstores for products marked with a message about the content of nickel – some brands, in response to the interest of customers, put an appropriate note on the packaging. If the amount of nickel in a cosmetic is below one hundred thousand, the product is safe and can be used even by allergic people.
Unfortunately, the composition of the cosmetic will usually not inform you about the content of nickel, because its amounts are too small and have the nature of a minor impurity. This happens especially often in the case of colored cosmetics intended for eye make-up. As you can see, also in this case, the fair sex is much more exposed to contact with nickel.
Treatment of nickel allergy
Unfortunately, there is no possibility of desensitization in the case of nickel allergy. The only advice is to avoid it by reducing contact with nickel-plated objects and using barrier creams. The existing symptoms of dermatitis are treated symptomatically with dermatological ointments.
See also: The cause of allergic reactions to nickel has been discovered