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subscribe to beauty blog via RSSDr. Denese: “If You Like It, Then You Better Take That Ring Off It”
July 21, 2009 10:48 am
This column features weekly tips and advice from a revolving cast of industry leaders, on hand to discuss your beauty dilemmas, from blemishes to Botox. To submit a question, e-mail elia_ellenberg@condenast.com.
I was wearing a cheap costume jewelry ring for a while and after the skin on my finger turned green, it broke out into little itchy bubbles. After it cleared up, I tried wearing a real gold ring on the same finger and the same thing happened. I’m not allergic to gold so I’m a little confused. What is causing the irritation and more importantly, how do I treat it?
When you switched back to the gold ring, one of the elements in it was the metal that you developed an allergy to in the first place—most likely nickel. Unfortunately, allergic reactions do not tend to get better with time and often can only get worse. You should stop wearing the offending ring immediately, and in the future, it’s important that you are positive that the gold jewelry you wear does not contain the metal that triggered your initial allergic reaction. Sometimes, coating the ring with clear nail polish may help, but the best symptomatic treatment is a topical corticosteroid, like hydrocortisone cream. Use it only for a few days until the symptoms subside.
Adrienne Denese, M.D., Ph.D., is one of the only female scientists in the field of antiaging medicine. She has appeared on myriad TV programs and in countless magazines to discuss issues of antiaging and the latest methods in skin rejuvenation. In 2003, she launched an eponymous line to share her research with her patients.
tags: Adrienne Denese, Skincare
