Everything about medical earrings

Why should you wear medical earrings?

Sensitive ears

Medical earrings are earrings recommended by doctors for people with fragile ears.

Indeed, they protect your ears, especially those that are sensitive to allergies.

We asked experts to help us solve our problem of sensitive ears in the hope of knowing when to use medical earrings.

First, this is a delicate area. The skin of the earlobe tends to be thinner, like that of the eyelids and lips, making it more prone to irritation or allergic reactions.

If you suffer from eczema, dermatitis or if your ears are simply sensitive, it is recommended to use medical earrings.

Anyone can develop an allergy or sensitivity to a skin care product at any time, even if they have used it without problems in the past.

Results can occur whenever a predisposed or sensitive person comes into contact with the chemical or metal they are allergic to.

Offer a quality gift

Medical earrings also represent the ideal piece of jewelry to give as a gift, guaranteeing that the recipient will not develop an allergy.

There are many reasons to choose medical-grade jewelry, but the main one is that everyone can wear it.

Medical earrings are the best choice for sensitive ears, which is why they are often recommended for babies and young children.

Nickel allergy

Nickel is a metal commonly used in jewelry making because it is more resistant than gold or silver and can be mixed with these common metals to create a stronger and more cost-effective final product.

3-4% of the population is born with a nickel sensitivity and 20-25% of people with pierced ears develop some level of nickel allergy and sensitivity.

Ear piercing and earrings can be the cause of this allergy.

Earrings to avoid

Experts point out that various metals (including gold and cobalt) can cause a reaction.

The best way to assess a metal allergy is with a patch test, but some materials tend to be particularly problematic.

The most common allergy among jewelry wearers is nickel allergy. Adhesives used to assemble costume jewelry can be another source of allergic contact dermatitis.

If you are one of the millions who suffer from contact dermatitis, your jewelry choices may seem very limited.

Contact dermatitis is what happens when someone allergic to nickel (it's quite common) wears jewelry that contains even a small amount of this metal.

Many people are embarrassed and bothered by the itching and redness that can take weeks to subside. Earrings are often to blame, which has led many people to opt for medical earrings.

Plated metals, such as rolled gold and vermeil, often cause allergies because they are normally composed of base metals like nickel or zinc. When the plating wears off, your skin comes into contact with these metals and causes skin reactions.

Types of medical earrings

Jewelers make medical-grade earrings from materials like medical-grade plastic, titanium, niobium, or wood.

Medical plastic

Medical plastic earrings are made of durable and completely hypoallergenic plastic.

Do not clean these earrings with alcohol (including surgical alcohol), as this would damage the medical plastic. Soap and water are sufficient.

Titanium

The other standard option is medical titanium earrings, made of pure titanium. Prized for its lightness and strength, doctors use titanium for medical implants and instruments.

Titanium or medical-grade plastic earrings offer great durability.

Medical titanium earrings, in particular, are a great gift as they suit everyone. These medical-grade earrings are
suitable for sensitive skin.

Niobium

Niobium is an element, not a metal, but it can be manipulated for use in jewelry and is almost as durable and affordable as titanium.

It can be more difficult to find niobium earrings because this metal is not very common and is not as well known as the other metals mentioned in this article.

Wood

You probably haven't thought of wood as an alternative material for your earrings, but it is an excellent, albeit uncommon, choice.

Wood does not affect your ear piercings and is not known to cause allergies or reactions of any kind when worn. Again, make sure the post is wood when choosing a pair.

Surgical steel

Surgical steel is the type of steel used in the biomedical field, surgery, orthopedic and dental implants, because it has the greatest resistance to corrosion compared to other types of steel.

When looking for medical jewelry, opt for surgical steel earrings, as they are safe, stainless, and do not react with body fluids.

Hypoallergenic metals

The best hypoallergenic earrings

Platinum and stainless steel tend to cause fewer allergies, making them the best metals for hypoallergenic jewelry.

These are also good options for first ear piercings, which can decrease the risk of developing an allergy later.

If you prefer gold designs, use 14k gold as a base to find the best hypoallergenic earrings. Tantalum is also hypoallergenic.

You can indeed find high-quality hypoallergenic earrings without having to pay the price of luxury jewelry (unless you are ready to splurge).

You will often find cheap earrings labeled "hypoallergenic". This means that the earrings are unlikely to cause metal allergies, but it does not guarantee that they will not.

The hypoallergenic label

Unfortunately, in the jewelry industry, there is no standard for hypoallergenic earrings. Any jeweler can put an hypoallergenic label on their products.

Generally, an hypoallergenic label simply means that the earrings may be covered with a coating that prevents nickel from coming into contact with the skin, but when the coating wears off, you may experience discomfort.

This type of earrings can be worn occasionally, but for regular wear, choose a better metal.

Discover our collection of men's diamond earrings right here ↓

Wearing earrings without irritation

Nail polish

If you're not ready to part with your favorite earrings, here are some tips to make them wearable:

Clear nail polish works effectively on earrings. Simply coat the earring posts with two to three layers of clear nail polish.

This doesn't affect the look or feel of your earrings, and the nail polish acts as a buffer between your ears and the metal.

Remember to reapply the coat about every week or so, as the nail polish will gradually fade.

Vaseline

Vaseline applied to the metal is another easy trick that works perfectly for most people. Simply rub a little Vaseline on the parts of the metal that come into contact with your skin.

As with nail polish, this creates a protective barrier. Unlike the nail polish trick, Vaseline needs to be reapplied every few hours.

So, with our guide, you can now choose different metals to avoid allergies. Whether you've just had your ears pierced or have simply added other piercings to your lobe, the right choice of earrings is essential for your health and beauty.

Also discover our selection of men's earrings for everyday wear.