Ear piercing is very popular these days, this has been greatly influenced by changing fashion statements. Ear piercing is expected to become much more popular. Atopic eczema has also become very common, but very few studies have addressed the idea that the ear piercing itself could be responsible for causing eczema.

Ear piercing involves making a hole in the ear and then passing a piece of metal through it. This leads to contact with heavy metals like nickel and cobalt. It is strictly recommended to perform the piercing in perfect hygienic conditions. Even after you finish drilling, there are some precautions you need to follow.

Atopic eczema is caused by certain allergens in affected people. An exposure to a certain material could trigger eczema, could a metal like nickel trigger eczema?

Scientists have investigated whether nickel can cause a trigger for atopic eczema. In an experiment with 960 young girls it was found that about 13% of those who received their ears pierced went on to develop allergic skin reactions. Of the same sample, only 1% of those who did not receive pierced ears had eczema. Similarly, in a study of 520 young Swedish men doing compulsory military service, hypersensitivity to nickel and cobalt was found to be higher (in 8% of men) among those who received the piercing. By contrast only 2.7% of those who did not get their ear pierced developed eczema. In another study in 424 Norwegian schoolchildren aged 7-12 years, 89 children had pierced ears and 79 developed skin allergies to metal jewelry, which is a whopping 88% of those with pierced ears ! These studies statistically link ear piercing consisting of nickel and cobalt to atopic eczema, and establish metals as allergens for a significant percentage of the population.

You can protect yourself from allergic reactions, you must first start by visiting your doctor for a test allergens. If you find that you are not allergic to nickel, then it should be fine to go ahead and get your ears pierced.

Another less obvious reason for allergies in skin after pierced ear could not be metal, but latex gloves using the ear punching person. If you think you are allergic to latex or rubber, you should ask the person wear a pair of gloves made of a different material. Because children have shown a very high susceptibility to a possible sensitization to nickel (88% compared with 13% among adult men), we can see that children are much more sensitive, so you should be very careful for pierced ears considering your child. For people suffering from diabetes, epilepsy, hypertension, heart disease or hemophilia, it is important to seek your doctor’s approval before even considering piercing your ears.

Good skin health is much more important than simply making a fashion statement. After all, a rash-filled face doesn’t make a good fashion statement anyway! With a little caution and moderation, it is possible to prevent the development of atopic eczema.