So you’ve bought a new pair of earrings and after wearing them for a couple of hours, your ears start to feel itchy, swell, and turn red. Suddenly, you can’t wait to take them off. A quick Google search tells you you’re allergic to nickel.
Most jewelry contains nickel; unfortunately, many people react to it with swelling, blisters, itching, pus, and more. The good news is that you can still wear gorgeous jewelry without worrying about irritation.
In this guide, we’re sharing our curated list of the 10 best earrings for sensitive ears and what metals to avoid when buying earrings.
10 best earrings for sensitive ears
For the jewelry lover, having sensitive ears and not knowing what earrings to buy is frustrating. So, we have carefully selected the best hypoallergenic earrings to make it easier for you.
Stud earrings for sensitive ears
If you love studs, these 18K hypoallergenic gold earrings are an excellent choice. They feature a round solid gold ball and silicone backings with an overall stunning polished surface.
These studs are perfect for any outfit and are the simplest earrings a girl can own – an excellent choice for minimalists.
They come in a lovely gift box, so you can gift your mom, daughter, sister, or friend.
Flatback earrings for sensitive ears
Titanium is an excellent metal for sensitive ears. This pair features clear cubic zirconia simulated diamonds.
These earrings come in a pack of five pairs with different post lengths from 2mm to 6mm. Unlike earrings with butterfly pushbacks that can snag hair, these screw-back earrings are snag-free.
Buyers love them and say you can sleep with them comfortably.
Little girls’ earrings for sensitive ears
These stainless steel studs for girls will keep their ears irritation-free. They come with a sparkly pink cubic zirconia stone center. You can also get ones with green, purple, gold, and blue colored cubic zirconia stones.
They also feature a threaded post and screw back to hold the earring securely and comfortably. Note that these earrings aren’t suitable for children under three years old as they are a choking hazard. Read our guide on earrings for babies to choose the right ones for your baby.
Sterling silver earrings for sensitive ears
If you fancy silver jewelry, these sterling silver earrings are just for you. They feature a bar drop design with chains that make them unique, crafted from nickel-free (low-tarnish high-quality sterling silver), and excellent for daily wear.
They’re so light you’ll forget you’re wearing them. Also, they’re suitable for any occasion and come in a lovely package making it easy to gift your loved one.
Gold earrings for sensitive ears
For sensitive ears, it’s always better to avoid gold-plated jewelry and go for 18K gold like these vertical long drop earrings. With gold-plated jewelry, the plating wears off with time, and the base metal may cause irritation if it contains nickel.
This stylish pair makes a fashion statement when you wear them. The slim gold bars swing lightly with every step you take. They are also easy to put on and take off. More importantly, you don’t have to worry about nickel allergies with these.
Huggie hoops for sensitive ears
Titanium is another metal suitable for sensitive skin, just like gold. Still, on the topic of hoops, we have picked the best beautiful, lightweight titanium hoop for you. All you need to worry about with this is how beautiful they look on you.
This titanium pair from SJG is lead-free, nickel-free, and rust-free. They’re handmade and easy to put on. Many buyers said they are comfortable to wear but must be kept well so the rings don’t fall off.
Budget earrings for sensitive ears
We’re glad when we don’t have to break the bank to get suitable earrings for our sensitive ears, so we thought you’d be pleased too.
So, we’ve picked out these cubic zirconia earrings. You can get them in a set of six pairs, 12 pairs, or 20 pairs. They’re perfect if you have multiple ear piercings or want to gift a friend. They come with secure butterfly backs, and they’re tarnish-free.
High-end earrings for sensitive ears
If you’re all about making a statement with sparkly, high-end jewelry, these 950 platinum earrings are for you. They come with 0.025-carat diamonds and you can get them in yellow gold, white gold, and rose gold. The seller offers a 30-day no questions asked return policy.
Dangle earrings for sensitive ears
We’ve picked out these shiny 18K gold-plated hoop dangle earrings. They’re lightweight and suitable for ladies of all ages. You can get them in white gold and rose gold too.
This pair is worth a shot with a 4.5 rating on Amazon and over 5000 ratings. Some buyers with sensitive ears said the earrings hadn’t irritated their skin.
Stylish earrings for sensitive ears
These 925 sterling silver hug hoops earrings feature a synthetic fire opal. They have a metal wrap that hugs your earlobes and makes you stand out. The synthetic opal stone sparkles from a distance. It’s an interesting pair to own and a stylish gift to give.
How to choose the best hypoallergenic earrings
Metals that cause allergies inflame the skin when they both come in contact. In essence, the skin picks up molecules of metal that travel to the lymph nodes. The body recognizes the substance as foreign and sets up an immune response which results in skin irritation. So you must be careful about choosing the right earrings for your sensitive skin.
Look out for the metal type
Some metals cause allergies, while others don’t. Choose metals that won’t cause irritation like the ones we’ve mentioned in the above products. They include pure sterling silver, copper, platinum, titanium, and gold (18K and 22K).
Higher gold carat
If you’re choosing gold earrings, they should be 18K or 22K gold. 18K gold contains 75% gold, and 22K gold contains 96.7% gold. They both contain very little nickel and other elements, so they’re less likely to irritate your skin than 14K and 10K gold which have a lower gold content.
Metals to avoid if you have sensitive ears
If your ears get itchy or swollen when you wear earrings, avoid these metals.
Zinc Alloy
Not all zinc alloy jewelry is bad for sensitive ears. But sometimes zinc alloys contain nickel or huge amounts of copper, irritating your ears. When purchasing zinc alloy jewelry, always confirm what it contains first.
White Gold
White gold is usually a combination of metals, with the highest percentage being fine gold. The other metals are copper, zinc, nickel, and silver. The nickel content in white gold may cause ear irritation.
Nickel can be alloyed with chromium, iron, and molybdenum to make jewelry. For that reason, it may cause irritation because of the nickel and chromium content.
Although not all cheap earrings may cause irritation, it’s better not to go for the cheapest earrings out there. They probably contain nickel.
Frequently asked questions
Here, we have answered some questions about earring sensitivity.
Do gold earrings have nickel?
Gold earrings may contain more nickel if they are 14K and lower. However, 18K gold and above contains less nickel because of the high gold content. For example, 22K gold contains less than 0.1% of nickel, making it safer to wear than others.
Also, it’s possible for the base metal of an earring that contains nickel to be gold-plated or rolled with gold.
How can I know if I am allergic to nickel?
Most people find out they are allergic to nickel after they wear jewelry that contains nickel. Symptoms of nickel allergy could be in form of a rash, swelling, pus, black skin like a burn, blisters, redness, or pain in the affected area.
If you are not sure about your jewelry, you can use a nickel spot test to detect the presence or absence of nickel before it comes in contact with your skin.
Can men be allergic to nickel?
A nickel allergy isn’t gender-selective. It depends on an individual’s skin sensitivity. So yes, a man can be allergic to nickel.
Can I stop having a nickel allergy?
Sadly, there’s no cure for a nickel allergy. Once you have it, you’ll always be sensitive to nickel. The best way to minimize the allergic reaction is to wear items with very little or no nickel.
Why is nickel used to alloy other metals?
Nickel is used to alloy other metals to increase their hardness so that jewelry can be formed. If left soft, those metals cannot be transformed into jewelry.
Rock your irritation-free earrings
Your jewelry doesn’t have to be boring because it’s hypoallergenic. Now that you have a list of the best earrings for sensitive ears, your next earring purchase should be exciting. You shouldn’t endure skin irritation or give up wearing gorgeous jewelry because of your sensitive skin. Now go out there and buy your earrings confidently.
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