EXCLUSIVEWoman says cheap earrings gave her gruesome rash all over her face... as experts warn of risks of specific metals
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Erin Dunn from Atlanta, Georgia, developed an 'extremely painful' rash that seared bright red, dry patches around her eyes, ears, lips and hands.
She tried to treat her ailment for six months, changing her diet, her makeup and even her pet's food, but nothing seemed to cure the condition, she shared in a TikTok that now has more than 1.1million views.
That is until, on a whim, she decided to remove her faux-gold earrings, which she had bought for 'extremely cheap' from an unnamed online retailer.
Within 24 hours, her condition began to improve, leading her to believe the accessories may have been the problem all along.
The healthcare worker had likely developed an allergy to nickel, a metal commonly found in jewelry, which can cause scaly, dry and painful eczema patches on the skin, Dr Azadeh Shirazi, board-certified dermatologist and founder of AziMD skincare, told DailyMail.com.
Ms Dunn was likely suffering from a Nickle allergy. With this condition, if the person is exposed to the product, they'll develop eczema
When the rash first appeared around her eyes, Ms Dunn went to the eye doctor for answers. Her optometrist gave her eye drops which eased her pain, but sent her home with no cure for her skin.
From there, Ms Dunn made lifestyle changes in an attempt to figure out what was the root of her skin condition. For a while, she thought her mascara could be the culprit, and spent 'lots of money' replacing her makeup.
Nothing seemed to help, though, and daily life was painful. She couldn't even wash her face because anytime she rubbed the affected area or put anything on it, 'it would hurt like hell,' she said.
Finally, she removed her earrings and rings and within 24 hours, Ms Dunn said her symptoms began to subside.
While she blames her inexpensive jewelry for her reaction, she assured her followers this isn't something that will happen to everyone who buys inexpensive accessories.
Though Ms Dunn claimed the nickel in her earrings and rings must have traveled through her blood stream, Dr Shirazi said that's not how these skin reactions work.
In order for the rash to develop, a person must have had direct contact with Nickel for a prolonged period of time. So, in Ms Dunn's case, Dr Shirazi said it's not possible the rash around her eyes was caused by her earrings, unless she had rubbed those on her eyes.
Though she can't know for sure without seeing Ms Dunn in person, Dr Shirazi said it's possible Ms Dunn may have rubbed her eyes and the rings on her hand could have caused the rash, or she could've used an eyelash curler or eyeshadow that contained Nickel.
This kind of allergy, called contact dermatitis, makes a person develop eczema in the areas that contact the allergen. Other chronic types of eczema are caused by an overactive immune system.
Jewelers often add nickel to their products because it's cheaper than precious metals but is also durable and adds shine
Eczema is a skin condition that causes irritated, dry, red patches to form all over the skin. It can form in response to an allergy or can be a chronic condition.
This painful, dry skin condition is frustrating to deal with, and can make someone more prone to developing infections if the skin breaks, Dr Shirazi explained.
Nickel is a metal frequently used in less expensive jewelry because it's durable, shiny and cheaper than fine metals, like gold or silver.
Outside of jewelry, its found in makeup, buttons on jeans, cell phones and scissors.
A nickel allergy can seemingly develop out of nowhere, but likely happens over a longer period of time, silently, inside the body.
There, the immune system reacts to nickel and identifies it as a threat, forcing your body respond to the metal as if it were a virus or bacteria, making the skin inflamed and red.
Like peanut or pollen allergies, generally, once you develop a nickel allergy, it doesn't go away, Dr Shirazi said.
Also, it's likely that if you develop a nickel allergy on one part of the body, the rest of your body will be similarly sensitive.
So, if you had a nickel allergy from a necklace, you could still have a reaction on your stomach if you wore a pair of jeans that had a nickel button.
Luckily, the allergic rashes someone gets from cheap jewelry should resolve themselves once the person stops using the product, Dr Shirazi said.
Before it clears up, you can use soothing creams that contain aloe or hydrocortisone to ease your symptoms.
Ms Dunn's video was flooded with users commiserating and sharing their similar experiences.
User Jessi Bell said, 'Wait a damn minute. I've been dealing with something like this for a yr.'
'I believe you. I’m SO sensitive to metals and earrings. My ears will start bleeding immediately and I’ve had them pierced since I was 3 (I’m 31),' user Taylorvalle added.
It's not surprising people related to Ms Dunn's situation because this kind of nickel allergy is quite common, especially in people who wear jewelry, Dr Shirazi told this website.
The American Academy of Dermatology estimated 18 percent of Americans have the allergy, which includes more than 11million children.
