If you find that wearing jewelry more often than not results in a rash, itching, or other allergic reaction signs, chances are that you may have an allergy to the metal out of which that jewelry is constructed. In most cases, that translates into an allergy to nickel, which is a common component in the crafting of jewelry and other items. If you also suffer from some form of baldness, it may have occurred to you to ask if nickel causes hair loss.
Before answering that question, it can be helpful to understand the impact this metal can have on those who come into contact with it. Nickel is a prime source of skin irritation where metals are concerned. Since it is used in so many products, ranging from cell phones to jewelry, it is easy to understand how these allergies can develop.
Once an allergy develops, the symptoms are fairly easy to spot. Rashes and itching skin are extremely common, as is dryness. More severe cases can involve blistering, cracked skin, and something akin to scales. When these symptoms appear you can always remove any metal and wait to see if the effects disappear once the contact has been ended. You could also simply seek confirmation from your personal physician.
Most doctors can diagnose these allergies visually, and confirm them with a few simple questions. There are also allergy tests that can be performed to ensure that the metal is the offending culprit, but these tests are usually not needed for an effective diagnosis. If the removal of this metal from the skin relieves the discomfort, then that is a virtual guarantee that an allergy exists.
Though there is no question about this metal's role as an allergen where skin is concerned, what about those who suffer from the effects of baldness? Does this element also play a role in that process? Scientists have conducted a great deal of research trying to find answers to that concern.
Through that research, the scientists have determined that there is no suggestion of any sort of connection between this element and any type of baldness. This is true even for those who have strong allergies. The researchers' explanation for the appearance of a connection is a simple one: where an allergic individual also seems to be balding, that balding is the result of his own genetic tendencies. As a result, the appearance of correlation is merely coincidental.
Of course, science has long know that heredity plays the primary role in the balding process. And while the research has not proved beyond doubt that there is no link between this element and the loss of hair, the evidence does strongly indicate that the chances of such a link are almost zero.
Of course, anyone who is allergic to this metal will probably take little comfort from this news. After all, once the allergy develops, it is there for life. Still, it is at least nice to know that someone who is allergic to this element can at least rest comfortably in the knowledge that baldness is not one of the condition's known side effects.
Before answering that question, it can be helpful to understand the impact this metal can have on those who come into contact with it. Nickel is a prime source of skin irritation where metals are concerned. Since it is used in so many products, ranging from cell phones to jewelry, it is easy to understand how these allergies can develop.
Once an allergy develops, the symptoms are fairly easy to spot. Rashes and itching skin are extremely common, as is dryness. More severe cases can involve blistering, cracked skin, and something akin to scales. When these symptoms appear you can always remove any metal and wait to see if the effects disappear once the contact has been ended. You could also simply seek confirmation from your personal physician.
Most doctors can diagnose these allergies visually, and confirm them with a few simple questions. There are also allergy tests that can be performed to ensure that the metal is the offending culprit, but these tests are usually not needed for an effective diagnosis. If the removal of this metal from the skin relieves the discomfort, then that is a virtual guarantee that an allergy exists.
Though there is no question about this metal's role as an allergen where skin is concerned, what about those who suffer from the effects of baldness? Does this element also play a role in that process? Scientists have conducted a great deal of research trying to find answers to that concern.
Through that research, the scientists have determined that there is no suggestion of any sort of connection between this element and any type of baldness. This is true even for those who have strong allergies. The researchers' explanation for the appearance of a connection is a simple one: where an allergic individual also seems to be balding, that balding is the result of his own genetic tendencies. As a result, the appearance of correlation is merely coincidental.
Of course, science has long know that heredity plays the primary role in the balding process. And while the research has not proved beyond doubt that there is no link between this element and the loss of hair, the evidence does strongly indicate that the chances of such a link are almost zero.
Of course, anyone who is allergic to this metal will probably take little comfort from this news. After all, once the allergy develops, it is there for life. Still, it is at least nice to know that someone who is allergic to this element can at least rest comfortably in the knowledge that baldness is not one of the condition's known side effects.