Rash from Wedding/Engagement Rings

Hi N.,

Do you wear your rings all of the time, even when cooking, doing dishes, etc.? I had the same problem with my rings and found that water was getting caught under my rings and causing the issue. Now I take my ring off for dishes, showers, bathing my son, etc., and I haven't had a problem since then. Of course, you have to go "nude" until it clears up (I think it took me several days), but then you should be fine. I hope this helps!

1 mom found this helpful

I've had that same problem. Sometimes soap & cleaning supplies get trapped underneath & the skin gets irritated. I hate to break it to you, but you're going to have to go completely naked until it clears up completely. Keep using the hydrocortisone, it helps.

Do you remove your rings when you use cleaning products--wash dishes, wipe counters, etc.? Or when you shower, wash hands? It could be soap/detergents not thoroughly rinsed from under the rings.

J.

It sounds like you have soap caought under your rings. Sometimes when all of the soap doesn't get rinsed completely off it irritates you skin. With as often as we wash our hands it is not surprising. Try really cleaning the underside of your rings and not wearing them for a day or so to let the area breath.

Hi N.,

I can understand how upsetting your situation is for you, though I doubt if it is a bad sign about your marriage! I had something similar happen with jewelery I had had for a while and went to the dermatologist-I was put on some sort of antibiotic and a cream (this was 6 years ago) and poof it was gone. I do know that our body composition is supposed to change every 5-7 years, so possibly yours has and this is the result.

I was curious about your proofreading job-I have a writing/copywriting/editing background in radio broadcast, news wire and marketing and would love something like that part-time for when I am staying at home with my first (due December 10th) how did you get involved? Do you have any suggestions-I have never been a 'proofreader' per say, but have done it consistently in my positions over the last 8 years. Any advice would be VERY appreciated!

I had the same problem years ago. My sister-in-laws father told me that soap was getting trapped under the ring. I started paying particular attention to rinsing my hands well especially around and under my ring. Problem solved.

I have had the same problem for the last 6-9 months. I have gone to a dermatologist and she wants me to have allergy testing to see if I might be allergic to a preservative or fragrance in one of the products that I use. They might be getting caught under the ring and causing the constant irritation. I have not been wearing my ring, because the itch and redness is terrible each time that I wear it. I am getting the testing done next week, so I hope to find some answers. Very frustrating! Good Luck!

Your rings may be too tight. Maybe get them enlarged just slightly.

N.,

It could be something that got underneath your ring, and not the ring causing the rash.
But, our bodies do change and you could suddenly be allergic to something that you never were before.
Anyway, if it continues try painting the inside of the ring with a few coats of clear nail polish.

Good Luck!

I've had the same problem with my Pampered Chef ring! It didn't happen right away, only after about 6 months of wearing it! I've had to take it off and I really miss it too!

The only thing that I can think might have caused it is leaving it on to wash my hands and not drying my hands thoroughly under the ring- It doesn't happen with my wedding ring because its thinner.

The ring it happens with, for me, is much thicker and wider.

Hope that helps and if you find a reason, I sure hope it helps me too!

You might be allergic to the nickle in the white gold.

Most likely you are allergic to nickel, which is in all metal(even white gold). I had the same problem. My ring is platinum and also contained nickel. It itches like crazy! I asked my doctor about it. It seemed to affect me more during the colder months. To help, at first I was without my ring, which was the only way it helped. Eventually this has slowly gotten better. It did take two years though. Now, I only wear my ring during the day and take it off for showers. I would say it's been a year since the rash has come back. I know it's hard to go through and to explain to people, but I hope this gives you hope. :)

clean your ring they contain bacteria and can infect the skin
steam it or wash with blue dawn in very hot water

This happened to me a few months ago. I stopped wearing my rings till it cleared up - put some aquaphor and hydricortizone ointment on it. Now I try to take my rings off at night or when I shower... water and soap can get stuck under the rings and irritate your skin if you never take them off. Hope this helps!

Hi N.,
I get the same thing, only with my sterling silver rings. My Dr. says it's fungal. You could try any one of the fungus treatments to see if they help. Maybe try to coat your ring on the inside with clear nail polish, if nothing else works. I also switched the ring to another finger with no problems. Good luck.

I am glad that you asked that question. I also recently had taken my rings off and they were red and cracked and hurt real bad. I have kept them off for a couple of days and they are clearing up. I have never had this problem before. I think it might be my new job. They told me that working with alot of cardboard pulls all the moisture out of your hands. Have you been doing anything different lately? Good luck!

D.

I read a few of the posts and didn't see anyone mention this (but i didn't read them all)...I used to work in jewelery so here's a small bit of info that may or may not explain it...

White gold is simply yellow gold mixed with other metal alloys that are white in color...this still leaves the white gold with a yellow/gold "tinge" to it (this is why white gold pieces tend to yellow over time). What they do is coat the white gold with a metal called Rhodium which is a member of the platinum family(if you have a gold allergy, rhodium coating/plating is another solution rather than upgrading to platinum)...anyway, this Rhodium wears off over time...the time it takes can vary widely from person to person depending on body chemistry. What you may need to do is get your rings rhodium plated again because maybe one of the metal alloys in the white gold is irritating your skin...some people need to have this done every 6 months while others can go years in between...it just depends on body chemistry and what you do with your rings on...cleaning agents, soaps, and lotions can cause this rhodium to wear faster so take your rings off when cleaning or showering.

Depending on where your rings were purchased, some jewelery warranties and protection plans cover this re-plating so check on that too :)

Also, I agree it could just be residue of some kind getting trapped between or under the rings and causing irritation...most jewelery stores in the mall can drop your rings in their ultrasonic cleaner for you (it's free and only takes a couple seconds...just ask if they wouldn't mind cleaning your rings for you...i know for a fact Rogers and Hollands does it all the time...it doesn't matter where you bought them)...I stop by the store any time i'm walking around the mall...it takes only a second and makes your rings sparkle like new!!! They also usually check for loose stones while you're there so it's great!

I know it was alot of info, but i hope I could help!!!

N.-

I have a similiar thing going on. I find it gets worse when I don't dry my hands well enough and too much moisture is under my ring. I suggest you take your rings off at night and use a good hand lotion before bed. Apply more lotion in the morning before you put your rings back on. And then after washing your hands, take your rings off to dry them to ensure no moisture is trapped! Good luck!

Okay, I just read the response beneath this one and I have to say that I have platinum and I still get that itchy red ring beneath my rings. Here's one.... stop cleaning. I think (for me) it's from using cleaning agents and washing dishes. I'm allergic to metals with my earrings and a jeweler said that with most metals there is an alloy that they don't put in White Gold or Platinum. So White gold has been good for me. I have to say though, too funny with the sign of your marriage. Maybe that's my problem too! ( married 9 years this October) My house is a huge mess (3 under 7 years old) but I notice the more I clean the more the band gets dry and itchy. Try lots of lotion. Good luck.

It is from Dawn or palmolive what ever the dishwashing soap you are using. This happens all the time to many people I know and some use gloves and I switched to seventh generation and it has helped a bit.
your marriage is going great not a sign at all!
J.

Hi. Try wearing gloves when washing. At night try vaseline with cotton gloves to moisturize. Maybe try going to see a dermatologist. I've had a horrible time with my skin after I had my son. Its gotton worse at time goes by. I have all the things I've suggested and its better but not solved and I don't think it will be. My skin peels if its too dry - especially during winter. Good luck and keep using cream. Try maybe goldbond.

I bet your ring is just dirty. I had the same problem. Soak them in peroxide and vinegar overnight. wash and repeat. Let the rash heal before putting them back on and all should go back to normal.

Just an FYI. My rings were platinum so I don't know if there would be a reaction with gold.
Good luck.

Upgrade to platnum!! In all seriousness, this happened to my college roommate and she discovered that she is allergic to gold - so, yes, she had to get platnum wedding & engagement rings.

Hi N.,

Sometimes when moisture gets under my rings my skin cracks. Make sure your skin is a dry as can be and put lotion on alot under the rings.

It may help.

H

Hi N.,

I had a similar experience with my rings (although it was after being married for a much shorter time. :-) I would suggest a few things: 1. Coat the inside of your rings with clear nail polish to create a barrier between them and your skin. 2. Always take them off when you wash your hands, dry your hands really well, and put on hand cream (like Neutrogena Norwegian formula -- hand cream, not lotion) after every time you wash your hands. 3. It can't hurt to give your hand a bit of a break when you're around the house or asleep. 4. You might want to see a doctor who can give you a prescription for a stronger hydrocortisone (I did this and it seemed to help when my hand got really bad). I put it on at night so it would stay on longer (no hand-washing, etc.).

Best of luck,
R.

This has happened to me before when I have been washing my hands more than usual. It's almost like the water and soap get trapped under my ring if I don't take it off and dry it thoroughly enough. Hope this helps.

My husband gets a rash from water getting trapped under his wedding band. Try making sure that you are always taking your rings off when your hands are getting wet and make sure to dry your hands well before putting them back on. Might also try a little baby powder or corn starch on your finger under your rings.

there is probably water getting trapped under there. It's very itchy! You must just take the rings off and let it heal. It should heal pretty quickly... it just needs to "dry" out.

OMG! This just started happening to me too! I had to go without rings for about 2 weeks until it cleared up, like another poster said. I also agree that it is probably from a combination of hand sanitizer, getting a little too tight, and trapping moisture. I am now able to wear my engagement band on it's own, but as soon as I add my wedding band it "breaks out" again. I think I am going to have the band resized and cleaned at the jewelers and hopefully that will help.

I agree that it sounds like you have some product trapped under your ring. Just so you know, if the change in the the ingredients in a product is less than a certain percentage, the company does not have to list it on the label. Something you use all of the time without a problem can suddenly cause a reaction. Good luck to you.

N. I had the exact same problem about a year after I got married. I wore my rings all of the time and eventually I got this nasty rash on my wedding finger which was strane because I wore rings on some of my other fingers and they were fine but they were all 14k white gold and my wedding rings were 14k gold. I asked my docter and all of the different jewelry stores and the only thing we could come up with was that I had a 14k gold allergy. So I traded in my rings for 14k white gold and I have not had any problems for the last 6 years. I actually still have scars on my fingers from the rash. I no longer where my rings all of the time I take them off before washing my hands,dishes, baths and before bed. I hope this helps! Good luck!

N.,

Probiotics....cures almost everything. New symptoms are usually due to something going on inside...probiotics helps move your food out. SInce i have added this to my families diet, my sons allergies have stopped making his eyes water, my husbands itchy scalp has gone away and I cleared up a UTI I contracted on vacation and couldn't get antibiotics for.

Good Luck,
L.

This sounds so familiar! My rings are also white gold. I get the rashy thing from time to time. I recently just took mine off because it itched so bad! I am also 9 months pregnant and it was fairly tight. It seems to me it happens when moisture gets under there and when it's tight. Having it off for a few days seemed to help, in fact it seemed to be the solution right away. I let it dry out a bit and it's fine now. I can't put it back on until after I have the baby. It doesn't fit! You may want to try that. I don't like walking around without it, but that rash hurts!! Good luck!

I developed a nickel allergy while I was pregnant and was unable to wear my rings. They are also white gold like yours. I took them to my jeweler and he put yellow gold along the inside of the ring (where you wouldn't be able to see it) and I was able to wear my rings again. I have it done every couple of months. It didn't cost anything and I was able to look like a married pregnant woman with my husband and not a home wrecker. Side note: My husband has to get this done to his ring also. I guess had we known that we were both going to become allergic to our wedding rings we would have picked a metal that didn't contain nickel.

This happens to me each year at the begining of cold/flu season - it's too much hand sanitizer in my case. I know it sounds weird, but it's true.

I have the same problem. Partially because my rings have gotten tighter over the years :) But, if I steam clean my ring, the problem goes away. Good luck!

HI,

Don't worry I have been married almost 11 years and had the same problem maybe 4 years ago. I can't remember what I used on my finger but it did get better. May have been some type of antifungal. I suggest that you clean your rings. I think I had a problem because bacteria (and gunk) was under my rings and they were constantly wet (I have a 6 year old and a four year old). So at the time LOTS of diaper changes. I know it's hard not to be able to wear your rings, but I have stopped wearing mine most of the time at home, just to prevent gunk from building up. HTH

S.

Hi N.

I ended up asking my Dr. about that because I had the same problem. Do you wash your hands with your ring on? That was my problem, water got trapped under the ring, which caused the skin to get red and itchy. She prescribed some cream and it got better. Not sure what that was! If you do wash your hands with your ring on, just be sure to dry your finger and the ring thoroughly.
I hope this helps.

D.

I get the same thing and I found out it was from the soap I was using to wash my hands because I don't take my rings off when I wash my hands the soap and water get trapped and cause a rash

I had the same problem about 2 years ago and it turned out that I had soap that didn't get rinsed off of my ring all of the way. I went and had my ring cleaned at the jeweler and had to keep it off for a couple of days. I ended up putting a really heavy lotion on it to keep it from getting dry and sore. After that, I've never had the problem again. The jeweler said it's very common to get soaps and lotions that embed into the ring. Ironically though, mine also happened when my husband and I were not getting along very well and the same thoughts ran through my mind. Not wearing the ring sort of felt rebellious and almost liberating!!! While our marriage is far from perfect, it has lasted 5 years!!! Good luck!

I had the same problem. I found it was soap getting trapped under the rings-when I showered or washed my hands! I took off my ring for a few days and put moisturizer on the spot.

My husband get this sometimes too. He sleeps without his rings for a night or two and makes sure to wash his hands well, and it goes away right away. And don't worry--our marriage is fine! :-)

N.,

I am a mother and a nurse. I had the same issue you described. I got some sort of medicine for it--a sample from one of my nurse pals. However, I discovered I was not completing drying my fingers well and the soap was breaking out my skin on my ring finger. I stopped wearing my rings for a week and made sure I dried my hands completely and the rash disappeared.

A little about me:
Mother of twins 31 years old and mother of one son 33 years old. Grandmother of 14.

I have had this same issue. I work at a hospital and am always washing my hands. Dryness could be the cause of it or start of eczema.. No telling, but I had used a cream that my doctor prescibed (not sure of the name sorry) but if you talk to your doctor ask him about it. This is the time of year that it usually starts. Good luck

You're not rinsing your hands well enough when they are in soap or something like that. The soap is getting trapped under your rings. Happens to me if I'm not careful washing/rinsing my hands. Just be more mindful of it and it'll go away.

White gold means it probably was dipped in some kind of silver. Does it look like your rings are fading? This happend to me. I had to get them re-dipped and then not wear them until my rash had healed. Also, you should always take off your rings when you wash your hands. Soap and water gets trapped under there and can cause a reaction to your skin.

Same here...I have to take my rings off when I go to bed at night. Plus, like someone else said, make sure it's completely dry after I wash my hands or take the rings off when washing your hands. Good luck! Hope this helps.

Try vaseline, it works every time for me.

B.

I had the same thing that happened to me. Two things: When you wash your hands make sure all the soap is rinsed off and that it is dry before you put your rings back on. Also, by cleaning your jewelry often it helps any build up of soap/cleaning products that may irritate the area.
Hope this helps you!

Hi...

I have had the same problem off and on for a while now. They say that it is rare to be allergic. It can be a combination of cleaning supplies ect. that build up. When my finger breaks out, I do end up taking off my rings and leaving them off until it is cleared up. Keep putting the
hydrocortisone on it should help. Also, have you had your rings dipped lately? That may help also.

T.

I agree with what everyone else says. I never wear my rings overnight or in the shower, have them cleaned every once in a while and have never had a problem. Since you don't want to be "naked" why don't you have them cleaned and then wear them on your right hand for a few days til your left clears up? I know it's not the same, but at least they'll still be close by!