One more cup of coffee

Every time I take off my ring - all two or three times total since the wedding, when I have been gardening or baking - I have had to deal with my husband's mock-horror at seeing my bare finger.

"If you take the ring off, we won't be married anymore!"

Every time this has happened, I assure him we'll be married no matter where the ring is. My repeated assurances must have worked! This weekend when I hit the garden for some serious digging he held onto my ring without even one whimper!

PS - I actually have known a few married folk who don't wear rings for various reasons. I don't think there is any stigma one way or the other. : )

Er. I guess unless you want to wear the ring everyday. Then I think you are stuck with your sucky options.

Here is another option: you could also start a new masculine trend and wear the ring on a necklace - something I have seen women do all the time.

Too femme for you, maybe?

Then he'd have a rash on his chest or something. Mike, are you sure it's not silver or iron in the ring that you're allergic to you? Maybe you're a werewolf one of the faer folk or something.

That does suck, though.

Total freakish coincidence this morning. I woke up with a vague impression that I had had a horrible dream during the night where my wedding ring had caused some sort of horrible pain in my ring-finger.

I went to the bathroom, brushed my teeth, and then noticed that during the night my ring had apparently fallen off my (strangely) sore finger. This had never happened before. I went back to bed, quickly found my ring in the sheets and put it back on my finger. I tested the finger, and even more bizarrely it seemed tender to the touch.

Half way through today, I was rubbing my sore finger and pushed my ring out of place long enough to figure out that I had some sort of painful bite right under my ring band! Did I get bit somehow under my finger and I pulled the ring off in my sleep? Did the ring fall off and then I got bit? It's SO bizarre.

One thing is for sure. I woke up with a pain in my finger and IMMEDIATELY thought "Mike's damn ring story has something to do with this! My finger hurts! I caught his disease!"

Thanks, Mike! Hahahaa!

Beca, that's the funniest story I've heard in a while. Sorry to hear that my story is infecting you over the Internet ;)

I'm allergic to nickel, too and can only wear my wedding ring occasionally. I have found that if I cut all wheat products out of my diet, I can wear my ring a little. Wheat leaches nickel from the soil and if you eat lots of wheat, you can end up with an excess in your body, which results in increased sensitivity to the nickel in your wedding ring. This only works for me if the rash is completely cleared up before I try wearing the ring. I have also found that as time goes on, I have become more sensitive and now I get a rash on both ring fingers, even the hand not wearing the ring! Insane. I wish I could wear my ring, especially since I have a two year old and would like to let the world know that I'm married to her dad.

I got chemicals trapped under my wedding ring when I was on a job site almost 3 years ago and I can hardly wear it any more. I would let months pass then I may be able to wear the ring a couple of days before the rash began again. Now if my finger appears completely healed, I can put the ring on and within an hour or so my skin itches and begins to crack. I will probably buy a new band to see if allergies are the only problem. If I find anything out, I'll let you know.

I finally just got a new ring that seems to be fine.

http://www.mohea.com/mike/words/000223.html

Yay!

I am alergic to all metal that is not almost completely gold (yellow gold). I now have rashes on my promise ring finger, my wedding ring finger (which includes the engagement ring as well - double the rash) and now since I got married the rash has spread to the next finger over where my wedding ring touches. I find that I use a clear nail polish, the rash will diminish, but I need to aplly the nail polish every couple of days - and I am sure that the chemicals in the nail polish are not good the ring. Does no one have a solution to this?

I have been married for almost 14 years now-- and guess what? Can't wear my one carat diamond and platinum engagement ring or wedding band. People think it's weird. I think some people think I'm not really married, or that we can't afford good rings-- even after 14 years! I've tried several things. Platinum doesn't help. The 18 karet gold ring from Tiffany's was worse than every other ring I tried. Nail polish helps for a few days-- but these days, I not only get the rash on the ring finger, I get the rash on the finger that's adjacent to it. I'm trying Atkins right now, and that means no wheat in my diet. I'm hoping that will help. Until then-- I'm looking into other types of rings. I hear stainless steel is supposed to be hypoallergenic. But I've never seen a ring like this in real life, so I'll have to investigate. Until then-- I remain happilly bonded to my hubbby, with or without that little endless circle that represents our unity and love.

I have been married for almost 14 years now-- and guess what? Can't wear my one carat diamond and platinum engagement ring or wedding band. People think it's weird. I think some people think I'm not really married, or that we can't afford good rings-- even after 14 years! I've tried several things. Platinum doesn't help. The 18 karet gold ring from Tiffany's was worse than every other ring I tried. Nail polish helps for a few days-- but these days, I not only get the rash on the ring finger, I get the rash on the finger that's adjacent to it. I'm trying Atkins right now, and that means no wheat in my diet. I'm hoping that will help. Until then-- I'm looking into other types of rings. I hear stainless steel is supposed to be hypoallergenic. But I've never seen a ring like this in real life, so I'll have to investigate. Until then-- I remain happilly bonded to my hubbby, with or without that little endless circle that represents our unity and love.

I am so glad I found this site. I was totally freaked out about the rash under my ring finger. Thought I had some sort of fungus. This is sadly a relief. I love my wedding set, but the rash is nasty. I did read on another site that if you take them off when washing your hands it would not be as bad. It seems that when you wash your hand you make your skin more susceptible to the absorption of the nickel. I have been married 12 years and this just started a month ago. I did also read that if you have it platinum dipped that can help. I may have to try it.

My rash started when I tried wearing a white metal (supposedly sterling) and gold band with my 18K wedding band. Rash is exactly as described, comes and goes, but is steadily getting worse each time I try any ring on that finger. I'm going with the ring on a chain, I suppose, but this sure is weird! Never allergic to anything before . . .

Several months after giving birth to my third child I developed an itchy red rash under my yellow gold wedding ring. It has been 4 months now and I cannot wear my ring. The rash heals in two or three days of not wearing my ring but if I wear it for a day, the rash reappears. I was thinking about getting a new ring made of some different metal but based on previous comments, maybe this won't solve the problem.

I have been alergic to jewlery for as long as I can remember. The only type of metel I can wear is .925 sterling silver with no plating just plain silver. Here recently I recived my promise ring and have to keep puting creams on my finger to avoid all the icthing and redness cause by the ring cause it is plated with platium. To all who have this problem try coating the ring band in clear fingernail polish a couple of times every two weeks!!! It worked for me and might work for you too.

I have the solution! I am allergic to nickel since a few years too and it really is a pain. I now try to wear titanium and it is perfect. Try it, you'll love it.

I am nickel sensitive as well. I even get rashes from eating food containing nickel. I cannot even wear a belt, although i have been told that some jewelery shops make nickel free belt buckles. I cannot wear any type of jewelery at all. We have just purchased a ring today.. the cheapest of all wedding rings .. as we know its only going to be on my finger for the day.. I nearly died when i was 15 because i had my ears pierced.. and they were non allergenic..it was not until I was 19 that i found out i was nickel sensitive. Stainless steel rings are an option for others. But its not for me as i have a skin reaction to that too.

Glad i'm not the only person! I actually started by getting this type of rash with earrings that I wore, and was told my a jewler to put clear nail polish on them, and it does the trick. However, yesterday, I started the same type of rash on my ring finger (engaged last september)...I don't want to stop wearing my ring!! Could the clear polish damage my engagement ring in any way???

I could not believe I could find a web site to cover this problem. I was pretty skeptical when I typed a google search "ring causes rash under wedding band". I started having problems with my wedding set a couple of years ago. My husband bought me a new band for our 20th last December. It was great until three weeks ago when the new band started having the same problem. Three months of no problems and it is back. I did realize that moisture had gotten under my ring and it had been warm outside for a few days.
Now, I cannot get rid of the rash. I want my ring back.

I have a platinum wedding ring andI still get ring rash. I have the same problems, and I even get raised blisters around my rash. I was told that it is called ring poisoning- an allergic reaction to the metals in the ring. Since not all rings are completely platinum (or gold, etc) there are alloy metals in the ring used as fillers. These are where the allergies begin. The only solution I was told was to use clear nail polish daily, clean it daily with a jewelry cleaner, or to have it coated so the alloy metals do not get absorbed into your skin. Even stainless steel rings can do this. Well, i have tried the cleaning method- and it doesn't work. Same problem, same rash. I am skeptical of nail polish because I do not want it to ruin my ring. All that polish caked on a ring can not be good. I would get it coated, but every 2 months? What a pain in the rear. There has to be somethingthat we can do besides not wearing the ring entirely, Don't you agree?

I still get a rash from my ring as well, but it is pure platinum. I thought that platinum wedding ring would be fine, but I still get it.

I have an allergy to nickel also. I first had a white gold wedding ring and now I have a platinum one and it is pure platinum too but I still was having the same allergy. Everyone, try painting liquid bandaid on the inside of your ring at least once a week. This leaves a clear thin coating and I haven't had any problems since because the metal isn't touching my skin. Hope this works for everyone like it worked for me!

I have this same problem. Intensly itchy rash on both ring fingers. I haven't worn a ring on either hand for almost a month and the rash hasn't gone away. Anyone with any suggestions? Can't use cortisone and have tried regular lotion numerous times a day with no result.

I developed a similar rash 3 months ago. I saw the school nurse and she called it a fungus and told me to use a cream twice a day. Well, here I am three months later and I still can't wear it. I broke down and wore it this weekend since we were going away for our 1st anniversary, but it instantly flaired up. The heat doesn't seem to help. My rings are platinum as well so I'm not sure what to do.

I can't believe I found this website! I got engaged last August and married last June and never had a problem with my rings until this past December. My finger was so swollen that I totally cut up my knuckles trying to get the rings off! After that healed, I found that I don't really have a problem if I take them off every night and if I don't use hand soap of any kind - Kind of gross I know but its worth it! Unfortunately I haven't been able to wear them because for some reason my knuckle was swollen for the last month. I finally wore them on Saturday and left them on overnight and guess what, the rash is back! I waiting on an appointment with a dermatologist - something has to work!

I developed an allergy to gold on my ring finger 10 years ago..suffered with it for 4 years before resetting into platinum 6 years ago. and guess what? I've now developed the same problem again. I talked to a jeweler today and he acted like I was insane when I told him I had developed an allergy to platinum - has anyone had any luck with titanium?

I have read about these people with allergy to gold. I think I have developed one. I have only been married 3 years and love my gold and diamond 14 karat rings. About 2 months ago I developed a rash on my ring finger. What can I use to clear this up? Is there anything will it clear up on its own. Could me having asthma have something to do with it?

I am so glad that I found this website. I have a white gold set that has been causing this same rash. Within a few days of not wearing it, it clears up. Today I went to the jewelry store to have my stones switched to platinum for $800! I haven't decided for sure what to do now that I'm reading that people have the same problem even with platinum. This is a very sad problem to have and very frustrating. Please keep information available to all that suffer from this problem.

I have the exact same problem. I have been married for 2 years and just recently developed a rash under my ring finger. I stopped wearing my ring and the rash went away, but as soon as I put my ring back on boom the itchy red puffy band is back. I will have to try some of the suggestions that have been posted otherwise I may have to wear my ring around my neck, which really is a bummer.

this site is great.I have a simalar problem but mine is not from a wedding ring but from my class ring which is not gold or pure silver but some other silver colored metal.perhaps it contains nickel but I dont know.I wore it for 2 years almost and a bad rash appeared after a few months working at a restaraunt.I stopped wearing my class ring.I was so dissapointed because it cost so much and meant a lot and the rash lasted a few weeks.The same thing has happened for two other rings in which I wore both for a long time before the rash came back and both are silver.This only happens on my right hand too.Clear nail polish helps sometimes but is there another way? thanks :)

What a relief to find this site and know that I'm not the only one suffering from this wierd rash! My rings are platinum and I wore the engagement ring 9 months and wedding ring for another 6 before my rash developed -- now I've had it off and on for nearly a year and right now it's the worst it's ever been -- the skin is cracked and red and very painful. I've never had any allergy problems in my life. I adore my rings and hate not being able to wear them, and I'm afraid to switch to my right hand in case the same thing happens. I'm planning to see a dermatologist, but it doesn't sound like folks have had much luck in getting rid of this! I'll definitely let you know if I find something that helps.

I've got the same itchy, red rash that most of you have mentioned. Mine, however, didn't appear until I started working in foodservice and was handling acidic things like tomatoes and peppers. The skin under my ring looked like it was being eaten away. I stopped wearing it for a while and it cleared up somewhat, but even now that I've been away from that job for a couple months, every time I put my ring on it's red, itchy and flaky within two days. I've also heard that antibacterial soaps can get trapped under the ring and cause problems, especially if the ring (like mine) is tight-fitting. I'm going to try switching to the plainest, non-smelly, non-antibacterial stuff I can find and see if that helps.

I thought I was alone with this rash problem. I got engaged in March 2005 and wore the white gold engagement ring until I got married in August 2005 and started wearing the wedding band as well. Since then, I have gotten some ugly rashes and water bumps on the ring finger. I used hydrocortisone and it seemingly went away. However, it is back. I really love my rings and want to wear them. Any suggestions?

The rashes I have been getting on my fingers and especially around my 14k rings, seem to be caused by the liquid anti-bacterial soaps and even some hand/body lotions that have perfumes in them. I don't have any problem on any other areas I use the lotions. I also get a rash sometimes with hair mousse, using my fingers to work it into my hair.

I too cannot wear my wedding rings. My finger is swollen, red and itchy and my knuckle is cracked. I went to a dermatologist and was given a cortizone cream which helped for about two months. But then it came back again. I have noticed that anitbacterial soaps and perfumed soaps make it alot more irritated. My dermatologist suggested very mild soap like cetaphil. My engagement ring is platinum and my wedding band is white gold. I think I am allergic to the white gold. I am going to get the band reset in platinum and hopefully that will work, but at this point I can't put anything on my finger. How long until my nuckle heals????? It hurts, burns and itches all at the same time and it looks nasty!

It's good to know I'm not alone. My wife and I bought beautiful wedding bands, my original one was white gold with diamind baguettes encircling the ring. A month or so after the wedding I started getting a rash and water blisters. Reluctantly, we went back to the jeweler and exchanged the ring for platinum. It seemed to work for a while, but the rash came back with a vengeance. I'm not sure what to do.

I wish I could say I am relieved to find this website, but the thought of not being able to wear my beautiful wedding set just breaks my heart. But at least now I know I'm not alone. And maybe there's hope. My story: I got engaged in May with a vintage pure platinum and diamond engagement ring. Three months after wearing it continuously, the rash appeared.

I applied Caladryl 2-3x daily and covered it with a waterproof band-aid. After 5 days, the skin was a bit dry and taut but the rash was gone. In the meantime, I moved the ring to my right hand and the rash appeared there too in just that short time! I'm going to repeat the treatment on the right hand and start Atkins (I was planning to do the diet anyway after losing 30 lbs on it a couple of years back and never regaining it. And if it gets rid of the allergy and gets me skinny enough for my wedding at the same time I'll be thrilled!) I'm also switching to Cetaphil Soap only. No more anti-bacterial soaps for me. I'll take my rings off to wash my hands, do dishes, and for sleeping. I may try coating the inside of my ring with liquid band-aid, but I'm concerned about how this may affect the ring.

Oh, and one new thing: I'm going to try wearing disposible gloves when applying hair products or using household cleaners.

I too am glad I'm not alone. When I started reading this list of woes, I was ready to blame the jeweler for slipping nickel in when it was supposed to be white gold. But in reading on it might still happen with gold, platinum or even titanium. I wore a gold wedding band for 15 years with no problems. We had an anniversary band custom made a little over a year ago with diamonds from my mother's wedding ring and some from my dad's cuff links. No problems until about a week ago. Same story as someone else, I thought I had been bitten by something in the night. I can wear my band, but when I put the diamond ring on it starts almost immediately. hmmm. I guess I'll try the liquid band aid for now and maybe ask another jeweler. I'll also bookmark this and hope for a cure.

I have the same issue, and I'm convinced it is from water getting trapped underneath the ring. I used to take my rings off to shower & sleep. I started to wear them all the time and that's when the rash started. It only affects the top part of my finger. I have a platinum ring with multiple little diamonds... lots of little holes for bacterial to hide. I tried washing them in dish detergent before and going back to not wearing them all the time. It seemed to work until I had to travel and was on a plane for 11 hours - then the rash came back. I'm going to try scrubbing in the inside and only wear the rings during the day once again. If it works all let everyone know.

I purchased a sterling silver necklace with a medal on it. Everytime I weat it my neck breaks out. I have other sterling silver necklaces I wear and I don't get this rash. What should I do?

After having my daughter and not being able to wear my wedding ring (and engagement ring) due to weight gain, I was able to finally wear them again. Only to have this rash appear on my finger (and then on my other ring finger to see if it was just a fluke thing). After 2.5 years I still can't wear my wedding set without the rash developing within hours.

I recently purchased a titanium ring no rash happened right away but within hours the rash appeared. My friend gave me hydrated petroleum (sold behind the counter but not a prescription) and that seems to help and I tried my gold rings again. But now I'm in the middle of an "outbreak" from the titanium and the attempt of wearing gold. The only time my hands were in water yesterday (which was when the titanium ring arrived and I attempted the gold rings again) was to was my hands, and I used baby soap. I originally thought the antibacterial soaps and gels out there was the cause of it, but now I'm not so sure.

It's nice to know that there are other people out there with the same situation and that my rings "aren't too tight" as my husband keeps suggesting. They're not too tight, not even close. And I don't get why I'm able to wear gold earrings but not gold rings... Doesn't seem fair.

I made a post a little while ago, but am not sure if it went through as I cannot find it now. Anyway, I have a platinum 900 eternity band that is pretty wide--around 7mm. After about five months or so I started to get a rash only on one side of my finger--itchy, red, flaky, bumpy, etc. I tried everything from not wearing it for a few days to cleaning it, taking it off when I wash my hands, and so on. I even let my finger heal completely, and immediately when I put the ring back on the rash returned.

Then I took the ring, placed it in a pot, and boiled it in water for a minute or so. I let my finger heal completely before putting the ring back on, and when I did the rash never returned! It has been over a month now, and I wear my ring all the time with no problems. I don't know what effect boiling my ring had, but it worked. Maybe it will work for you too.

oh my lord, i cannot believe there are others like myself. after 3 years of wearing my band, i started to develop a very itchy, painful rash. i was baffled as to why after 3 years this has started to happen. i put the ring on my other ring finger, and about 1 week later, after the sin got more sensitive a rash broke out there too. i decided to just wear my band on a necklace, i really don't want to get rid of my band. but i'm so relieved that i'm not the only person this has happened to.

Grace! i will absolutely try that! i did think it was some fungus or bacteria under the ring, I also work as a microbiologist, so i could have contracted something. i will try boiling it

it is so nice to find people with the same problem! i have yellow gold engagement and wedding rings worn with no problems for over 15 months, then developed a sudden red, itchy, nasty rash that clears up when the rings are left off. The doctor gave me corticosteroid cream and that clears the rash up within a few hours- and prevents it if you remember to put it on twice a day. But otherwise...i have heard of people being allergic to the home-used liquid jewellery cleaner solutions you can buy?

This is an interesting site indeed! My rash did not start until I decided to clean my ring with a jewelry cleaner that I bought. Now I get a rash every time that I wear my ring. I think that I may try boiling it like was suggested earlier on! Thanks for the great advice!

boiling worked for me. Thanks for the advice

Thank god, Im not the only one with this problem. My doctor said it was just an allergic reaction but I noticed that this nasty little rash would irritate me the most after washing dishes or after cleaning with bleach. I developed the rash after five years. I use (Fluocinonide cream)this cream will cure the rash but once I put my ring back on the rash returns!! Maybe I will try boiling, will boiling the ring damage the diamond?

My roomate and I both have white gold wedding rings and we both developed the rash shortly after finding out we were pregnant. We thought it had something to do with the hormone changes in our bodies but I guess it happens to everyone. What a bummer! I'll try boiling my ring to see if it helps.

For those of you who would like to wear a ring that does not cause rashes ~ you might be interested in our Touch Wood Rings. We handcraft beautiful, durable wood rings. Every ring is a custom order - you decide what woods you want your ring made of and how it's shaped, and designed... we work closely with you to create just the ring you want. Most of our clients come to us for wedding, engagement and anniversary rings. We have years of experience and will work with you to create a ring you will love and a ring that will love you right back :)

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god bless the internet, again thought i was going crazy and i am a research nurse! Husbands are funny. after r/o a fungus, I figured it was from a soap I was using daily. I brought my own soap, plus took off my ring and that seemed to do the trick. I was also using a jewelry cleaner and was continuing to get the rash. Boiling was the next step. do not wear the rings when working out...

I wore 14K yellow gold rings for 14+ years (in place of my original 10K yellow gold wedding band that caused an itchy rash that I had to give up). For Christmas 2004 my husband decided that he wanted to buy me a big diamond because we had been starving graduate students when we got engaged/married. So we got a beautiful 18K white gold wedding set that I loved. All was well for several months and then the itchy rash appeared (again!). I used a prescription ointment that I got while we were in Japan (a few years ago for another ailment), which cleared it up rapidly and temporarily but it always occurred within a couple of days. I tried soaking my rings in vinegar and peroxide as suggested on this site but that didn't help either. I was so frustrated like many of you, to have these beautiful and expensive rings that I could not wear. A few weeks ago my cousin gave me a catalog of Melaleuca products to peruse (she sells the stuff). I had used some of their products for years for laundry and household cleaning. I came across the page for "Renew Intensive Skin Therapy" lotion. There were testimonials about how it had cleared up horrible cases of eczema like a miracle. I decided "what the heck!" and purchased the trial-sized tube for a buck or two. I have used it two times so far and the rash is gone!! I even wore my ring overnight last night and no rash this morning! It's worth a try! Maybe somebody in your area sells it. If not, it looks like you can order from this website
http://www.melaleuca.com/ps/index.cfm?f=ps.categoryPage&l1=1&l2=10&l3=0&sCatId=10

After five years of marriage, I can no longer wear my 14K yellow gold/diamond wedding ring. Within hours of putting it on, my skin develops itchy, water-filled bubbles that itch like the dickens. They take days to go away. I have been fairly sure that it is due to fungus that has gotten up under the ring setting, which is made worse by the fact that after having children, my ring fits (too) tightly, not allowing any air to help the skin fight off the fungus. I will try boiling the ring as has been suggested above. I have also been told to try bleach on the ring, as it kills everything. The fungus theory has some credibility, because once you get fungus, it is very hard to get rid of and tends to recur. I'll bookmark this page and check back to see how others have fared. Such a frustrating problem. Feel unmarried, at least in appearance:(((

I too have the problem of the rash under the ring finger. I never had any problems in 5 years of marriage. About a year after our first child I started getting the rash. I had a white gold wedding ring. I also wore a white gold band on my right hand. I broke out (red with blisters and itches like the dickens!!) I took the ring off of the right hand and never put it back on. I would try to wear the wedding ring again when my finger would clear up (after about a week or two) because it is my wedding ring and I cannot stand to not wear it. My husband did some research on the internet and came to the conclusion that it must be an allergy to the nickel in the white gold. So we went and traded our ring in for a yellow gold ring (about killed me but I wanted to be able to wear a wedding ring). Well the first few weeks there were no problems but I am sitting here right now with that rash back - my finger is really really itching. And it makes me so mad because I gave up the ring that I loved!! But here is another weird thing that I have not really read anything on yet...on that right hand where I wore the other band...that area of my finger is very rough and just plain yucky!! I have not had a ring on it for over 3 months now!! I have tried everything and it will not go away. It doesn't itch anymore...is it a scar? Has anyone else had this problem? I am so frustrated. I don't know what to do!!

For all you ladies with a rash on your ring finger: DO NOT INGORE IT! I had the same problem for YEARS caused by unknown substances (beginning with my wedding band)and it would come and go no matter what. I even changed rings, but Gold always seemed to be the culprit. My last "rash" didn't go away. It snuck up my finger and even the most harsh RX wouldn't cure it. I'm now looking at THREE FINGERS AND PART OF MY HAND that are red, raw, itchy, blistered, and peeling dry scales which are slowly "eating" my skin. It's a nightmare you don't want.

I have had this same itchy, painful rash off and on for the past year and a half. I have been married for 5 1/2 years and following my last pregnancy(no such problem with my first pregnancy) I get a rash under my wedding rings that has varying degrees of intensity. I have never been allergic to any metals, nor have I ever had any problems wearing earrings...

The last time I had a major occurance, my finger swelled up for 2 days and I was unable to get the rings off! I used cortisone and waterproof bandaids(which worked o.k. at first) and also Neosporin. Finally after a very painful couple of days, I was able to remove the ring. Under it was a cherry red, blistered finger. That was 6 weeks ago. The edema is still slightly present, and there is a dark scar around my finger.(Not raised)

I considered the origin of the rash to be cleaning products or hair products. But I don't know.

I can not get my rings on comfortably yet. Miss them very much!! I was considering a water pill of something to reduce the swelling. (due to infection?) I am afraid to push the rings on, that I may have the swelling again.

I too have a lovely red itchy band where my real, beautiful white gold ring once sat. I just got back from the jeweler and they are going to plate my ring in Rhodium. hopefully, the rhodium will work, and i can once again wear my ring. I'll let you all know if it works and if i am allergy free.

Recently I have developed a red itchy rash on my ring finger. It looks like two circles that go all the way around my finger. ( I wear two rings on that finger ). The strangest thing about this is that I can wear my rings on any other fingers without the problem, But as soon as I put them on my ring finger the rash comes right back.

IS IT SAFE TO BOIL YOUR DIAMOND?

Absolutely - I boiled/steamed for 1-2 minutes ---it's been a total cure of the whole itchy, oozing, blistery rash thing that I had for several years. My diamonds are fine! The gold is fine!

i had my white gold w/diamond ring plated in Rhodium...and it has worked....i no longer have issues with my ring causing a rash....i am still cautious, i take it off while i sleep and while i work out....but, i am rash free...they tell me that the Rhodium will wear off after 6 months (or longer in some cases) and that i need to have it re-plated...but, it isn't expensive ($30) and it actually makes my ring very shiny and it looks great...so, if you have problems...go ask your jeweler about Rhodium plating....good luck!

Yep, After 1.5 years of wearing my platinum ring with no rash I develped one about 6+ months ago. I wear my ring to bed (of course) and when I wake up I can tell without looking that it's come up again. It's red and has tiny bumps with clear fluid. Sometimes they're so bad the fluid comes out. Gross, I know. It will last days or weeks. The really odd part is that it is mostly on the right side of my finger and it doesn't matter which way I wear my ring. The times that the rash lasted longer it started to go the the web between my ring and middle finger. After getting asked out on occasion, for lack of a ring, I finally got around to checking the web for advise. I never thought it could be an allergy to platinum because everyone says that it's hypo-allergenic. And since it occurs mainly on one side of my finger I'm even more confused. One posted mentioned putting liquid band-aid on the band. I guess that will be my next option.

After reading through all of these posts, I did the simplest suggestion: hydrogen peroxide. I was amazed at the stuff that bubbled up out of my ring. NO MORE PROBLEMS - IT WORKED! Now I soak my ring in peroxide ($1.50 for a quart!) overnight 2-3 times per week, remove my wedding band before going to be each night. Good luck to all of you!

I have been experiencing these same rash/tiny blisters/redness for the past 19 years. It started with a 14 ct. gold ring with diamond settings and seemed to disappear with my new 18 ct. gold and platinum (on the inside, mostly). Alas, a few years after I started wearing the new ring - same thing occurred, only now there is a bad odor accompanying the rash, which I have not heard anyone mention. My niece likens it to the odor her earring backs have when she hasn't removed them for a while. I have tried jewelry polish, toothpaste, clear polish and nothing works for more than a few days.

i too have this rash, glad i am not the only one! mine started on my ring finger one year after marriage, i swapped it to the other hand - now that has started flaring up - 6mths later!!! will try boiling and see!

Thank heavens I found this page!!! I have been suffering with this rash on my finger for 4 years now. It all started when I was pregnant with my son, I thought it had to do with me being bloated and the humidity. Well here we are 4 years later and I am no longer bloated (well, not all the time...hee hee)and it reoccurs even in the cooler months. Anyway it's just like everyone has described.. the red itcy bumps that will go away after a few days ringless, but then come back after a few days of wearing it again. I have found that taking the ring off at night, and during any wet jobs (dishes,showers,hand washing..etc.)will do the trick mostly. I will definately try the boiling thing that Rebecca recommended.

Me too!!! I'm glad I'm not the only one with this annoying itchy rash. I haven't been able to wear my wedding rings for a year or so (been married 8) and we have 3 little kiddos so I HATE feeling judged or stared at by men. I'm going to try Rebecca's suggestion of boiling, then Donna's suggestion if that doesn't help - the hydrogen peroxide a couple times a week, leaving the rings off at night. If that doesn't help I'm going with a titanium ring! At this point I don't care if I wear my actual wedding rings or get a replacement. I just want to look married!

I'm thinking this could be related to hormones. I have worn my wedding ring for 6 years and had no troubles. Now, after having a baby, finishing breast feeding, and starting back on the pill the ring rash has appeared. I know there are men out that with this problem but it certainly seems more women are affected (at least if this site is any indication). I'm going to try taking the ring off at night and when I wash my hands or shower or anything. Thanks for the advice from the previous posts!

I'm having the SAME issue after 8 years of marriage. I had my 2nd baby 3 mos ago.

I'm glad to see some suggestions, I'll try boiling, hydrogen peroxide, and maybe even the Rhodium plating. Hopefully SOMETHING works... This is such a bummer for all of us. :o(

Wow! I also suffer from this on both hands and with earrings! UGh, but unlike most of you I worked in the jewelry business. I can't tell where because of what I will say in my comments. DO NOT HAVE YOUR RING CLEANED IN STORES!!!! The bacteria from everyone else that has their ring cleaned is in that cleaning solution and can transfer all kinds of stuff to you. Use white tooth paste and tooth brush or mild soap and water. Also, the cleaning agents in jewelry cleaner break down you "rhodium" plating and that's why you have to have it re-plated, etc. If there's a cure or another metal that doesn't make me break out I have yet to find it and I have access to every metal made in rings! But try boiling your ring like was previously posted, it will get the bad bacteria off, and it might just be an allergic reaction to the cleaning agent the jewler uses, because it was cleaned at some point even if you didn't do it, it would have been done before it was sold to you!

I am so glad I am not alone, although I cried when I read how for many of you the rash and irritation continues or comes back. I have been married for 4 years and was engaged for 6 months. My rings are 18 kt yellow gold with diamonds in the band. I lived in a very hot, humid place (Louisiana) for 4 years without any problems. Now I live in Kansas and this past August I went to Florida for 3 days. I started having irritation under my rings while I was there and wore them on my right hand on the way home. Since then I have gotten severe redness, itchiness, and burning when I wear my rings. I cleaned them (yes with that awful stuff from a jewelry store) and it is worse than ever! After reading all your posts I tried boiling them and once my ring finger recovers I will try wearing them again. It would break my heart not to be able to wear them again!

PS I went through a pregnancy 2 years ago (with twins!) and it had no effect on my skin related to this.

GOOD NEWS!!!
I have had the stinking rash also. I always thought it was hives but my doctor looked at it the other day and said it looked like a bad case of eczema. She prescribed me a very strong cortisone cream which I have been putting on twice a day and the rash is going away!!!It no longer itches like crazy, and I can wear my ring. I highly recommend having it looked at. Over the counter cortison cream is nowhere near strong enough.

After my second pregnancy, I also developed "the rash" we all seem to have. My husband kept calling it my 10 year itch - since it was right around our 10 anniversary.

I have been to the dermatologist at MUSC here in Charleston, he did give me clobetasol propionate ointment which cleared things up within days!

I had put off buying a new ring since I thought titanium was my only choice left & I thought they cost thousands of dollars. After reading everyone's comments last night I started researching and ordered a ring this morning from:
http://www.cascadiadesignstudio.com

Rings from Under $100 to a couple hundred. I will let you know how it goes when I get the ring and I have worn it for about a month.

I just wanted to let you know that I have the same problem with my expensive titanium ring.

I have had blisters (nickel allergy) on my fingers. I have had a whelp on my neck from necklaces and even the stainless chain at the dentist office. I have blisters on my arms from bracelets. Earrings make my ear lobes sore. I also have eczema and use a strong steroid creme for break outs. I am going into my 7th year with this. My mother had the same problems but they disappeared after a few years. I would love to wear jewelry, but it is not worth the problems.

I posted before and just wanted to come back to say that I put on Cortizone 10 at night probably 2-3x a week and I do not sleep in my ring anymore. Its made a HUGE difference. I try not to wear it around the house, only when I go out. Its not the perfect solution but at least I do get to wear it now.

I too have suffered from this problem ever since I got engaged! I am a hairdresser so the rash seems to get worse more quickly :( I have had the rings coated in Rhodium, which worked for a couple of months, but alas the rash appeared again. Having said that, for those who don't work with chemicals and water this might be a good option. I have tried steroid cream works great until I put the ring back on! I was going to save up for a Platinum ring but reading these articles I might give that a miss too.

I too suffer with this itchy rash and blisters afer having my wedding ring on. I never had the allergy until i had my daughter then a month after giving birth this started under my fingers. It gets itchy then like blisters come water filled. They itch like hell and takes days to heal...... i can have the ring on for a few hours and suffer for days.

What did work for a time was cleaning my rings well with gold cleaner and then putting clear nail varnish removed on the inside of ring so the gold was never touching the skin. This worked but you do have to keep putting the clear nail varnish on.......

Other than that nothing you can do...... but the clear nail varnish worked for me!

I am looking at my poor finger now as i wore my ring yesterday and was up in the middle of the night itching ym finger so bad!!!!

I can't say I'm thrilled to find this website... but at least I'm not alone! My class ring is 14 karat white gold and I have the same rash everyone seems to be describing. My finger swells and itches a fair amount. I'll try the liquid-band aid, but I suppose I'll have to ask my doctor about my options (and figure out all of my jewelry allergies before I have to decide on wedding rings, etc!!)

****** THE SOLUTION TO RING RASH *******

I suffered from the same itchy, red ,blistery ring rash -- it was so bad I would wake up in the middle of the night to scratch it. I did this for 4 months b/c I just got married and didn't want to give up my ring.

MY SOLUTION: Blistex or some other medicated lip balm -- balms work better than the sticks. My favorite is Lip Medex by Blistex. Really slather it on under your ring every morning. (possibly on your pinky and middle finger too -- my rash would sometimes spread to adjacent fingers.) You may have to put it on more than once a day the first week or so when you are healing. Also use it more if you wash your hands a lot, or if your hands feel dry. It works to dull that horrible itch which is wonderful in itself and if you are religious about applying it once the rash is healed you will preven further outbreaks. I have been doing this for over a year now and I notice that if I stop for even a day or two the rash starts to come back but I just apply some blistex and it stops. :)

Note: If you are really allergic to the metal this wont help. But a lot of those posting (like me) are able to wear necklaces and earings etc without any problems; this suggests to me that you are not allergic but rather it is the soap scum and water getting trapped under your snug settings that is causing all the problems. I only developed this problem after I changed schools -- my old school had hand dryers (which dries my under my diamond better) my new school does not have hand dryers.

Hope that helps.

I personally didn't start having allergy problems until I moved into a home with central heat and air in my teens. Not to mention at school in the spring and early fall, the windows were open. WBR LeoP

About 3 weeks ago I shaved my legs quickly for a massage appointment the next day. I didnt rinse my wedding set out well enough and shaving cream sat there all night. I NEVER take my rings off so I woke up and my fingers itched and noticed the same ring rash everyone is talking about. I took my ring off and put cortisone cream on the rash and it started to clear up so I put my rings on again after running them through my Ultrasonic Cleaner. Within 24 hours the ring rash was back!!! I then searched the Internet and found this website! I let me rings soak in Peroxide for about 30 minutes and then boiled them for 15 minutes. I have been wearing my ring now for the past week and the rash is GONE! I am so happy because as I stated earlier I NEVER take off my wedding set.

i have had a similar problem with my rings.my skin gets kinda raw and red where my ring sits. my skin rubs off and ive even noticed a smell the same smell that came from under my cast when i broke my arm in high school sorry thats nasty but thats the only way to describe it. i think a lot of you are describing the same thing but maybe with slightly diff symptoms. i think its just moisture being trapped under the rings and breaking down the skin hence the smell. i find if i take my rings off more often and let my finger air out it helps a lot. also as a wedding gift off my registry i got this cool ring holder from target made by rubbermaid it was in the aisle with the dish drainers you put your rings on it and a strong magnet sticks on top so if it tips over you wont lose your ring!

Use clear nail polish on the inside of the band, thats what my mother uses because she is also allergic to nickel.

I too am having a hard time keeping my wedding band on my finger because of some wierd rash. I have heard many remedies before like the nail polish and trying other types of metal. I believe that Titanium will work quite well. Another method that is more short term is taking a q-tip with some baby oil on it and applying it just around where the ring rests on your hand. Unfortunately with this method, you have to remember to apply the baby oil daily (sometimes more than once). If anyone finds anything that is permanant I would love to know.

be very careful of metal anywhere on your body. I now have a painful red rash on my face because i wore metal eye glass frames.

be very careful of metal anywhere on your body. I now have a painful red rash on my face because i wore metal eye glass frames.

Not many men have reported on this site as compared to the women. After 18 years of marriage and wearing my ring every day and night, I have developed "the rash" and it does not want to go away. I am going to try H2O2 and boiling and taking it off at night. Glad I am not alone.

Thank so much for everyone posting on this website! I have been married for almost a year and a half, and just started getting the same itchy, red rash everyone is talking about under my wedding band. And today I just got some small blisters on it too :( I have a half yellow gold, half platinum band with diamonds set in the platinum. And I noticed that the rash only happens where the platinum and diamonds sit. So hopefully, boiling my ring or soaking it in peroxide will help.

I haven't read every one of these comments by people, but I break out from my wedding rings also. Mine has spread to the fingers next to my ring finger and are blistering also. My ring is from my step-mothers jewelry store and it is white gold. My step mom "re-rodeumed" (not sure if I spelled that correctly) my ring. It's basically a layer of melted metal that protects my finger. I have a dermatologist appointment to see if I'm allergic to nickel or if it's something else, but I would highly recommend getting some strong prescribed cream from the dr. (I sure am hoping that gets rid of mine). I have also found that it starts healing a little quicker if you do take your rings off when you wash your hands.

I have the same problem with my ring. I have been married for 7 years and I never had any problems until 1 year ago. I am going to try everything!!!! My ring is also very expensive so I know that it is not that.

THANKS EVERYONE

Has anyone tried the Renew Intensive Skin Therapy as suggested by one of the posts here? And what were your results?
Thanks!

It works!

I have worn rings on my left ring finger for over 15 years without any irritation. I wore my wedding rings for over a year without any problems and then developed the red, raw rash. My finger was so swollen that I had to have a doctor remove my ring -- without cutting it, thankfully.

I tried everything with no luck. It made me feel horrible that my husband always wore his wedding ring and I couldn't wear mine.

I found this website and tried out the peroxide/boiling water advice. So, I soaked my rings in peroxide for an hour. Then I put them in a covered container of boiling water for a half an hour. It worked!!!

I was elated. I got so sick of people asking why I didn't wear my wedding ring (that's a gossip starter) or why I wore it on my necklace. Plus, my finger really HURT. It was sore and swollen.

The redness starts to return after a week and a half to two weeks so I just repeat the peroxide and boiling. Works every time and the redness goes away on its own.

* I now do this to all of my gold jewelry. It's crazy how much grime the peroxide pulls off. Your jewelry will sparkle and shine like it's brand new.

I don't ever take my rings off except to clean them as above. I can sleep with them on again!

Thank you to whoever posted this tip!!!

I am so glad to have found this site... I was married about a year ago. Developed this rash about 3 months ago (so 9 months after the wedding). The rash appeared after wearing only my wedding band to the gym one day (normally don't wear any jewelry not sure why I did that day). For 3 months, nothing worked to get rid of the rash - I would not wear my rings for a couple days (as I hated not wearing them) but it was always there in some form. Went to the doctor and rcvd a steroid cream but the rash was still there.

Finally, 3 months after the first appearance of the rash, I completely stopped wearing my rings for 2 full weeks. The rash finally went away. I then wore a silver ring on my finger thinking maybe I'm allergic to white gold. My finger was fine with silver. Then I thought I'd try my engagement ring only since I was wearing the wedding band when the rash appeared. My finger was fine for a whole week of wearing the e-ring only. I then put the wedding band on for 1 day (1 day only) and boom the rash was back and was horrible (for only wearing the wedding band for 1 day). So I found this site and decided to try peroxide/boiling.

I did a test first. I put the e-ring in one cup with peroxide and the wedding band in another cup. I could not believe how foggy (with dirt and who knows what else) the cup with the wedding band became (gross). However, there was NOTHING coming off the e-ring. The 2 cups were completely different. I then boiled both rings separately. I then put the wedding band back in the peroxide and NOTHING came off - it was as if everything was gone... crazy! Thanks for the info. My conclusion is that bacteria or fungus gets on the ring (in my case from the gym) and is then xfrd to your skin and this keeps happening until the bacteria/fungus is killed...

I'm like all the rest of you, I cannot wear my ring without getting a very painful rash. Like everyone else has said, my rings were very expensive but I always felt shame when out in public and instead of shinny diamonds I had a ugly blistery rash on my finger. I am going to try the peroxide and boiling to see if it works. It'd be a blessing to be able to wear my rings again. I also feel much better hearing from all of you, to know it's not just me!

Well, I am relieved to know I am not alone with my itchy wedding band finger. This started after 11 years of wearing them no problem. I do have eczema problems, so now I am certain this is connected. Boiling & peroxide makes sense, and will try anything. The ugly rash/grotesque flaking made me want to hide my hand in public!

Well, I have the same problem as everyone else. Wore this ring forever without a problem but about a month ago started getting the rash.

My concern is that my ring is not just a diamond and metal ring. It's not an engagement ring and instead is white gold with a huge slab of turquoise with a larger diamond in the middle and 22 tiny diamond surrounding it. I know turquoise is very pourous and am afraid that soaking it in peroxide or boiling it would ruin the turquoise. Does anyone know about this? Anyone clean a similar/stone ring?

I'm so upset I can't wear it right now...I always get so many compliments and I smile just looking at it every day. Bummer.

I'm so glad to have found this site. I've been married for almost a year (engaged for a year before that). I wore my engagement ring the entire year I was engaged and was fine. I've been wearing my engagement ring and wedding band for the past 10 months and about 3 months ago, I started developing a nasty rash on my ring finger, same as described in other posts - red, raw, itchy and just plain gross looking. I tried leaving it in for peroxide (over an hour), but the first time I wore it after the peroxide, my finger starting itching after only a few hours, accompanied by a funky smell (sort of like the way earrings smell after being in your ears for a long time). I'm going to try boiling next b/c I can't stand not to be able to wear my rings. I'll let you know if it works.

I just got engaged 5 days ago with a beautiful white gold diamond ring. I love it. Once I put it on I got itchy where it laid. I never wore a ring for 2 yrs now, but I use to wear a gold one, and a sterling silver all the time with no problems. I actually took the ring back to get Rhiodium plated on, but I thought that was to be applied before being purchased. I asked where he got the ring, and they said my white gold looked a little yellow which can tell teh Rhidium could of faded. Well since then I am so upset reading these horrible stories everyone is having with yellow gold, platinum, and titanium. I am actually going to get tested to see what metals I am allergic to this coming Monday to see if its truly Nickel I am allergic too. But in the mean time I have put my old gold ring back on, and my sterling to see if I react. My gold actually drived me crazy, but now I am slowly getting use to it. Sterling not so bad as my gold.

I have been married for almost 3 years, and have not had this problem until recently. It breaks my heart that i can't wear my wedding set, but the rash drives me crazy!! I tried the nail polish thing, it works for a little while. So I guess I'll stick with that. I do hear that the Stainless Steel won't cause this issue, I know they make plain wedding bands out of it. May have to fall back on that for daily wear.

I have been married for almost 3 years, and have not had this problem until recently. It breaks my heart that i can't wear my wedding set, but the rash drives me crazy!! I tried the nail polish thing, it works for a little while. So I guess I'll stick with that. I do hear that the Stainless Steel won't cause this issue, I know they make plain wedding bands out of it. May have to fall back on that for daily wear.

I want to try the hydrogen peroxide and boiling but am afraid it will ruin my rings. My rings (engagement and wedding band) are both platinum and both have the little holes beneath where the diamonds are set. Has anyone tried the peroxide and/or boiling with rings like this? If so, did it do anything harmful to your rings?

Solution to rash from platinum ring: HYDROGEN PEROXIDE!! I too developed rash from ring about 6 months ago, with no prior problems the 4 1/2 yrs I've worn the ring. Steroid cremes and hydrocortisone would help then rash would return when the ring was put back on. Build up of dirt, soaps, etc was the issue. Now I soak the rings in peroxide every couple of days (about 30 min because I've been afraid to do it longer!) and put a thin layer of hydrocortisone creme under ring (make sure area is dry) and no more rash. I do find if I go a while w/out this method, rash returns again. This method, along w/removing ring when washing hands and removing at night helps. Alot of work but worth it if you are attached to your wedding ring!!!

I've worn my wedding ring for almost 9 years and I got a rash on my wedding ring finger soon after I had my second child. I tried cortizone and 3 different prescriptions with no luck. My sister told me to soak it in peroxide because she did this and the rash didn't return for months (till just a couple days ago- she just told me today!) So I soaked it in peroxide till it stopped bubbling. I waited about a week to let my finger heal till I put my ring back on. The next day the rash had returned. Different results than my sister had. My husband did research on this and read that if you boil your ring it will get rid of any bacteria. I was sure this was my problem so I boiled it and then waited for my fingers to heal again. The rash then returned immediately after I boiled it. What a bummer!!!! I have been living with this now almost 2 years and I guess I need to get tested for allergies.

I wear a ring on my wedding band finger but on my right hand! i have had this ring for about 4 years and i always wear it! But now i am getting a rash wear i have the ring! i don't want to get another ring because my best friend gave me this ring before he accidently drowned! does any one know what i can do? thanks Gem,
please email!
gem_dog@hotmail.com

I've been wearing my wedding ring ( plain 18kt gold thin band ) for 15yrs and have just developed a rash. I'm so glad I'm not the only one with this problem and also relieved it's not in my head!

This has happened to me as well, and it wasn't due to a metal allergy, but a buildup of soap and moisture (possibly leading to some bacterial/fungal infection). I'll have no problems with my ring, until one day I find the skin under the ring is red, swollen, and flaky. When the rash was very bad, I would also develop small blisters as well. The rash is painfully itchy, so much that it can wake me up in the middle of the night and makes me want to tear off my ring immediately.

When this happens, I take my ring off and the rash usually goes away very quickly. By the next day, it doesn't itch as much, by day 2 or 3, most of the redness and flakiness has gone away. After a week, the skin looks normal again. Even if the rash is completely gone, DO NOT put your ring back on. Wait at least 2 weeks to ensure every last trace of the rash/infection is gone. Before putting your ring on, make sure you disinfect it. I soak the ring in a mixture of 1 part Hydrogen Peroxide and 2 parts plain white vinegar. Let it soak for at least 15 minutes, and then boil the ring in plain water for another 15 minutes. I usually string up my ring and dangle it from a wooden spoon so that it won't touch the bottom of the pot and get too hot.

Now, the ring is disinfected AND clean. (The diamonds are so sparkly again!) I recommend doing this step every month, to avoid having the rash come back. I got lazy and my rash came back after 7 months.

Here are some conditions that make it likely to be a soap/bacterial/fungal rash and not a metal allergy:

- Ring is platinum (though even some platinum can contain alloys that cause allergies, this is much more common in white gold. This infection can easily happen with any type of ring, but allergies are less common with platinum ones.)
- Ring fits snugly (I did not have an issue until I got my ring resized to be smaller after almost losing it.)
- Stones use a channel, or low-profile, setting. (The holes on the underside of the ring can trap moisture)
- Rash occurs on the right side of the finger (towards the middle finger, or on the left side if the ring is one the right hand). This is probably because the moisture gets trapped more easily on the higher side of the ring.
- You don't take off your ring when washing hands, showering, cleaning dishes, exercising, etc.

It seems that many people also start experiencing this issue when pregnant or shortly after giving birth. That didn't apply to me, but I wonder if people start washing their hands much more often after having a baby (all those diaper changes!) or if bloating is making their rings fit more tightly. I wonder also if pregnancy causes the body to react more strongly to potential irritants. No idea, this is just a theory on my part.

Good luck! Try the vinegar/peroxide solution. It worked for me.

Wow, there are many of us who suffer from the dreaded "ring thing"...I love my rings but have not worn them now for over 3 weeks. This time, after giving myself a break from the rings, I cannot seem to get rid of the dry, itchy, oozing, sore skin around my fingers. It is very painful. I guess it's time for a dermatologist. Some day, when I get rid of the "condition", I will try all the methods that have been mentioned: Boiling, peroxide, baby oil,....etc. Good Luck to you all, and thanks for all the information. PS I think it's hormonal too. I have never had any problems till I hit the late 40's. Some of you mention pregnancy too. It's got to be related to hormones. I do agree that moisture under the close fitting, wide banded rings can be an issue too.

Wow, I was glad to discover that I am not alone. Elaine, I appreciate your comments & will try your method. My ring meets most of your specifications. The ring is tight, the stones use a channel, it has some platinum in the setting, I don't take it off to wash my hands. I have been washing excessively within the last two weeks. We recently got a puppy who is being treated for worms. I have 4 children. I wash my hands everytime I touch the dog & help my youngest wash his everytime he touches the dog. It is almost as much washing as I did when I brought each of my children home from the hospital.

I usually get this rash around the fall of the year, I have noticed. When the weather dries up.

Today is my 10 year anniversary, so I really wanted to wear my ring. I put it on last night & sure enough, it is flaring up. I wonder how this day will go as all of my attention seems to be on the pain on my finger. I'll likely suffer through the day, then try Elaine's solution.

Thanks to all for posting!

Wow, I was glad to discover that I am not alone. Elaine, I appreciate your comments & will try your method. My ring meets most of your specifications. The ring is tight, the stones use a channel, it has some platinum in the setting, I don't take it off to wash my hands. I have been washing excessively within the last two weeks. We recently got a puppy who is being treated for worms. I have 4 children. I wash my hands everytime I touch the dog & help my youngest wash his everytime he touches the dog. It is almost as much washing as I did when I brought each of my children home from the hospital.

I usually get this rash around the fall of the year, I have noticed. When the weather dries up.

Today is my 10 year anniversary, so I really wanted to wear my ring. I put it on last night & sure enough, it is flaring up. I wonder how this day will go as all of my attention seems to be on the pain on my finger. I'll likely suffer through the day, then try Elaine's solution.

Thanks to all for posting!

I too have been told by my dermatologist that my rash is caused by buildup of bacteria caused by soaps! But has anyone ever experienced the rash spread to the palms of their hands?!?! It is the worst pain, burn, itch I have ever experienced!

I've had the same problem with a rash developing underneath my white gold wedding band so I bought a titanium ring so I could at least still have something to wear. I still get a rash, even though titanium is supposed to be hypoallergenic. I suppose it could be that it is not pure titanium and that there is some nickel in whatever alloy it's made from, but regardless it still occurs. I do, however, wash my hands quite often and leave the ring on. It is also a pretty snug fit, so this leads me to thinking it might just be dirt/fungus/whatever so I may try my gold right again and just take it off when washing my hands and make sure my hands are dry when done.

The only ring I've been able to wear recently (on my right hand) is a copper one, which does turn my finger green but I don't mind that at all since it doesn't itch, ooze, or hurt. I could perhaps look into a copper wedding band, though my wife isn't a huge fan of the stuff. :)