Wedding ring rash is the manifestation of an allergy that your finger might have with the metal of the wedding ring. Some call it “Ring Eating Finger”.
The wedding ring symbolizes commitment to the marriage. It was ‘ok’ if you remove any other ring that you wear before marriage. But wedding ring…no. Taking it off means something serious and there should be some solution to wedding ring rash (without ending in broken hearts!!!)
How it is caused: The main cause of rash is the allergic reaction to the metal the ring is made of. Yes yes..wedding rings are made of gold but not 100% gold. There are other metals that are used as fillers. Most golds of less than 24K have a small component of nickel in them. Nickel is used to harden the naturally soft, malleable gold for casting into designs. Nickel allergy is very common and recently there has been an increase in the number people allergic to nickel.
The rash under the wedding ring can be caused simply by irritation due to prolonged trapping of water and soap under the ring. The skin beneath the ring cannot breathe. The designer rings cover more skin area which makes the skin more prone to developing the rash.
Symptoms of Wedding Ring Rash:
The allergy can manifest into red spots that can range from small red spots to big oozing bumps. You may like to remove the ring for a few days and find that the rash get healed more or less completely. But it will return when you wear it back.
The Solution:
The rash can be solved easily by regular upkeep of the finger. Take care that the skin beneath is cleaned thoroughly. Clean the ring carefully with soap and water. Using a cotton swab rub the ring with alcohol and make sure that it is completely free of dirt and residue.
For nickel allergies, apply a thin coat of clear nail polish to the areas touching the skin. This decreases the skin contact with the nickel. You can also have your ring applied with a barrier of pure gold coating in jewelery shop. Once the contact is minimized, the rash can be treated by applying topical cortisone creams like hydrocortisone.
