How to Find a Hypoallergenic Wedding Ring
Hypoallergenic wedding bands usually refer to rings made out of materials that are less likely to cause allergic reactions. Here's how you find the best one.
How Can You Be Allergic To A Wedding Ring?
If you’ve noticed irritation under your wedding band, it may be more than just ring rash caused by soap and water trapped under it.
You might be allergic to your wedding ring altogether.
About 10 percent of the US adult population has nickel allergies according to the FDA, and the lucky folks who don’t have metal contact allergies can develop them later in life. The Wall Street Journal notes that metal allergies can strike out of the blue, even after years of exposure to the metal.
And it’s not just nickel you have to worry about, even though that’s the most common metal allergen. Because traditional wedding rings are made of metal alloys – a combination of different metals used to create the right color and durability – other problem metals could be lurking in your band.
For example, a 14k yellow gold wedding band might contain copper. If your ring is 14k white gold, it might also have…
The bad news: any of those metals can cause allergic reactions. So why do jewelers use them? Simply put, a ring made entirely out of gold wouldn’t be durable enough for daily wear.
The good news: if you’re allergic to nickel, gold, stainless steel, or other metals, you just need to find a hypoallergenic wedding ring.
What Is A Hypoallergenic Wedding Ring?
Hypoallergenic wedding bands usually refer to rings made out of materials that are less likely to cause allergic reactions. For example, most hypoallergenic rings are made of:
Platinum rings may also contain either ruthenium or iridium, depending on the manufacturer. They are durable and skin-safe, but also crazy expensive.
Titanium is more cost effective, but it can be extremely difficult to remove in case of an emergency, which increases the risk of ring avulsion and other ring finger injuries. Titanium is used in aircraft, after all, because it’s made to last.
That brings us to silicone. We might be biased, but if you’re looking for a band that is cost effective, safe, and hypoallergenic, you really can’t beat a silicone wedding ring.
The Benefits Of A Hypoallergenic Silicone Wedding Ring
A hypoallergenic silicone wedding ring won’t irritate your skin because it’s composed of medical-grade, biocompatible material (in other words, human bodies don’t negatively react to it). However, you do have to clean a silicone ring occasionally, like you would any wedding ring, to avoid dermatitis caused by trapped germs and moisture.
And here’s the best part: these rings are safe all around. While you don’t have to worry about them causing allergic reactions (or making you develop metal allergies years down the road), you also don’t have to worry about them causing ring finger injuries.
If you work with your hands, you know that rings can be a liability if they catch on something or get crushed. With a silicone wedding band, you have the peace of mind that your ring can break away when you need it to. SafeRingz silicone bands are durable enough for daily wear but are designed to break with about 20 pounds of force. Plus, they are affordable to replace.
Our rings even have a slick metallic appearance, so you get the look of metal without all the allergens and risk.
So what do you have to lose? Make your skin happy and try a hypoallergenic silicone wedding ring. We’re willing to bet you won’t give gold a second glance.
