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Red, swollen, itchy, oozy, and utterly disgusting. My ear lobes have declared mutiny. I try to quash their inflamed anger with swabs of hydrogen peroxide, but the rebellion continues with increasing strength against surgical steel fishhooks, sterling silver posts, and finally culminates in a victorious standoff against 14k gold-filled leverbacks. Am I condemned to face the world with naked lobes? Must I fall into the ranks of the envious, secretly abhorring every woman whose ear ornaments contribute so vitally to their appearance? Since that fateful day I have been compelled to find answers and sought endlessly for ways to peacefully coexist with the world of pierced earrings. Now I can say with confidence that there is hope. Read on and you too will be able to choose earrings your lobes will love.

The most common cause for a sudden onset of furious lobes is a dermatitis commonly referred to as a nickel allergy or sensitivity. This comes in many degrees of severity ranging from slight itching to alarming weeping and bleeding. A nickel allergy can occur at any time and is, unfortunately, often a chronic life-long condition. In some cases it may be controlled with a regimen of disinfecting the lobes and earrings before and after use with hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol. Sadly enough, many will continue to experience discomfort, finding it is a matter beyond good hygiene. So now what?

It seems glaringly obvious. If you have a nickel sensitivity, don't put nickel in your ears. Yet even armed with this epiphany, choosing earrings is not a simple task. Nickel is a common property in metal alloys, often being present in even seemingly innocuous metals such as sterling silver and gold. Base metals typically have a high nickel content that will leech out through gold and silver plating. It is a good rule of thumb to avoid plated jewelry as the surface layer is extremely thin and will wear down through time exposing your tender ears to increasing amounts of nickel. Even earrings labeled "hypoallergenic" should be approached with caution. While these are indeed hypoallergenic for some, many will find the thin plastic coating inadequate protection from the underlying metal. Also, like platings, the plastic coating will eventually wear off leaving your ears to fend for themselves. Hypoallergenic earrings simply promise to have a lessened likelihood of causing a reaction and by no means should one assume they are nickel free.

Now what about surgical stainless steel? The

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