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By Hey June
Nickel Is Usually the Reason Cheap Earrings Make You Itch The metal is doing this, not you That red, angry little spot behind your earlobe after a fun p...
That red, angry little spot behind your earlobe after a fun pair of hoops? Girl, nine times out of ten it's nickel. It's a super common metal mixed into cheap costume jewelry because it's inexpensive and it holds up, and a lot of us just don't love having it sitting against our skin for hours.
Some people can wear nickel allll day and feel absolutely nothing. Others get itchy, swollen, and irritated within a couple hours. Your skin isn't being dramatic and you are not doing anything wrong!
When an earring is made from some mystery base metal or coated in the tiniest layer of gold, nickel is usually hiding in the mix underneath. That thin little coating wears off way faster than you'd think, and then... nickel, right against your skin.
The word "gold" on a listing can mean soooo many things. Gold plated is just a tiny sprayed or dipped layer over another metal, and once it wears down, whatever's underneath (very often nickel) starts touching your ears.
That's a whooole different animal from what we sell.
Gold filled is a thick layer of real gold bonded through heat to a brass core, and it's legally required to be 5% gold by weight. Because that gold is bonded and not sprayed on, it doesn't flake off the way plating does. Next to solid gold, gold filled is the safest and most affordable pick for sensitive skin!
Sterling silver is hypoallergenic too. It does oxidize a little faster than gold filled, so if that's your vibe, an airtight bag between wears plus a quick clean with an anti tarnishing cloth keeps it super happy.
Even really sensitive skin usually does great with either one. You might just want to clean a bit more often and tuck your pieces in an airtight bag when they're off.
I am about as low maintenance as it gets, no shame. I sleep and shower in my huggies and screwbacks every single day, and I still get months and often years out of them! That right there is the whole reason I fell for gold filled in the first place.
If you've been rotating through pairs that leave your ears itchy, it's usually the metal, not the piercing. A gold filled or sterling silver pair from Hey June that you can genuinely leave in? Totally different experience.
And if a pair ever doesn't feel right, our 30 day return policy is there for exactly that! We want your ears comfy, not compromising.