"Ring" Rash after pregnancy

[Anonymous]

My sister and I both went though this (mine is just starting to clear up). I attribute it to washing my hands so often and it not fully drying under the rings. My friend had something similar and got 3 tubes of fungus ointment from her doctor, so she shared one (the horror!). I've been using it every night and it's finally working. I'm so glad not to get dirty looks from the old ladies in the check out lane when they see my kid and then notice I don't have rings on.

Oh, and neosporin and cortizone didn't work for me.

[Anonymous]

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 it's easier to trap moisture 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.

[Anonymous]

Bump. I'm 12 months pp and this has been happening to me for the last 6 months (couldn't wear my rings before that since my fingers were still too big). I take my band off as soon as I get home and soak it, but I still get the rash after wearing it for a few hours. I've tried the clear nail polish trick and it helps a bit, but the smell is starting to get to me.

My band is 18K gold so we were thinking of shelling out the money for platinum, but I see that's still a problem for many of you. Has anyone tried switching to a titanium band?

[Anonymous]

This happened to me and there was nothing I could do except just not wear my ring. It eventually ended when I stopped breastfeeding about 7 months after having the baby. Not sure if that had anything to do with it, but it may have to do with hormones.

[Anonymous]

I had this too. I think water got under the ring when I was washing bottles or my hands and the skin got irritated. Take your ring off at night.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bump. I'm 12 months pp and this has been happening to me for the last 6 months (couldn't wear my rings before that since my fingers were still too big). I take my band off as soon as I get home and soak it, but I still get the rash after wearing it for a few hours. I've tried the clear nail polish trick and it helps a bit, but the smell is starting to get to me.

My band is 18K gold so we were thinking of shelling out the money for platinum, but I see that's still a problem for many of you. Has anyone tried switching to a titanium band?

I think with 18k gold it is somewhat possible you are experiencing a reaction to the metal - I am highly allergic to metals, but platinum and stainless steel are fine. 18k gold has me itching in minutes.

[Anonymous]

8:59 again, I stopped wearing my ring in the house and had finished breastfeeding by the time I began wearing it again. So I guess there's no hope

[Anonymous]

I would avoid titanium as it can't easily cut and the last thing I would want is to loose a finger if I was in an accident and had my hand swell.

[Anonymous]

Try jojoba oil. My wedding ring causes a severe deep cracked rash with fluid blisters. Very itchy. I don't wear rings anymore and am certain it's because of breastfeeding hormones. Two pregnancies with same problem is not a coincidence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have several friends this has happened to. It's the constant handwashing. I've never had the problem but I don't sleep/shower in my rings and I often take them off when I wash my hands. I always take them off when I put lotion on.

Stop wearing them for a while to give it a chance to clear up then do the same.

+1
Especially rushed handwashing in which you might not be getting all the soap out from under and around the ring.

[Anonymous]

It is likely moisture. Mine happened way after pregnancy when I started working out a lot.

[Anonymous]

I had a bad case of this. I ended up taking the ring to a jeweler to have it re-dipped in gold and the rash finally stopped.

[Anonymous]

It's probably fungal. Take off your ring until the infection is gone

[Anonymous]

I had the same thing as everyone on here after getting my ring cleaned at the jewelry store and went to my dermatologist. She performed swabs of the affected areas and said it was actually a yeast type bacteria, which is common in ring issues. So prescribed a medication in accordance with that. Now, I used three medications for two months and when I put my ring back on after using alcohol, after a few hours it was broken out again and red. I am going to a different type of doctor, but because it’s it’s extremely painful even when seemingly healed I think it may be shingles, not just a ordinary rash. I hope all that I have gone through and my tests can help someone.

[Anonymous]

I started gettting a reaction to cheap metal earrings postpartum. Ones I had previously worn with no problem. Super annoying!