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Dear Mr. Trumble:
As a colleague in the jewelry
industry, I would like to respond to your comment in the March
issue of Accent, in which you state, "Personally I have
never run into anyone who had an allergy to nickel jewelry."
Roman Research is a hypoallergenic
jewelry manufacturer based in Hanson, Massachusetts, and we
have been committed to producing hypoallergenic jewelry exclusively
since 1970. While you may not have seen this medical problem,
I would be happy to share with you the favorable comments we
regularly receive from customers who tell us the only jewelry
they can wear safely and comfortably is from our hypoallergenic
collections: Simply Whispers, Perfections and Ultra Whispers.
When a nickel-sensitive person
wears nickel-plated jewelry, the consequences are not just uncomfortable,
but often painful and severe. That is why we are strong advocates
of consistent standards and accurate labeling of hypoallergenic
jewelry. It is the only way to protect the consumer, and give
retailers who carry our product, the confidence in knowing their
customers' health is protected.
There is well documented evidence
supporting the need for hypoallergenic jewelry as well. For example,
the February, 1996 British Journal of Dermatology says, "Between
9% and 48% of all people may become sensitized to nickel at some
point in their lives, making nickel the most common form of contact
allergies in the industrialized world...Even in small doses,
nickel can cause painful topical rashes and skin irritations."
The Journal also states, "Once
a person is sensitized-usually through ear piercing-future exposure
to nickel may continuously cause contact dermatitis reactions,
and the concentration of nickel needed to cause a reaction can
be quite low in some people."
Similarly, the US Department
of Health and Human Service's Public Health Service Agency for
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry warns Americans about nickel
exposure. According to this agency, "People can become sensitive
to nickel when jewelry or other items containing it are in direct
contact with the skin. Once a person is sensitized to nickel,
further contact with it will produce a reaction. The most common
reaction is a skin rash at the site of contact."
I urge you to consider the benefits
of supporting hypoallergenic labeling and standards rather than
minimizing this potential health problem for fifty percent of
the population.
I have enclosed papers on this
subject for your information. I hope, that in light of this information,
we can enlist your support for allergy-safe standards, reliable
labeling and consumer education programs. Please contact me if
you have any questions or suggestions.
Sincerely,
Dale Southworth
cc: Accent Magazine |
