Cell Phone Rash

Cell phones are getting a bad rap once again.  Now along with the concern of radiation, brain cancer, and setting your car on fire at the gas station; some users are also experiencing a mysterious rash.

If you're an incessant cell phone user and a mysterious rash appears along your jaw, cheek or ear, chances are you're allergic to nickel, a metal commonly used in cell phones.

I'm actually amazed that there is any metal on the outside of a cell phone.  I thought they were all plastic.

Symptoms of cell phone allergy include a red, bumpy, itchy rash in areas where the nickel-containing parts of a cell phone touch the face. It can even affect fingertips of those who text continuously on buttons containing nickel. In severe cases, blisters and itchy sores can develop. To treat cell phone rash, you can apply a mild over-the-counter corticosteroid, she said. (Ask your doctor about how long you can safely use it.) Then, keep the nickel-bearing parts of your phone off your face. "Buy a phone cover, opt for a hands-free device, use the speaker phone or switch to a phone that doesn't contain nickel on surfaces that touch your skin," she said. Consult an allergist if the rash lingers.

via Among Cell-Phone Junkies, Rash on the Rise.

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