Can you be allergic to nickel?
Nickel (Ni) is a silvery-white metal that can be found in nature. It is usually mixed with other metals to produce alloys. For example, nickel-iron, which is used to manufacture stainless steel, is the most common nickel alloy. Other nickel alloys are used to make coins, costume jewelry, zippers, buttons, eyeglass frames, pens etc. Nickel is found in many common, everyday items.
Nickel allergy is a contact allergy, which is an allergic skin reaction in response to being exposed to a contact allergen or irritant, such as nickel. A nickel allergy can occur at any age, and typically manifests a few days after first contact as eczema (allergic contact dermatitis), which appears as an itchy, dry/crusty, and red/pigmented skin rash with watery blisters.
Additionally, nickel is used as a primary chemical throughout the plating process used by Cliffside’s supplier to color and finish the hardware. For customers with allergies to nickel, the following finishes in our catalog should be safe, using these finish codes:
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Bright copper (BC)
- Iron (IR)
- Antique brass (AB, .08, .68)
- Oil-rubbed bronze (ORB)
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- IBCL-PN shows the polished nickel finish
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- A brushed nickel finish on the K344
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- Bright copper on the 100 series knob
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- Iron finish on the 161 series knob
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- Antique brass finish on the B674 series knob
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- Oil-rubbed bronze finish on the S1204 series knob
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