Nickle allergy

[leschirons]

Hi,

Anyone got any experience with Nickel allergy problems? I reckon I have this. A small itchy rash mainly on fretting hand but has now spread to picking hand. Can clear it with Cortizone cream but as soon as I spend about an hour on the bass, it's back again. Need some info on Nickel-less strings. Have been in touch with Elixir about the Nano webs but thay can't tell me if they have any Nickel in them or if the coating will wear off (Doh)

It's a lot more common that we think.

Thanks

keith

Edited November 28, 2008 by leschirons

[Shockwave]

I believe Wil had a similar problem, He had to get a P bass converted to stainless steel frets! Sorry thats all i can contribute. Ask him about it for more info.

[skankdelvar]

[quote]Have been in touch with Elixir about the Nano webs but thay can't tell me if they have any Nickle in them or if the coating will wear off (Doh)[/quote]

Flipping Blimey - you think they'd know. FWIW, depending on how hard you play, the 'gore-tex' wrap eventually flakes off - but it takes a good while. Buy'em off the bay for max cheapness.

Also, go have an allergy test done. And ask your Doctor if it's exczema. That's another possibility, which may have nowt to do with bass strings, etc...

[dangerboy]

I think I'm allergic - so I use stainless steel strings. Also, they sound better. IMO.

[steve-soar]

I've been trying to look for the bassist who plays with gloves on and sounds ok, jazz dude, maybe a Fodera player but I can't remember his name.
Stainless strings and as Shockwave says, stainless frets may help.
Barrier cream will be a nightmare, I had a bad cut on my finger once and had to use a special cream, it f***ed my strings and made the wound worse.
I know it sounds patronising but wash your hands straight after you have played.

[ARGH]

Heres the best way to find out...wrap a string round your wrist like a bangle,for a few hours,if the swelling,itching,or rash appears then thats the answer..but dont overdo it....you could react REALLY badly.

[budget bassist]

Do what argh says maybe (but not for long), and if you have the reaction go for stainless steel strings and when your frets wear down get some stainless steel ones as other people have said. Have you tried changing your current strings? Maybe it's just something on your strings

[Balcro]

[quote name='leschirons' post='337906' date='Nov 26 2008, 11:56 PM']Hi,
Anyone got any experience with Nickle allergy problems? I reckon I have this. A small itchy rash mainly on fretting hand but has now spread to picking hand. Can clear it with Cortizone cream but as soon as I spend about an hour on the bass, it's back again. Need some info on Nickle-less strings. Have been in touch with Elixir about the Nano webs but thay can't tell me if they have any Nickle in them or if the coating will wear off (Doh)
It's a lot more common that we think.

Thanks, keith[/quote]

Yes Keith it's alot more common than you think.

I picked up on this a some years ago when as part of my job I inspected ear-piercers and body piercers. It's a well known problem in the "beauty" business. I would think that most girls know about it, particularly from the "sleepers" in pierced ears.
It's one of the reasons I will never knowingly use strings with a nickel content, either as content in an alloy or as a plating. I dont have this allergy and I don't want to acquire it.

I've only been a member here for a few months, but knowing what I did about nickel, it amazed me that nickel continues to be used for guitar strings. I dont have scientific proof in front of me, but I think that the allergy reaction will be so much more immediate where you have tiny cracks or splits in the skin to start with.

Good luck.

Balcro.

PS. Dear Admin,
May I suggest this topic is pinned for a short while before being transferred to the "wiki".

[Wil]

I have quite a severe nickel allergy that at one point stopped me playing entirely. My hands would be reduced to a bloody, flaking mess if I played for any length of time. It was worse with some basses than others - a Warwick Rockbass I had was the worst offender. As an experiement I had a MIM Presicion bass refretted with Stainless Steel fretwire, but the frets added a harshness to the tone I didn't like so I sold it on. It did seem to help, but even stainless steel can cause a reaction depending on the free nickel content. I have a surgical grade steel cartalidge piercing that has given me no problems, though.

The strings are a big factor - I've exclusively used Elixers for a few years now and they have vastly reduced the problems I had. Frets can still cause a reaction depending on my contact with the fingerboard edges, so depends on what position I'm playing in, but its certainly not the crippling thing it was when I was using rotosound and elites stainless strings. I converted to flats for a while as well, mainly because steroid cream had thinned the skin on my hands so much that rounds would rip them to pieces. Flats helped a bit, but Elixer rounds get my vote. Convert to fretless maybe? I played fretless exclusively for a while but didn't get on with the lack of attack, but horses for courses and all that.

[clauster]

I had the same problem - blistering on my finger-tips. I swapped to Stainless strings (Elites) and hey-presto no more blisters.

[Wil]

I played Cello for a while too during the period my hands were at their worst, and most Cello string sets are nickel. I had to shell out.. wait for it... £120 for a set of 4 tungsten strings! I thought Elixers were expensive, but that really took the biscuit.

[leschirons]

Hi all.

Thank you all very much for all the suggestions. I do actually use Elites at present but will definately (as a start) buy some Elixir strings. Can't get on playing fretless all the time as I love funk but maybe the stainless frets could also be an option.

I notice Wil had a flaking problem. This is exactly how it manifests itself with some small itchy spots as well. My old bass tutor said he'd seen it loads of times too. As I said Cortezone cream from the chemist seem to aleviate it but then after a hefty practice, it starts again. Good suggestion to keep this current for a bit as I reckon it's much more common that people realise. Apparently Sax players suffer a lot too.

Anyway, thanks to you all again. Most helpfull.

Keith

[Wil]

Hydrocortizone/steroid cremes are great as a short term fix, but of course arent intended for long term use as they thin the skin and can make things worse in the long run. I've had to resort to Betnovate, Fucibet etc many times though and they do get rid of flare up quite quickly.

E45 creme and lots of it seems to help things a lot though - my doctor said you can never use too much E45, and I agree, its great stuff.

[tauzero]

[quote name='leschirons' post='339092' date='Nov 27 2008, 11:50 PM']Thank you all very much for all the suggestions. I do actually use Elites at present but will definately (as a start) buy some Elixir strings.[/quote]
You could try switching to Elite Stadiums (stainless steel).

[bottomfeed]

My daughter had a nickel allergy... piercings, belt buckles even coins would set off the most horrendous rashes..
after doing all the 'suppressant creams' we eventually got her a referral to the Homoeopathic hospital in Bristol.. where after one lengthy consultation, she was prescribed some little tablets & a powder.... In a few days it started to clear up, until it completely vanished!..... We were amazed!

Over the next few years the rashes came back a couple of times.. We phoned the Hospital up & they sent us some 'top up' powder by post.... Again it did the trick... These days she doesn't have a problem with it at all..

I don't know what the stuff was & it may be that it wouldn't work the same for other people... but the principle of homoeopathic treatment is to stimulate the bodies natural defences by introducing minute amounts of the very thing that causes the reaction... Rather than just suppressing the symptoms...... It certainly worked for us...

[Bay Splayer]

i am allergic to nickels

however, i am not allergic to dollars or pounds

[leschirons]

[quote name='bottomfeed' post='340362' date='Nov 29 2008, 12:09 PM']My daughter had a nickel allergy... piercings, belt buckles even coins would set off the most horrendous rashes..
after doing all the 'suppressant creams' we eventually got her a referral to the Homoeopathic hospital in Bristol.. where after one lengthy consultation, she was prescribed some little tablets & a powder.... In a few days it started to clear up, until it completely vanished!..... We were amazed!

Over the next few years the rashes came back a couple of times.. We phoned the Hospital up & they sent us some 'top up' powder by post.... Again it did the trick... These days she doesn't have a problem with it at all..

I don't know what the stuff was & it may be that it wouldn't work the same for other people... but the principle of homoeopathic treatment is to stimulate the bodies natural defences by introducing minute amounts of the very thing that causes the reaction... Rather than just suppressing the symptoms...... It certainly worked for us... [/quote]

Thanks for that, I'll investigate.

Cheers

[Veils]

I had my Warwick off Darryl from Profane and that had steels when I got it because he is allergic to nickel, strange really I had never heard of anyone being allergic to nickel!!

[EBS_freak]

[quote name='steve-soar' post='337934' date='Nov 27 2008, 12:38 AM']I've been trying to look for the bassist who plays with gloves on and sounds ok, jazz dude, maybe a Fodera player but I can't remember his name.[/quote]

Etienne Mbappe?

[url="http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=n5scoddRycs"]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=n5scoddRycs[/url]

[url="http://www.myspace.com/etiennembappe"]http://www.myspace.com/etiennembappe[/url]

[Golchen]

I get problems with this as well. At my worst point my fretting fingers get cracked and bleeding and it just won't heal unless I lay off playing for a couple of weeks - have to swap to keyboards for my musical fix!. When I really want to play I end up using a combination of plasters, nu-skin and superglue!

I also have a problem with onycholysis, which is the fingernail separating from the nail bed - excruciatingly painful, especially when bending strings (mostly with the old geetar)

The bane of my life!!!!!

Edited December 3, 2008 by Golchen

[Balcro]

[quote name='Golchen' post='343832' date='Dec 3 2008, 09:39 AM']I get problems with this as well. At my worst point my fretting fingers get cracked and bleeding and it just won't heal unless I lay off playing for a couple of weeks - have to swap to keyboards for my musical fix!. When I really want to play I end up using a combination of plasters, nu-skin and superglue!
I also have a problem with onycholysis, which is the fingernail separating from the nail bed - excruciatingly painful, especially when bending strings (mostly with the old geetar)
The bane of my life!!!!![/quote]

It is your life!
I don't know how to start this reply, it's either type in capitals, say AArrgggghh!, or scream. How about "for God's sake look after your skin". There, I feel better now.

Nickel allergy with contact -> localised irritation & skin cracking -> fungus enters via cracks in skin -> onycholysis!! Seem reasonable. What else could fall off?

Switch to stainless strings and frets. Also try coated strings or those plastic/rubber strings.

PS. Golchen, do you use lots of string & fret board polishes or treatments? If you do, cut those out as well, at least until you've got your hands back to as normal as they ever will be. Now that you've got nickel allergy, your skin is probably also ultra-sensitive to a host of other compounds including mineral oil.

Best of luck with your problem.
Balcro

[Wil]

Stainless frets really didn't work for me, tone wise. They can "sprout" out of the fingerboard too. Even though I can develop a weeping rash in hours if I'm wearing a nickle belt, playing with coated strings on nickle frets minimised contact enough to enable me to play for 10 hours a week or so without issue.

[leschirons]

[quote name='Golchen' post='343832' date='Dec 3 2008, 10:39 AM']I get problems with this as well. At my worst point my fretting fingers get cracked and bleeding and it just won't heal unless I lay off playing for a couple of weeks - have to swap to keyboards for my musical fix!. When I really want to play I end up using a combination of plasters, nu-skin and superglue!

I also have a problem with onycholysis, which is the fingernail separating from the nail bed - excruciatingly painful, especially when bending strings (mostly with the old geetar)

The bane of my life!!!!![/quote]

Sorry to hear that, sounds very painfull. Know what you mean about the superglue. I have in the past, emptied 2 bottles into an egg cup and dipped all 8 finger tips in and the right thumb just to get through a gig without blood. Stay luckey and hope it gets better eventually.

Keith

[D-L-B]

For those who are not a fan of the stainless frets, what about brass frets like Warwicks?

[Golchen]

[quote name='Balcro' post='344398' date='Dec 3 2008, 05:18 PM']It is your life!
I don't know how to start this reply, it's either type in capitals, say AArrgggghh!, or scream. How about "for God's sake look after your skin". There, I feel better now.

Nickel allergy with contact -> localised irritation & skin cracking -> fungus enters via cracks in skin -> onycholysis!! Seem reasonable. What else could fall off?

Switch to stainless strings and frets. Also try coated strings or those plastic/rubber strings.

PS. Golchen, do you use lots of string & fret board polishes or treatments? If you do, cut those out as well, at least until you've got your hands back to as normal as they ever will be. Now that you've got nickel allergy, your skin is probably also ultra-sensitive to a host of other compounds including mineral oil.

Best of luck with your problem.
Balcro[/quote]

Yeah, I know what you mean about the skin. Honestly, I have really been TRYING to look after my skin/fingers for SO MANY YEARS as music is 100% my favourite thing, but it all just comes out really quickly sometimes and then you are stuffed for weeks at a time. I have tried a vast array of creams/remedies, pestered various GPs (useless!), searched the net for help regularly (not much help but a lot of other sufferers out there). I didn't even consider that it might be guitar strings until this year, but when I got a drum kit this summer I played on that for two weeks and didn't touch any stringed instruments and EVERYTHING CLEARED UP!!!!! What a surprise!

As far as strings/frets go - well I have about 14 stringed instruments so far, so I'm not changing them all to stainless frets! (3 are). Maybe I should start a slow string conversion though????