I am highly allergic to Nickel. I have had the same electric razor for years. I decided to try wet shaving and was wondering if anyone else has ran into any problems with any razor or razor blades that has this allergy? It doesn't have to be nickel coated for me to have a reaction, as nickel is placed in a lot of metals for strength. It will not note the Nickel anywhere on the packaging if that is the case. I am using a shave factory DE razor and have not had any reactions to it or the Gillette 7'oclock green blades. Any input would be a great help. Thanks
Nickel Allergies
- Thread starter chrispinn
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- #3
I will blister within minutes of the contact of the skin. I cannot wear jeans Cause of the rivits and hats because of that little metal piece in the middle. I have to use cloth belts so I can wrap the excess around the belt buckle so my Dunlap doesn't blister. LOL. it is bad.
I think you should be safe as far as blades go. Almost all modern blades are made from martensitic stainless steel, so they should not contain any nickel. Üddeholm describes the composition of their UHB AEB-L blade steel, and it does not mention any nickel. Carbon steel blades should also be free of nickel. Basically if you can lift a blade with a magnet, it should be safe.
Razors may be another story. Would holding onto a nickel-plated razor for ten minutes a day cause a reaction? If so, you might want to watch out for gold- and chrome-plated razors as well as nickel. Often there is a layer of nickel under the gold or chrome, for durability. Over time the chrome may flake or the gold will wear down, exposing the underlying nickel to your skin. You see exposed nickel on a lot of 1940s Aristocrats, for example. Maybe that would not be a problem for something as brief as a shave, but you know that better than I do.
But there are other options. You could try a plastic razor like the Merkur 45. For vintage razors a silver-plated Gillette Old Type or New Improved should be safe. Up until about 1940 Gillette did not use a nickel layer under gold-plated razors, so those should also be safe. That would include various models of NEW in gold, plus the Sheraton and I think the 1930s Aristocrat. The Gold Tech might also be safe, but I am less sure about that.
If you find a razor with exposed nickel that you really want to use, it might be possible to have the nickel stripped off and replaced with cerakote or a powder coat.
Razors may be another story. Would holding onto a nickel-plated razor for ten minutes a day cause a reaction? If so, you might want to watch out for gold- and chrome-plated razors as well as nickel. Often there is a layer of nickel under the gold or chrome, for durability. Over time the chrome may flake or the gold will wear down, exposing the underlying nickel to your skin. You see exposed nickel on a lot of 1940s Aristocrats, for example. Maybe that would not be a problem for something as brief as a shave, but you know that better than I do.
But there are other options. You could try a plastic razor like the Merkur 45. For vintage razors a silver-plated Gillette Old Type or New Improved should be safe. Up until about 1940 Gillette did not use a nickel layer under gold-plated razors, so those should also be safe. That would include various models of NEW in gold, plus the Sheraton and I think the 1930s Aristocrat. The Gold Tech might also be safe, but I am less sure about that.
If you find a razor with exposed nickel that you really want to use, it might be possible to have the nickel stripped off and replaced with cerakote or a powder coat.
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- #5
That is alot of useful information. I am so glad I joined b&b. Everyone is so informative and eager to assist. Thank you very much. I will look into that plastic razor you so much for your help. Also if a magnet sticks to something it doesn't contain nickel? That could help me out in other areas as well.
Hey Chris,
Hope you got all the advice you were looking for here, I understand how bad allergies can be. Not sure where you live but if you're in the US I wanted to extend the great generosity this forum has shown me to you!
I have a 1937 Sheraton (open comb) that I'm willing to send your way if you get bored/tired of the plastic one you're looking for. It's an excellent shaver and I don't think I could live without it but I also figure I have a broader selection that I can choose from.
just send me a PM if you're interested!
good luck and be safe,
Very respectfully,
Adam
EDIT: TO BORROW!
Hope you got all the advice you were looking for here, I understand how bad allergies can be. Not sure where you live but if you're in the US I wanted to extend the great generosity this forum has shown me to you!
I have a 1937 Sheraton (open comb) that I'm willing to send your way if you get bored/tired of the plastic one you're looking for. It's an excellent shaver and I don't think I could live without it but I also figure I have a broader selection that I can choose from.
just send me a PM if you're interested!
good luck and be safe,
Very respectfully,
Adam
EDIT: TO BORROW!
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That trick only works if you know it is a stainless steel alloy. Pure nickel reacts to a magnet, but the types of stainless steel that contain nickel tend not to be ferromagnetic. More technically (but probably still oversimplifying it): ferritic and martensitic stainless steels are magnetic while austenitic stainless steels are non-magnetic. Austenitic stainless steel tends to include nickel for stabilization.
Jeans use COPPER rivets usually. Have you actually been tested by an allergist (M.D.)?
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- #10
Yes I have. And I'm also allergic to cockroach poo if that helps out in any way. Lol
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- #11
I really do appreciate your offer but I have money burning a hole in my pocket. This is all new to me and I am still researching everything. Will update when I decide on my purchase something else.
Me too. Never knew why they automatically test for that in the first place. I'm not allergic to nickel, though.
Does high-quality stainless steel contain any nickel or enough to cause a reaction? If not, you could try a Weber PH.
They test for that because it's actually a lot more common in the average household environment than we would want to believe.
We give our *DOGS* allergy shots.
Back to Chris, if you have a rapid reaction to nickel then you might try to get a razor that is either gold plated (covering the nickel) or get one that's raw brass with no plating. But the unplated one will oxidize if you aren't fastidious about keeping it clean.
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- #15
I think I'm gonna try the plastic Merkur 45 and see where that takes me.
I read this and immediately thought iKon. Little pricey (125-150ish), but aren't their razors stainless. Avoids the problem outright and from what I hear pretty good razors. Straight razors would also work, but that's a little bit of a jump to start out with.
Stainless steel contains chromium and steel, not nickel.
"There are different types of stainless steels: when nickel is added, for instance, the austenite structure of iron is stabilized." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stainless_steel. Nickel content runs pretty low, but the OP is the best judge of his own risk.
If stainless steel that contains nickel causes reactions, what about Bakelite? Or aluminum (RazoRock Slant, New Standard)?
Actually 304SS has 8-12% nickel, and is one of the most common stainless steels used. Another one that is common in culinary items is 17-4 ph stainless, and the 4 relates to how much nickel it contains (4%).
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