Which earrings are best for sensitive ears?

You love the look of earrings. You wish you could wear them, but every pair you've tried has been too irritating—even painful—to wear for long. It can be stressful to find a pair of earrings that won't irritate your skin or ears, but there are some tricks to buying jewelry that will work well with your sensitive ears.

The most common metal allergy is Nickel. Nickel is found in most metal alloys as well as many plated metals such as white gold and some platinum. Not all metal is free from nickel so it’s important to be an educated consumer when shopping for jewelry for sensitive ears.

If you're not sure whether or not your ears are sensitive, you may be wondering what options exist for earrings that won't cause any problems. Fortunately, there are a number of metals that are hypoallergenic and often good choices for sensitive ears. These include sterling silver, stainless steel, gold, platinum and titanium or an alloy containing these metals. If you have a nickel allergy then avoid white gold because it contains nickel as well as other potential allergens such as copper.

If you have an allergy to nickel or other metals in jewelry, try looking for earrings made from hypoallergenic and nickel free metals such as stainless steel instead. Stainless steel is an iron-chromium alloy which doesn't contain nickel so it's suitable even for those who have a nickel allergy.

These are often the best earrings for sensitive ears because they reduce irritation and inflammation while still being lightweight enough that they don't weigh on your lobes.