Monday, October 13, 2008

Inexpensive Solutions for Sensitive Ears

My sensitive ears made it nearly impossible to find cute, affordable earrings that didn’t hurt or cause an infection so I hope my “discoveries” help those of you with a similar affliction. The first step in the process is determining what type of metals one’s ears are not sensitive to—for some, this may only be gold or sterling silver; the only way to know for certain is to experiment and gauge for a reaction. The majority, like myself, are only sensitive to nickel. Also, please don’t dismiss the role of proper hygiene, such as disinfecting your earrings with alcohol, in the prevention of infection.

Be on the lookout for earrings labeled “nickel-free” or “for sensitive ears” when shopping for earrings that are not at least 14k gold or sterling silver, they shouldn’t cause problems for all but the most sensitive of ears. Obviously, you should remove your earrings at the first sign of discomfort or infection no matter how cute they may be.

Target— The Xhiliration line of earrings is labeled nickel free and features constantly updated stock that reflect the trends of the season. Target would be my first choice when searching for something funky or vintage-inspired. The majority of the pieces are no more than $10 per pair.

Claire’s—My only qualm is Claire’s limited and frequently juvenile stock. I have found a few great pairs of simple hoops and studs but for the most part, the earrings here do not really fit my taste. The pairs I have purchased have gotten a lot of use and have not caused me any problems. Claire’s often has buy two, get one free offers so you can everything you want at once.

Sally Beauty Supply—I’ve recently discovered that Sally’s stock of hypoallergenic earrings meant for piercing is also rather cute! While the variety is limited in comparison to Target’s, the studs and small shapes tend to be more practical for daily wear. The best part is the price, most pairs are significantly less than $5! The earrings are typically located within a plastic display case but don’t let that fool you, the Sales Associates will gladly open the case to allow you to see the earrings inside.

If you should discover that you are only able to wear gold or sterling silver, you can still find great deals on 14k jewelry at retailers such as Ross, Marshall’s and TJMaxx.



Image Credit: Target.com, Sallybeauty.com

3 comments:

Fabuless Beauty said...

You can go to Icing too for earrings. Icing is owned by Claire's and supposedly catered towards Claire's older crowd.

A Gal On A Budget said...

I implicitly lump Claire's and Icing under one "Claire's umbrella" because I really don't see much of a difference in their stock. I think my main issue with Claires/The Icing is the fact that they are not really intended for my age group. There's cute and then there's super sugary teenie bopper cute, know what I mean?

Anastasia said...

I'm the same. I love costume jewelry but I won't buy anything that isn't hypoallergenic. Luckily I've never really had a problem finding it, though.

I can wear nickel-stuff as long as I don't wear it for more than about 12 hours at a time, otherwise I risk swelling and ear infections.

The only earrings I tend to wear nowadays are my Lego earrings, which are all hypoallergenic :]