Strange strap rash

[HauteHippie]

So, suddenly out of the blue I'm developing a rash on the underside of my wrist whenever I wear leather around my wrist. The effected area becomes itchy, red, and even slightly swollen by day's end. This is happening with my favorite straps - greg, vintager, strap culture, etc. And these are straps that I've worn for a long time with no problems in the past. I'm puzzled. Has anyone ever heard of anything like this? Before I throw a collection of nice straps away, I've got to at least try cleaning them.... They don't look dirty, but what the hell. So what's a good leather cleaner to try out? Any other ideas? Thanks!

[Victoria]

So, suddenly out of the blue I'm developing a rash on the underside of my wrist whenever I wear leather around my wrist. The effected area becomes itchy, red, and even slightly swollen by day's end.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's Wrist-Check. I have lately developed an itchy, scaly rash on the underside of my wrist. I would have my dad check it out, but I don't wish to add to his burdens -- I'm self-medicating with Benadryl cream just for the itch alone.

For me, BTW, it happens with both leather and SS.

However, since I have recently suffered that famous bout of lotion rash, I was guessing it was related to that. Now, I believe that the affected areas are due to my wearing my straps MUCH too tightly.

Wonder if that's your problem too?

Get better, Chieftang. It's no fun not being able to wear one's watch comfortably.

[Dizzy]

get some leather cleaner or something.. there must be a chemical on there thats affecting your skin. What if you even washed it with water? just let it dry naturally so it doesnt shrink. But im sure a good leather cleaner will work fine.

[sssurfer]

Chief, if the rush is only on the underside of your wrist then it looks more related with the buckle than with the strap.

Bracelets are giving you the same rush, or not?

If it is the buckle, you might have developed an allergy to stainless steel (most likely to the embedded nickel), or it may be "just" a mechanical issue.

Arguments in favour of the mechanical hypothesis are if you recently gained weight, or if you recently made heavier physical work with your left arm.

Try to wear only Titanium or PVD buckles for a while, and/or to wear a SS buckle on your right wrist. If your left wrist recovers but your right wrist quickly develops a rush, than it is an allergy for sure.

Once you know whether it is an allergy or else, and what the involved matter is, you might figure a solution.

[Raijor]

Sssurfer may be on to something. My father used to get a rash from wearing his Rolex Datejust and it was from the nickel in the stainless steel that he was allergic to. He used to wear the watch tight on his wrist but eventually found that wearing it loosely helped to minimize the allergic response albeit did not completely prevent them. I wish you well on this. Cheers

CNN,com article on nickel allergy

[tootall]

I too agree with ssurfer. If it is located on the underside, that is ore likely that the buckle is the irritant.

Being allergic to leather is very very rare. You could be allergic to tanning chemicals and or dye's used, but most of those would have faded by the time you got your strap. So it's most likely and allergy to the buckle.

Hey vbarrett, yours sounds much like the same thing.

Winter is coming and thus dryer skin as well. This adds to any irritation and can become sore if not treated. I wouldn't recommend lotions as that could hurt the leather by getting into the fibers. Best method would be to clean the leather and make sure you are getting plenty of moisture yourself (I know it sounds weird, but there is a HUGE list of things that happen when your body is not properly hydrated)

A good leather cleaner is Lexol leather cleaner. It is ph balanced and works great. You could also use saddle soap, but I find it darkens leather too much. Lexol is light and does the job.

Edited October 29, 2007 by tootall

[Victoria]

Hey vbarrett, yours sounds much like the same thing.

Winter is coming and thus dryer skin as well.

Thanks, Tootall!

In my case, since I recently came from a battery of allergy exams, having gone through my "infamous" lotion rash over a fortnight ago, I was tested for allergies to nickle, etc. (having mentioned my watch hobby to my dermatologist/immunologist) and it came up negative.

I also have irritation on the upper side of the wrist, which suggests to me I wear my watches too tight as it's chafing there too.

However, good advice overall from all who replied.

[LordRasta]

The same thing happens to me when I wear a leather strap for too long, i.e. days in a row. This is why I favor SS watches.

[deltatahoe]

A good leather cleaner is Lexol leather cleaner. It is ph balanced and works great. You could also use saddle soap, but I find it darkens leather too much. Lexol is light and does the job.

was about to suggest lexol as well -- it's good stuff. good luck w/ the rash chief

deltatahoe

[pman]

Chief,

What style Panerai is it? Depending on the style I'd be willing to wear it for a while and see I have the same type of reaction. All for the sake of finding you a cure of course!

[TeeJay]

Thanks, Tootall!

In my case, since I recently came from a battery of allergy exams, having gone through my "infamous" lotion rash over a fortnight ago, I was tested for allergies to nickle, etc. (having mentioned my watch hobby to my dermatologist/immunologist) and it came up negative.

I also have irritation on the upper side of the wrist, which suggests to me I wear my watches too tight as it's chafing there too.

However, good advice overall from all who replied.

I remember from one of your 'wrist checks' (without a watch) that the imprint of the watch and strap was still visible on your wrist. To me, that says you're wearing the watch too tight. I used to do the same thing when I was about 10, and would buckle my Casios as tight as they'd go without cutting off the circulation. Not so long after that, I developed a rash on my wrist, which, when I temporarily transfered my watch to my left wrist ( which felt ) cleared up pretty fast. Since then, I've never worn a watch as tight, and can always get a finger between my wrist and bracelet/strap. [Edit to add] And never had such a rash develop under a watch again...

On topic, my initial thoughts were that it might have been a reaction to the chemicals in the tanning/manufacturing process. I'm intrigued that people think it might be a nickel reaction to the buckle. Not so much that it's not a possibility, but I just would have thought that the buckle wouldn't have come into close enough contact to the skin to cause a reaction, which was why my first thoughts ran to chemical reactions...

Hope it gets worked out

Edited October 29, 2007 by TeeJay

[HauteHippie]

Chief, if the rush is only on the underside of your wrist then it looks more related with the buckle than with the strap.

Bracelets are giving you the same rush, or not?

If it is the buckle, you might have developed an allergy to stainless steel (most likely to the embedded nickel), or it may be "just" a mechanical issue.

Arguments in favour of the mechanical hypothesis are if you recently gained weight, or if you recently made heavier physical work with your left arm.

Try to wear only Titanium or PVD buckles for a while, and/or to wear a SS buckle on your right wrist. If your left wrist recovers but your right wrist quickly develops a rush, than it is an allergy for sure.

Once you know whether it is an allergy or else, and what the involved matter is, you might figure a solution.

M - stainless doesn't seem to bother me. I'm wearing my Rolexes alot now because they don't cause the inflamation, nor does my Ti Breitling (wearing today)... I think it's the leather. But it is very strange that it is the underside of the wrist only.

[HauteHippie]

Chief,

What style Panerai is it? Depending on the style I'd be willing to wear it for a while and see I have the same type of reaction. All for the sake of finding you a cure of course!

LOL

Well since you asked... old school 063 2892, watchmen cyclops, finepics DW, superlumed, Palp crown, Jimmy Fu CG. My favorite piece.

[z80]

It's probably a heat rash, I never get a watch rash unless my wrist is sweating. I was going to make a joke about being allergic to cats but there is no way a fine leather strap made in China would turn out to made from cats... right?

[AllergyDoc]

Aside from nickel allergy, sweat is likely the culprit. Most people don't know that the skin is the body's largest excretory organ, meaning nasty wastes can leave the body via sweat. Said nasty wastes are irritating to the skin.

Make sure you drink enough water through the day to ensure you have enough fluids for proper kidney and bowel function. Then, try applying a drying powder to the skin every day, hopefully something that doesn't turn the strap a different color.

If it's not an allergy, it will "pass" with a little time.

[pman]

Let me test!! Let me test please!! I'm more than happy to make the sacrifice. It's the least I could do for a fellow board member!!

[Victoria]

I remember from one of your 'wrist checks' (without a watch) that the imprint of the watch and strap was still visible on your wrist. To me, that says you're wearing the watch too tight.

And I know it, too, TeeJay! It's awful really. Sometimes I feel the circulation being cut off, so I have to loosen it.

Today I wore the Fiddy very loosely, and I didn't scratch or feel chafed at all...

[Edit to add] And never had such a rash develop under a watch again...

...just like you as a child.

So yeah, I have to wear my watches a bit looser from now on.

For the record, I never have problems with thinner leathers, but the Pacis and Zeugmas etc are about 5.5mm thick, yikes!

On topic, my initial thoughts were that it might have been a reaction to the chemicals in the tanning/manufacturing process. I'm intrigued that people think it might be a nickel reaction to the buckle. Not so much that it's not a possibility, but I just would have thought that the buckle wouldn't have come into close enough contact to the skin to cause a reaction, which was why my first thoughts ran to chemical reactions...

Hope it gets worked out

Thanks, TeeJay!

I have heard of people being electromagnetically repellant to watches, so I guess I personally lucked out.

Not sure about Chieftang though!

[erwinner]

I had a similar issue with a IWC GST Chrono once, but this was due to the fact that the edges of the slots in the caseback are to sharp. For now this means I will not wear the watch for more than one day or I have to get me some tool to soften the edges...

Godd luck Chieftang on solving this issue!

[HauteHippie]

Aside from nickel allergy, sweat is likely the culprit. Most people don't know that the skin is the body's largest excretory organ, meaning nasty wastes can leave the body via sweat. Said nasty wastes are irritating to the skin.

Make sure you drink enough water through the day to ensure you have enough fluids for proper kidney and bowel function. Then, try applying a drying powder to the skin every day, hopefully something that doesn't turn the strap a different color.

If it's not an allergy, it will "pass" with a little time.

Thanks, doc. Kidneys and bowels are fine - just the minor wrist rash. Water intake is not the issue. I have to pee 4-5 times a day at work.

I also don't think it's the buckle as it just doesn't touch the skin much. Maybe I've gained some weight and I need to start wearing it one hole looser. I actually prefer the looser feel to tight on the wrist anyhow.

[TeeJay]

M - stainless doesn't seem to bother me. I'm wearing my Rolexes alot now because they don't cause the inflamation, nor does my Ti Breitling (wearing today)... I think it's the leather. But it is very strange that it is the underside of the wrist only.

It could only be affecting the underside of the wrist as the skin there is much more sensitive and delicate than the skin on the other side and sides of the wrist. It is also an area with typically thinner hair coverage, so it would also be (slightly) more in contact with the strap than the other parts of the wrist...

And I know it, too, TeeJay! It's awful really. Sometimes I feel the circulation being cut off, so I have to loosen it.

Today I wore the Fiddy very loosely, and I didn't scratch or feel chafed at all...

...just like you as a child.

If I recall, the operating manual which came with my Casios advised wearing a watch with enough slack to insert a finger between the wrist and the strap/bracelet. That's certainly always been the rule I've tried to stick to. If I really wanted to, I could just about force my Planet Ocean (on rubber) to twist round my wrist, but it would be a push. There's just over a finger's worth of slack on the strap, and personally, I find that the perfect size for a watch as it lets the watch move about on the arm as needbe, without slopping about.

For the record, I never have problems with thinner leathers, but the Pacis and Zeugmas etc are about 5.5mm thick, yikes!

Thanks, TeeJay!

Interesting. Stupid as it might sound, the thicker leathers might be 'more warming', and 'heat things up' more than the thinner leathers... Might just be fractions of a degree, but, in microbiology and chemistry, those minute variances can make all the difference.

I have heard of people being electromagnetically repellant to watches, so I guess I personally lucked out.

It's certainly a real phenomenon. I have a cousin who can't wear a mechanical watch for more than a few hours without it stopping, so she's always been forced to wear digital

[HauteHippie]

Thanks for all the feedback... I'll try loosening up the straps and will pick up some Lexol leather cleaner as well.