01 January 2003
I had my ears pierced 10 years ago but had to let them close up because I think I reacted to the metal and both ears became infected. I would like to have my ears pierced again, but don't want to encounter the same problem. Someone said I can have my ears pierced with a different kind of metal but I don't really know what to ask for. Is gold hypoallergenic and is there anything else I can do to improve my chances?

Response
Some people react to any metal. You need to talk to a piercer about the problems you had and find out what they can offer for the initial jewellery put in at the time of the piercing. Thereafter only use good quality metals such as solid gold. Nickel is a metal that commonly causes allergic reactions.