Cell Phone Rash

Reuters:

According to the British Association of Dermatologist, mobile phone users should be on alert for a skin allergy on their ears and cheeks caused from too much mobile phone use. An itchy red rash can form on mobile phone users who have an allergic reaction to the nickel surface of a mobile phone after spending long periods of time on the devices.

This condition known as “mobile phone dermatitis,” has many doctors baffled, as many of them were completely unaware that a mobile phone could even cause such a condition. The safety concerns of mobile phones have grown along with their popularity, although with today’s evidence no serious concerns have arisen.

Nickel is a common metal found in many daily products ranging from cell phones, belt buckles and jewelry. According to MayoClinic.com, “Nickel allergy is one of the most common causes of allergic contact dermatitis.”

Earlier this year Lionel Bercovitch of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island and colleagues tested 22 popular handsets from eight different manufacturers and found nickel in 10 of the devices.