Dom in Dorset Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 I've had odd small patches of eczema for a few years now but mostly just on my left foot. In September I was sitting in the garden when it occurred to me that my skin was crawling. I was covered in patches of itchy red skin and blisters were forming on the palms of my hands. Over the next few weeks I saw several doctors , was prescribed various treatments (including scabies!) to no avail. By November a secondary infection had set in and my hands had become a mass of weeping sores. Two courses of antibiotics and three different creams seemed to kill the infection but my hands continued to blister. Last week I was in a pit band for a panto and the trumpet player is a retired surgeon, he asked if I have ever worked with nickel? Yes most of my life , making keys for woodwind instruments. He said it's very common to become allergic to it and maybe my bass string were causing it? I have spent months trying to find the culprit but in my diet, at one point I thought it was dairy, then chili, then sulphites in wine. Nickel seems likely as I've been practicing every day for an hour or more and more blisters came up every day ....except boxing day (I took a day off for Christmas) So.. I played the last panto gig yesterday at 2 and haven't touched a nickel string since ...so far no new blisters ...stainless steel strings in the post....fingers crossed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 Hope stainless does the trick, might coated strings help too (obviously not nickel cored)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffbyrne Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 I haven't that level of allergy, but my skin turns black with nickel strings. I always use stainless steel these days. I hope this move works for you. G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horrorshow Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 It sounds like stainless or maybe them coated strings would be worth trying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dom in Dorset Posted January 2, 2018 Author Share Posted January 2, 2018 How reliable is the coating? I had some Rotosound Nexus (black coated) but the coating came off if you used a pic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2elliot Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 Nickel makes my fingers itch and tingle after a couple of minutes play. Stainless all the way, never an issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charic Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 A colleague of mine claims that her allergy is so severe that stainless steel still causes issues Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBod Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 Might be worth using the black plastic wrapped strings for a while? No one but the string company really knows what alloy mixes are in metal strings, regardless of how they are described. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dom in Dorset Posted January 3, 2018 Author Share Posted January 3, 2018 That had crossed my mind although the tone would be quite different. I played a bass with Rotosound stainless last night for a few minutes and so far no ill effects. I'm tempted to email Rotosound and see if their stainless contains any nickel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dom in Dorset Posted January 3, 2018 Author Share Posted January 3, 2018 From Wikipedia " Austenitic stainless steel (include the so called super-austenitics) When nickel is added, the austenite structure of iron is stabilized. This crystal structure makes such steels virtually non-magnetic and less brittle at low temperatures." However the Rotos I have are magnetic, although it's hard to tell if it's the core of the string or the winding. The pull from a neodymium magnet is strong on all the strings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlloyd Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 I developed a severe nickel allergy, sensitised through playing. Stainless steel strings help, but not 100%, and obviously there is nickel in most frets. It took a while to pin my allergy to nickel as it's not as simple as contact dermatitis. It's a systemic allergy, so playing on nickel strings brings out rashes on my face, arms, back etc.... The other thing to consider is that nickel is present in food. A low nickel diet is worth considering http://www.pennstatehershey.org/c/document_library/get_file?uuid=0888ec6e-3d2f-4766-833e-b38bd920ffcd&groupId=102184 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 There are several top-flight bassists that play with thin gloves, for various reasons. Worth considering..? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charic Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 17 minutes ago, Dad3353 said: There are several top-flight bassists that play with thin gloves, for various reasons. Worth considering..? That's a good shout! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martthebass Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 Normal austenitic stainless contains 8%Ni. To avoid completely I’d go for plastic wrapped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maude Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 I have Fender 9120 nylon tapewound on both my 'home' acoustic basses and really like them. They are quite bright sound sounding for tapewound, not at all like flats. Too low tension for my gigging basses but I like a high tension string. Could be worth a go? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambient Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 (edited) Gloves are a good idea. Have you totally discounted everything else? I have an allergy to liquid soap, some shampoo and shower gel, as does my mom. It took years before I realised what was causing my hands to be so sore. I’d visited the doctor and spent a fortune on handcreams. It was so bad that my doctor the first time he saw me asked what I did for a living. When I said I was a musician he was totally flummoxed, he was thinking that I worked with chemicals or something. It was by chance that I read an article in a newspaper about chemicals in everyday products that can case harm. We now use tablet soap at home, when I’m out I make sure to completely rinse and dry my hands after washing. Some of the soaps I can actually feel my hands stinging. Just wondering because you say it first appeared on your foot. Edited January 3, 2018 by ambient Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Cloud Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 On 1/2/2018 at 18:44, Dom in Somerset said: I've had odd small patches of eczema for a few years now but mostly just on my left foot. In September I was sitting in the garden when it occurred to me that my skin was crawling. I was covered in patches of itchy red skin and blisters were forming on the palms of my hands. Over the next few weeks I saw several doctors , was prescribed various treatments (including scabies!) to no avail. By November a secondary infection had set in and my hands had become a mass of weeping sores. Two courses of antibiotics and three different creams seemed to kill the infection but my hands continued to blister. Last week I was in a pit band for a panto and the trumpet player is a retired surgeon, he asked if I have ever worked with nickel? Yes most of my life , making keys for woodwind instruments. He said it's very common to become allergic to it and maybe my bass string were causing it? I have spent months trying to find the culprit but in my diet, at one point I thought it was dairy, then chili, then sulphites in wine. Nickel seems likely as I've been practicing every day for an hour or more and more blisters came up every day ....except boxing day (I took a day off for Christmas) So.. I played the last panto gig yesterday at 2 and haven't touched a nickel string since ...so far no new blisters ...stainless steel strings in the post....fingers crossed. That's awful and must feel so unpleasant...I really hope that the stainless steel strings make a big difference to your hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dom in Dorset Posted January 3, 2018 Author Share Posted January 3, 2018 1 hour ago, ambient said: Gloves are a good idea. Have you totally discounted everything else? I have an allergy to liquid soap, some shampoo and shower gel, as does my mom. It took years before I realised what was causing my hands to be so sore. I’d visited the doctor and spent a fortune on handcreams. It was so bad that my doctor the first time he saw me asked what I did for a living. When I said I was a musician he was totally flummoxed, he was thinking that I worked with chemicals or something. It was by chance that I read an article in a newspaper about chemicals in everyday products that can case harm. We now use tablet soap at home, when I’m out I make sure to completely rinse and dry my hands after washing. Some of the soaps I can actually feel my hands stinging. Just wondering because you say it first appeared on your foot. No but I've had no significant irritation since I stopped playing on Nickel strings. The foot thing may not be related and apparently nickel allergy isn't always at the point of contact. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 I have a problem with it in general although not so much of a problem with strings. Went through a lot of wedding rings though before i ended up with a stone one. I did try and learn the flute, and I guess my flute was a bit too nickel and my lip was a real problem for a while! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazzbass Posted January 4, 2018 Share Posted January 4, 2018 the coating on the Elixir Nanowebs is very long lasting, at least 6 to 9 months, maybe more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmsterdamAsh Posted January 4, 2018 Share Posted January 4, 2018 Yeah I read a while back about how we can become allergic to things through over-exposure to things. I was sent into this research by a second bee sting - the first just hurt. The second swelled up. Apparently a third could be quite dangerous, which is nice. Shame to be allergic to the thing that’s your job! And at least you have alternatives in bass strings! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dom in Dorset Posted January 4, 2018 Author Share Posted January 4, 2018 4 hours ago, AmsterdamAsh said: Yeah I read a while back about how we can become allergic to things through over-exposure to things. I was sent into this research by a second bee sting - the first just hurt. The second swelled up. Apparently a third could be quite dangerous, which is nice. Shame to be allergic to the thing that’s your job! And at least you have alternatives in bass strings! Thankfully I stopped making instrument keys a few years ago , I still work with nickel occasionally , mostly working on frets or stringing guitars. i'll have to wear gloves now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skybone Posted January 4, 2018 Share Posted January 4, 2018 Thankfully, I've never had it quite as bad as the Dom, but I certainly noticed my finger tips peeling like mad when I used nickel wound strings. Changed to stainless steel, and never had a problem since. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dom in Dorset Posted January 17, 2018 Author Share Posted January 17, 2018 I'm down for an allergy test as I really need confirmation beyond doubt before I start re-fretting my instruments . "There is up to a 25 week waiting list" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlloyd Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 14 minutes ago, Dom in Somerset said: I'm down for an allergy test as I really need confirmation beyond doubt before I start re-fretting my instruments . "There is up to a 25 week waiting list" I waited a year for mine.... and they didn't test me for nickel... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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