My Apple Watch burn my wrist

Hi, so it appears that although many people are having the same problem it's not enough people for them to do something about it. So a third party recommendation was suggested. So i have a friend who does embroidery and custom designs and asked her what she could do. She has a machine whereby she attached thin cloth to it and once done, it has adhesive on one side of the cloth that you peel off. You can cut it just to fit the circle or enough to cover the whole back of the watch, which i choose to do. Of course my cut outs will be neater the next time. It charges well and provide the readings i want. so i am now happy with my apple watch:)

[Personal Information Edited by Moderator]

A few weeks after I had my new Apple Watch 5, purchased directly from Apple.com, I felt itching and found a perfect red circle under my watch. Switched to right wrist until my left healed and switched back after it healed. Last night, I took the watch off to charge and my wrist was bleeding from a dark burn i've not had until tonight. I've had it several months now and it continues to irritate and burn my skin. These devices cost too much for the technology to not be in place to accommodate this problem. Please, Apple, do what's right and recall these devices and correct this problem.Please, Apple, do what's right and recall these devices and correct this problem.

I have the exact same issue, Apple support said it is not the watch and it is not a burn. I disagree! Mine is definitely a burn right where the battery sits. Apple Support said to wear the watch looser but if I do that, it will slide around my wrist.

Wow.....is all I can say! I spoke to Apple Support and they made it seem like they had never heard of this and it was some sort of allergy or skin rash because I didn’t clean my watch properly 🤨. I have been wearing it since Christmas when I got it and all of a sudden I have a burn right where the battery sits against my skin.

I wear 2 watches... That burn above the other bracelet is from my apple watch (series 5).

Apple support also gave me some spiel about it being some contaminant or badly cleaned watch (it was like 2 weeks old at the time so lord knows what they think I'm doing to get it so messy), or nickel allergy..

The other watch (The Omega) I rarely take off and I've never had a problem with it.

So I now suspect Apples' "reasons" are BS because I think they know or at least deeply suspect what causes it.

If I were to hazard a guess.. This is something related to the intense green light on the rear of the watch.. I suspect this because if I turn off the heart monitoring feature (Settings / Privacy / Health) this problem does not occur. I think some people under some specific circumstances are affected - they get what amounts to a burn from this light. Is the light staying on too long? , is it too bright?.. or is it just a sensitivity that some people get? - I don't know. But I think Apple should level with people and say - not tell them it's because it's an allergy / or contaminants. Some prominent warning on the packaging.. Because if people knew this could happen, or had a family history of illnesses caused by exposure to light .. the might think twice about buying this.

So looks like Apple doesn't want to answer this question online? There has to be some type of accessory that can handle this. I cut out a piece of patching cloth that i put on the back and it stays on only for awhile, but it protected my wrist. Please let me know.

The same thing just happened to me and I’ve had my watch for over a year. A burn developed exactly where the green LED lights up to read heart rate. A swollen BURN. I do not have an allergy and keep my watch clean. These are burns. Thanks for the info you guys! I was happy to see I wasn’t the only one and that this is a huge issue.

Thank you for participating in the Apple Support Communities.

I want to make sure you reach the right team for help with your Apple Watch. I recommend that you contact Apple Support directly. Depending on your region, you may be able to reach them here: Contact Apple Support

I have a burn almost the exact diameter of the battery, I also sleep with my hand under my pillow. I have had my watch since Christmas and just been burnt in the last week. I contacted Apple Support and they basically told me that it is a skin rash from not cleaning the watch re: soap build up 🧐 I am not too happy with the diagnosis knowing now that other people have the same thing happening to them. I think Apple needs to step up to the plate and recall these watches if they are harming us in this manner!

Same happened to me.

I have come to the conclusion that this is due to the intensity of the green lights at the rear of the watch. It's basically a form of sunburn but not caused by the sun obviously. I have written to Apple and asked that they display this prominently on the documentation for the Watch.

Since any kind of light based burn puts you immediately in mind of skin cancer it's quite concerning.

When I called support they made more fuss about it being a nickel allergy .. which it clearly isn't - I wear other watches (in fact I wear more than 1 at a time, and they are made of steel and I've had no problems). I don't think Apple want people to dwell too much on it being based on the intensity of the light on the rear.

If you like your Apple watch, as I do for its other features.. you can of course turn off the heart monitoring (its under settings / privacy / health), and it no longer burns. They need to stop vacillating on this and come clean.

Apple also make suggestions around the tightness of the band.. this is because (i think) that the natural movement of the watch spreads out the dosage any one area gets. But that isn't really a solution.. because the documentation also says that for the ECG to work the watch must be "snug"

• "Make sure that your Apple Watch isn't loose on your wrist. The band should be snug and the back of your Apple Watch needs to be touching your wrist."

So they want it loose, but snug...

Thank you for participating in the Apple Support Communities.

We want to make sure you reach the right team for help with your Watch. We recommend that you contact Apple Support directly. Depending on your region, you may be able to reach them here: Get Support

I have a burn on top of my left wrist directly under the bottom of the watch. There was a red, raw area about the size of a penny. This happened near the beginning of December. I thought it was minor so I just changed the watch to my right wrist planning to change back to the left when it healed. It is over one month now and scabs continue to form. It is still red and scabby although the red area is smallest now. I am concerned that it is still not healed. I am generally a quick healer. I have photos at various stages but not from the original burn as I thought it was minor at the time.

Hi Peers that some of us are allergic to the material that is used in the watch for the battery. I chose to cover that area and haven’t had any further problems. When contacting support they suggested I get another item no longer have an Apple Watch. Since I want my watch I chose improvise

I do not think it is an allergy as it occurred suddenly and has not recurred on the other wrist. I have had the watch for over a year now. I never had this problem until late November. This was after I started wearing it at night in bed. I think possibly I may have slept partly on that arm and therefore on the watch. I was interested in the heart rate data that I saw happening at night as it was lower than I realized. I started wearing it more at night to see what the heart rate readings were. I wore the watch on my left wrist for about 11 months before this happened but only once or twice a week at night. After experiencing this burn, I started wearing it on my right wrist so as to let it heal. I still wear it at night but nothing similar has happened. I called it a 'burn' because it has acted like a burn in that the damaged skin is apparently more than skin. It apparently goes deeper below the skin. I thought it would heal within a week but it is still sore and red. It is now about 5 weeks since it first occurred. There is no cause other than the watch that could have done it as I wear the watch virtually all the time except when I am charging it. The 'burned' spot is directly under the location where the magnetic charger connects. I don't know the science of how that works but it somehow burned that location on my wrist. I will probably see my family doctor next week and get his opinion. Thanks for your help.