Recently purchased a cellular Apple Watch series 7 and after a few week of wearing I'm noticing that my wrist is red and begin to burn and blister on the skin where the sensor part sits, no marks where the strap is in contact. Is this a known problem and any solutions?
Hello, this is not an Apple Watch issue. I do not own any Apple products, but came looking for "Apple Watch Wrist Burn" and landed here, because my Garmin watches have done the same thing three times. Replacement of the watch doesn't really help. Like other respondents here, the issue may not arise for a long time, or it may come back after a short while or a long while. Every sports watch with wrist sensors I have investigated has this same problem.
A dermatologist may not be able to tell you more than that you have contact dermatitis. There doesn't seem to be a solution, despite all the manufacturers being aware of the problem.
Advice from multiple sources says to scrupulously clean the sensors and get them completely dry before putting the watch back on (a completely dry) wrist. Don't use perfumed, scented soaps or moisturizers on the wrist. Don't leave the watch on if you are going to have a wet wrist (kind of difficult if you run and sweat...the idea is to remove the watch as soon as possible after a sweaty session).
The basic advice is to keep the back of the watch clean.... There are myriad articles online like this linked one suggesting what to do: https://gadgetsandwearables.com/2023/01/24/fitness-tracker-rash/
I hope this helps. This is a very frustrating problem for all wrist sensor wearers...you never know if you're going to have it happen to you.
I won't be back to reply to comments...as I said, I'm not an Appleite. Good luck/
Hi, i had similar issues with a brand new Garmin Watch, it turned out to be fungus.
I was ordinated an fungus treatment creme by my doctor and the problem was solved after a couple of weeks.
I purchased an Apple Watch Series 6 about 1 year ago. About a month ago I started noticing that it gives burns on the wrist, either under the watch itself, or on the opposite side under the metallic piece. As a medical professional I can tell you for sure that these are not allergic reactions. These are definitely burns. They don't appear all the time. I wear my watch on a constant basis (night and day) because I have cardiac problems. I use the watch sensors multiple times a day to measure my EKG, blood O2, heartbeats. I also monitor my sleep patterns and so on. I believe Apple is long overdue to explain themselves how could they allow this, considering the price tag they put on this watch. And please, don't send me to the doctor. I trained for 9 years to be able to differentiate a burn versus a skin allergy.
j_t_Hobbs wrote:
you’re allergic even though you’ve worn it over a year but it’s suddenly an allergy on my part.
You can become suddenly allergic to something that has not been a problem in the past. A friend of mine went all through medical school and internship back in the days when gloves were made of silicone with no issues. Then she had a C-section and the silicone gloves worn by the surgical staff caused a life-threatening allergic reaction. Nickel allergies can work the same way. I don't know if your issue is an allergy as I am not a doctor but, it's certainly possible.
Hello!
I am having the same issue. I contact the Apple customer service and I also went to the store and they were not helpful. Some are saying that it is an allergic reaction which I KNOW it is not true. They told me not to get a doctor note and now they are saying I need one after the burn it is almost gone.
I even have apple care and nothing. I am very surprise the way they are handling this situation. So go to the doctor, get a note and take pictures.
j_t_Hobbs wrote:
So I need to wear an Apple Watch condom in order to prevent being burnt/irritated by the Apple Watch. How about Apple fixes the design problem with their device instead?
Because it's probably impossible to design a devices which triggers an allergic reaction on no one, at least not without making it prohibitively expensive. As it is, Apple tries to minimize the allergens (generally nickel) but a small percentage of people may still react.
Thank you for participating in the Apple Support Communities. Nobody here is qualified to comment despite some amateur medics attempting to do so.
I want to make sure you reach the right team for help with your Watch. I recommend that you contact Apple Support directly. Depending on your region, you may be able to reach them here Click here > Contact - Official Apple Support or phone numbers Click here > Contact Apple for support and service - Apple Support
Safety information including skin sensitivity recommendations can be found in
Important safety information for Apple Watch – Apple Support (UK) and Wearing your Apple Watch – Apple Support (UK)
LD150 wrote:
Apple advise strongly against wearing Watch in the shower as soaps can ruin the seals.
Also, it can cause skin rashes by having the soap remain in contact with the skin underneath the watch for long periods of time.
Thank you for participating in the Apple Support Communities. Nobody here is qualified to comment despite some amateur medics attempting to do so.
I want to make sure you reach the right team for help with your Watch. I recommend that you contact Apple Support directly. Depending on your region, you may be able to reach them here Click here > Contact - Official Apple Support or phone numbers Click here > Contact Apple for support and service - Apple Support
Safety information including skin sensitivity recommendations can be found in
Important safety information for Apple Watch – Apple Support (UK) and Wearing your Apple Watch – Apple Support (UK)
(Shamelessly copied from LD150's previous response)
I also contacted Apple Support in October, 2023, when I got itching rash and burns from my new Series 9 watch. They suggested to me as well that I may have an allergy to some material in the watch, and after "consulting with Apple engineers," they sent me info on how to wear the watch and how to clean the watch. It was a NEW watch, and I keep it clean. It appears to be made from essentially the same materials as my previous watches. I tried wearing it again but the same itching and burning problems came back. I've had two previous Apple watches that I have worn since 2015 with no problem. Since I traded in my Series 5 watch for the Series 9, I am now back to wearing my original Series 0 (with no problem) while the Series 9 sits unwearable. Apple will never admit a problem with the watch, but "maybe you're wearing it wrong" sounds suspiciously like when Steve Jobs told us we were holding the iPhone 4 wrong.
I don’t have a physical burn - I have a whole darn tumor where the watch used to sit! It’s not an allergy, or from wearing it too tight, or any other nonsense Apple tries to say.
backstory: I had a series 3 for a few years and everything was great. The watch was 6ish years old so I decided to upgrade. I figured the cycle tracking of the 8 series would be handy so I went with that. 3 months in I started noticing this weird burning itching feeling in my wrist. It didn’t seem to be anything concerning at the time so I put it out of mind. But then the itching and burning got so bad that it would wake me up. I’d clean my watch, put on some aquaphor and go about my business. It got worse and worse and then I started noticing shooting pin up my forearm towards my elbow and my ring and middle finger were constantly tingling. I started to think it must be the pressure of the watch since I slept with it on for the cycle tracking. Stopped sleeping with it on but still had the feeling. I started poking around my watch area of my wrist and then I felt a lump between my bones and pretty deep. I stopped wearing the watch my moment and scheduled with my doctor. First doctor told me it might be a fatty tumor wrapped around the nerve. Second doctor told me ganglion cyst. Ultrasound came back that it was neither of those and now I’m waiting to have a biopsy. The one thing both doctors said is that the both wasn’t designed to have infrared sensors on it sending in waves every few seconds and they both feel like the watch is the source of the problem. It’s been 3 months since I worse it. The pain is mostly gone so I thought I’d try wearing the watch today to see what would happen. Within 30 minutes I had shooting pain and tingling fingers with the watch on loosely. Now I’m not saying the watch caused whatever is going on, but I’m a young otherwise healthy person who hasn’t had any medical issues and all signs point to the watch. Be careful wearing these things!
I put in a complaint with Apple and their engineering team told me it’s either a skin irritation to the metal (I’ve been wearing my watch for 18months so cannot be that) OR contaminant is on the watch even after I’ve cleaned the watch and it’s still happening. They then suggested I a)don’t wear the watch anymore or 2) purchase a case for the underside of the watch so there is not direct contact). What a pathetic answer! It’s clear that the actual watch is the issue and I think a refund or replacement should be given to us!
I would not recommend epoxy resin for anyone with sensitive skin. It’s also irreversible. There are clear patches available that may be a better alternative, ad well as barrier creams.
Looking at the marks and abrasions on that watch it may have have simply been sensitivity to contamination.
Contact your dermatologist and Apple Support.
Same here, I’ve started putting ointment on my wrist and washing my arms daily. I also put thin fabric over the metal spot on the watch and it seems to get better
Then don’t wear it
Apple Watch Sensor burns
