My wrist is burning after wearing my apple watch 8 ultra

Safety information including skin sensitivity recommendations can be found in

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It’s probably a reaction to the materials in the band.

I’ve had an Apple Watch since the very first one was released. Never had a problem… about 6 months ago, I started having similar issues. Made sure to wash the band thoroughly, etc. No joy. I’ve worn watches my whole life, but virtually all of them have had leather or steel bands. Purchased a leather band for my Apple Watch. Problem solved.

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Hello, this was not helpful for me. I tried to enter my issue but because it didn’t fit the fields it would not let me hit send.

the watch only sometimes burns or feels like an electric zapping, which leads me to believe it isn’t an allergic reaction action as described by some.

It’s the lazor readers on the back of the watch constantly scanning your arm. I actually have scaring where my ultra watch rested. I think long term this could cause serious health issues yet no one from apple has yet contacted me. So they obviously ain’t to concerned

christ3da wrote:

I wear my watch almost 24/7 besides the few times a day i remove it for 15-30 minutes to charge. Please help, I love this watch .

Maybe you could try to wear it only during the day if you have sensitive skin, give it time to rest during the night. I do.

You probably would not wear other jewelry or contact lenses 24 hours a day. Sleep monitoring can be done once a month.

LD150 wrote:

But that is the other wrist, the one under the Watch is fine.

Maybe you should wear a Watch on both wrists!

But seriously, I'm so sorry that's happening to you. I bruise easily, too, but it's usually my legs.

LD150 wrote:

PS while researching these complaints back to well before Series 5, I just found out it is called "Senile purpura".

Senile? 😮

Kind of like "geriatric pregnancy" which is applied to any pregnant woman over the age of 35.

I, too, was recently burned by an Apple 7 series. It caused a blister & red swelling under the face. I took it to the Apple Store to request a replacement & was told I have sensitive skin and there is nothing they would do about it. I do not have sensitive skin but if I did, why would it take a year for my skin to have a reaction? I am 52 years old & have never had a allergic reaction externally or internally. I am extremely disappointed in Apples response to my burn.

There are very few cases of genuine (thermal) burns from Apple Watch. A real burn would need the watch to become hot (like coffee cup hot) and I'm sure you would have noticed and reacted to the heat before it damaged you. Apple Watch is unlikely to become hot enough to burn skin unless there is a huge drain on the battery (you would have noticed because the battery would go flat in minutes rather than hours).

There are other possible causes which seem more likely than heat.

* Sensitivity or allergy to something in the watch body. Nickel sensitivity is the most frequent suspect.

* A chemical burn from some kind of product trapped behind the watch, increasing exposure time before it was removed by rinsing. Possible suspects would include detergent products (human washing, or laundry detergent, etc), cosmetic products, or even pharmaceutical creams which were not intended to have prolonged contact.

Best advice is that you should contact your doctor for a proper diagnosis.

I had the same symptoms this morning after put it on for 1 hour, took it off right away, rash disappeared in 3-4 hours but still I have red bumps. Thank you for sharing the approach, I have contacted Apple Support.

I just found this thread because I’m experiencing the same thing. I’ve had my watch for about a year and I’ve never had an issue. I took it off today to shower and put it back on a few hours later. Within 5 minutes of putting it back on, my wrist started to burn and it had a red spot right where the sensor part sits. It’s been 20 minutes and it still burns like I touched a hot pan.

I know, I know…everyone’s advice is to contact Apple. I will, but I’m sure they will disregard. I just figured I would add my name to the list. I’m honestly technologically an idiot, so I don’t even know which generation my watch is. I think it’s an Apple Watch SE if that’s a thing. Lol

I had been wearing an Apple Watch with a Sport Loop band for several years. I change to the Apple Watch Ultra about 30 days ago. I kept using the Sport Loop bands and have not worn the Apple Watch Ultra with the Alpine Loop band that came with it. I noticed that because the Apple Watch Ultra is heavier than the Apple Watch, I wear the band tighter. As a consequence, the area of skin in contact with the back of the watch stays moist and does what you would expect after a couple hours of this. After noticing irritation and odor on top of my wrist, I have been more mindful about cleaning both my wrist and the back of the watch after I run or exercise. I have two bands and change them often. I wash my bands in the clothes washer. I rinse my band with water after I run and pat it dry. When I noticed the odor and irritation, I wore the watch on my other arm for a day. I do not wear my watch at night. I miss my old Apple Watch because it was so light I could wear it like a bracelet and my skin under the watch was allowed to breathe. Wearing the Apple Watch Ultra is similar to my experiences wearing traditional heavy watches. If I sweat and leave the watch on and tight, my skin stays moist and contact dermatitis occurs where the sensors on the back of watch make contact with my wrist. I don’t think the ceramic case or the band has anything to do with what I experience. I meant to check with my dermatologist about how to care for the skin of my wrist in contact with that watch back and set of sensors.

I am not a doctor, and I did not go to a doctor for this. But... you should go to a doctor.

My rash looks very much like the photos here, and it is very similar to a staff infection I got on another part of my body, an athlete's foot fungus. I cleaned the area and my watch back with an alcohol swab. I also applied a steroid medication my doctor gave me for my infection (on another part of my body.) My watch area is already looking and feeling better.

So, go to your doctor and ask if you have a skin infection. The warm moist environment is ripe for an infection, and it is easy to fix by cleaning, keeping the watch loose, and a treatment from your doctor.

Just wanted to add a ‘Me Too’. I typically don’t have sensitive skin, but have noticed wearing my Apple Watch gen 8, I have 4 little red rashes right under the LED sensors. I feel no burning sensation, but just have noticed the 4 red dots. I do pretty much wear my watch 24/7 and love tracking my sleep with it as well as tracking sports. I’ll start reducing time during the day wearing it, but this has been educational on how we can be sensitive to LED light.