Adverse effects of Apple Watch Ultra

Same here. Been wearing my Apple Watch Ultra for over 2 years every day, surfing, working, snowboarding , mountain biking , golfing you name it.. absolutely no adverse skin reactions, or any kind of adverse reaction … it’s the best smart watch I have ever purchased.

Loosen the deathgrip you have put on your wrist with your watch. It should not be tight enough to choke your wrist out and leave an imprint.

Thank you for participating in the Apple Support Communities.

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

I've noticed the same condition. I typically wear mine on the looser side. One notch down would be snug and would spare me the incessant Siri interuptions but would not be uncomfortable. However, I just prefer the comfort of one notch looser. I am increasingly concerned about the long-term effect of the continuous IR light on the skin. Irritation, I can live with (for now). According to researchers, it SOUNDS like IR does not carry the same well-know risks as UV, but it's always qualified by "there's insufficient evidence to conclude..". But, a light burn seems like it should be a light burn and perhaps there's just not enough research on long-term concentrated application of IR.

I'd like to know how often you're all cleaning the underside of your watch, and how much room the skin has to breathe under the watch. Start with the simple explanations before leaping to phenomena like IR or EM radiation.

I've been wearing an Apple Watch of some description (series 3, series 5, not Ultra) since around 2018. I've not had any issues over 5+ years, except in the beginning when I had the strap too tight. I have mine on the loose side, I can easily slide one finger between strap and wrist, and can force two fingers in. It depends of course on how hot the weather is, my body temp, etc - on a really hot day it might feel a bit tighter.

Let's not forget that if we wore the same socks for 36 hours, we'd expect to get irritated skin from our own sweat irritating the skin on our feet. This is a device that many people wear 24x7 (including myself), and it's therefore on the skin for longer periods than a wristwatch, but also this makes it likely to build up sweat or other contaminants that could irritate the skin. How many of you are rinsing and wiping down the wrist-facing surface of the watch every day? My friend's Ultra absolutely stinks like a pair of week-old gym socks, and that's just from gunk buildup around where the strap meets the watch body.

I'm not trying to write off or minimise the OP's issue, I fully accept that others have got concerns and real, visible issues they're experiencing. But why don't we eliminate the tangible and simple possibilities first, the ones that we can act on, the ones that apply to any man-made material held against human skin for 24+ hours.

I had the same problem but even at a worst degree. Only after one night of wearing my brand new watch, I woke up with a severe discomfort on the skin and muscle beneath the watch, as soon as I woke up it felt like somebody had been hitting my wrist with a hammer all night, so I immediately took off the watch and threw it across the room and went back to sleep. For about six weeks after that my wrist was very sore as if somebody had hit it with a hammer multiple times. I returned the watch, I tried to dissuade my ex-wife and my daughter from wearing their's, but they have no issues so they ignored me. I will never touch an Apple Watch ever again.

jwp3313 wrote:

..., I tried to dissuade my ex-wife and my daughter from wearing their's, but they have no issues so they ignored me. I will never touch an Apple Watch ever again.

So it isnt the Watch, its you.

LD150, think before you speak.... i've not noticed you're quick to respond to many people without using your brain first. Clearly, it's the watch, but clearly it affects some negatively while not affecting others, but as anyone with sense would concur, the watch is the unknown variable, and in my case as well as many others evidently, this watch has a consistent adverse affect on those of us who are seemingly hypersensitive to it including the physician who commenced this thread. I didn't have these issues until I wore the watch, so you stand corrected, it's NOT me that caused this, it WAS the watch.

Funny, no one posts a diagnosis or prescription for treatment. I’ve not read a single comment anbout anyone going to an allergist to be tested. What I’ve seen here could just as easily be a reaction, some severe, to Nickel.

>>In fact, it is estimated that more than 18 percent of people in North America are allergic to nickel, including 11 million children in the U.S.<<

That translates to approximately 105 million people just in the US and Canada that have nickel allergies. Just using common sense, the vast majority of these should be nickel allergies. Yet, not a single post about nickel allergies. Why do you suppose that is? The uneducated search the internet for topics like >watch burns< and find a few posts and assume, that must be it. The posters are people with no testing, no diagnosis, no treatment and spouting misinformation.

In regard to what caused it, you’re correct. It wasn’t you, it wasn’t your watch,, but your hyper sensitivity to know element that almost 20% of the population is allergic/sensitive to. There’s no crime in that.

https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/eczema/insider/nickel-allergy

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/nickel-allergy/symptoms-causes/syc-20351529

Ryans absolutely right, I was wearing mine too tight. Been wearing the Ultra 2 months now night and day, but no tight and no issues at all. I put all my previous issues down to not letting it breath and move freely. Happy chappy now, luv it.

drshhh wrote:

I don’t know what your qualifications are but it’s not helpful to diminish or ridicule others’ observations.

On an internet forum, no one knows what anyone's qualifications are. But when people jump to silly conclusions based on fear and a lack of understanding of basic sciences, yes, I will point that out.

jwp3313 wrote:

LD150, think before you speak.... i've not noticed you're quick to respond to many people without using your brain first. Clearly, it's the watch, but clearly it affects some negatively while not affecting others, but as anyone with sense would concur, the watch is the unknown variable, and in my case as well as many others evidently, this watch has a consistent adverse affect on those of us who are seemingly hypersensitive to it including the physician who commenced this thread. I didn't have these issues until I wore the watch, so you stand corrected, it's NOT me that caused this, it WAS the watch.

Stop wearing it. Your skin or your skincare routine is not compatible with Watch, express it however you wish.

See the 'For people who are sensitive to certain materials' and 'What's in your Apple Watch' sections in:

Wearing your Apple Watch - Apple Support