Skin irritation started under Apple Watch sensor

I have had an appointment and am awaiting results of a swab. I am well aware of what I am and am not allergic to having suffered dermatitis before aswell as allergies. Nickel is not one of them as I have other nickel products that do not produce this reaction. Also I am not based in North America.

Again I will ask can somebody link the sensor cover please.

char_char21 wrote:

any tips?

There are lots of options for clear covers places like Amazon. Reviews on how well they work are mixed. However, they are probably cheap enough to try them out for yourself.

That’s interesting because it only measures temperatures while you sleep. Have you been wearing your Watch at night?

Track your nightly wrist temperature changes with Apple Watch - Apple Support

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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.

It isn't a recent issue. Folks have reported allergic reactions to all Watch models. For some it is an alergic reaction to the materials from which the watch back is made. For others, a reaction to the light emitted by the LEDs on the watch.

Did your Dr. give you a fact sheet about your diagnosis? My Dad and both my brothers have/had them. They’re quite common part of aging and typically start in middle age. They’re totally benign and not a precursor or predictor of any cancers.

I found a good article for you if your Dr. didn’t provide one.

>>Seborrheic keratosis is a common benign (noncancerous) skin growth. It tends to appear in middle age and you may get more as you get older. Seborrheic keratoses are not pre-cancerous, but they can resemble other skin growths that are.<<

>>Most people will have at least one in their lifetime. They tend to appear in mid-adulthood and their frequency increases with age. They are harmless and don’t require treatment, but you can have them removed if they bother you.

Skin growths like seborrheic keratoses are sometimes also called epidermal tumors. That doesn’t mean they’re cancer, though. Technically, moles and warts are also epidermal tumors. That just means they are clusters of extra cells on the epiderma, the outer layer of the skin.<<

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21721-seborrheic-keratosis

Please make an appointment with your primary care physician and get a diagnosis of your condition. Your Dr. may refer you to an allergist or dermatologist to confirm the diagnosis. 

Please let the community know what the diagnosis is and I hope everything goes well.

You may have contact dermatitis caused by an allergic reaction or sensitivity to Nickel in the metal cases or bands. Nickel is used in the hardening process of stainless steel, aluminum and sapphire crystal.

>>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.<<

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

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

The YouTube video I posted below is a short 30 second video of a physician describing the condition and his experiences in diagnosing conditions similar to yours.

https://youtube.com/shorts/NqN8ZkJKwGo?si=-q2YU_CXwqJUxz7B

Thanks for the insight into your allergies. I too have become sensitised, for eg to cats ever since our family cat was put down 30 years ago so I understand how allergies work. However I have tried other nickel products on my skin as a test to check and have not had the same outcome hence why I said it wasn’t that. I will wait for the swab results from my own GP.

me too. i got mine in december 2022, an apple watch SE i believe, and it kind of started around a year ago, but i never took notice because im a lazy teenager, what do you expect?

But it sometimes get quite bad and itchy and my family is starting to say its getting worse, so what should i do?

it is literally only on the top of my wrist where the black bottom part of the watch sits, where the green sensor is.

I dont really know how to prevent it from happening while also still getting my measurements etc.

any tips?

I started using the series 9 yesterday and after 2-3 hours, it gave me burning sensation and small red dots. I stopped wearing the watch, put it aside and started digging the internet until I saw your comment. Today, I turned off the wrist temperature tracking and wore the watch again and waited. I did all the same activities as yesterday. It's been solid 8 hours now and so far, so good. No rash, no burning, no red dots. Thanks for the tip! Hope it doesn't return.

Sounds like a plan, and I look forward hearing what your GP diagnosis's. Did you find your sensor covers?

Thank you for the update.