Mobile phone dermatitis

If you bought a new mobile phone recently, and noticed an irritating rash on the side of your face, you may have developed an allergic reaction to your new mobile. Or, to be more precise, to one of the metals present in the casing or buttons.

“Mobile phone dermatitis” is caused by an allergy to nickel and is becoming increasingly common in the UK. Approximately 30% of the population are allergic to the metal, according to the British Association of Dermatologists, and numbers are rising.

Women are more at risk of mobile phone dermatitis because many have already been “sensitised” to the metal, usually because they have previously come into contact with the metal by wearing jewellery containing nickel, and have already developed an allergic reaction to it.

Symptoms are most common in people who spend a lot of the time on their mobile phones and take the form of an unexplained itchy red rash on the ear and cheek of the user.

Although some people develop an itchy, red rash which may blister soon after coming into contact with the metal for the first time, others develop symptoms after many years of contact.

A common tell-tale sign of nickel allergy is if you develop a red itchy patch on your skin where the stud on your jeans lies.

Nickel may also be found in everyday items such as metal zips, spectacle frames, earrings, key rings, scissors and paper clips.

Like most allergies, there is no cure for mobile phone dermatitis. If the rash becomes infected, you may need to be prescribed antibiotics from the GP. The only remedy is to avoid contact with the metal.

This article was published on Thu 19 November 2009