How to Find a Wedding Band That Won't Irritate Sensitive Skin

If you’re a pretty strong-willed, successful, and determined dude, we think it’s safe to assume that you have pretty thick skin. Look at you! You’ve worked hard to prove the naysayers and doubters wrong while reaching the top of the mountain. But, here’s the thing … a thick-skinned dude like yourself can still have sensitive skin. Now, we’re talking about your physical skin, not metaphorical layers. And you know what? That’s okay! We, here at Manly Bands, have officially destigmatized having sensitive skin. We all use various products such as face washes, lotions, and creams to keep ourselves looking fresh, glowing, and radiant. 

Some of us with sensitive skin are easily irritated by certain materials that are used to make wedding bands. HOWEVER, we at Manly Bands have a ton of different wedding bands that won’t irritate your sensitive skin. We’re here to help you find the perfect wedding ring, so read below to learn more, dude.

Nickel Allergies

So, those “certain materials” we just mentioned that are used to make wedding bands that might irritate skin? We’re talking about nickel. It’s the same metal used to make our favorite five-cent coin. 

While we’re here, do you want to know a fun fact about nickels? Of course you do … who doesn’t love fun facts?! The United States nickel coin is actually only 25% nickel, as copper makes up the other 75%. Feel free to use that as a pick-up line or conversation starter; GUARANTEED to be a hit. 

Anyways, back to the matter at hand. Nickel allergies are pretty common and make it really hard for people who are affected by this allergy to wear certain types of jewelry. Note that jewelry isn’t the only way to come in contact with nickel since it’s used in so many everyday objects from coins to keys, cell phones, zippers, and other various objects you’re around just livin' life. 

How do you know if you have a nickel allergy? One of the easiest ways is through a skin allergy test. You can purchase an in-home nickel allergy test, but be warned. Sometimes these aren’t SUPER accurate. They might work, but if you think you might have an allergy and would like to make sure, visit a dermatologist and have them conduct an allergy test. Blood tests and patch tests are the two most effective ways to test for nickel allergies, and they’re both quick, painless, and very effective. 

What's the quick and dirty way to tell if you might have a Nickel allergy? After rocking your bling for a few days, if you see a rash, bumps or are itching, then you should be suspect. You’ll want to inspect the area and check to make sure that you're seeing bumps around the area. If the skin just looks red and itchy but there are no visible bumps, then you could just be experiencing some irritation caused by water getting under your ring or if you’re not letting your skin breathe by taking it off at night. This is also described as Ring Rash, which we dive into below. If you do see bumps, though, then you, Sir, very likely have yourself a Nickel allergy.

Ring Rash

If you're not seeing any bumps but you are definitely irritated, you might have ring rash. Look, man, we know how much you love your wedding band and how sick it looks on your finger. But if you wear it TOO much, your skin could become irritated. It’s caused by occlusion or contact dermatitis, which are definitely words. Contact dermatitis is when your skin comes in contact with an allergen (in this case, nickel) and occlusion dermatitis is when soap, moisture, and other stuff builds up under your ring over time. 

Simply put, ring rash sucks. It’s itchy, unsightly, and annoying. Fortunately for you, it’s easily preventable or curable. We are not doctors, but our best advice is to keep your ring off for about a week, keep the finger clean, and treat the skin with some Cortizone daily and it'll bounce right back to normal. 

Hypoallergenic Jewelry

If it turns out you have a nickel allergy or sensitive skin, don’t get down on yourself. You’re not SOL, and you can still rock your favorite bling, thanks to jewelry made from hypoallergenic materials Hypoallergenic sounds like something all fancy-schmancy, but it’s actually pretty simple. It basically means something that is much less likely to cause an allergic reaction - in this case, these materials don’t contain Nickel. You should still always take your ring off at night and let your skin breathe, dude - but we appreciate your commitment Cobalt chrome is a hypoallergenic material and makes for a cool and stylish wedding ring for anyone who might have nickel allergy.

Of course we have many different wedding bands that don’t feature nickel and which are perfect for your smooth and sensitive skin. Let’s dive a little bit deeper, shall we? 

Black Zirconium Wedding Bands

Gold has been the standard for men’s wedding bands, but the times they are a-changin', my friend. More and more men are opting for other styles, colors, and materials. Take black zirconium, for example. If zirconium sounds familiar, that’s because it’s actually an element on the periodic table … _some_one paid attention in chemistry. 

A dude named William Justin Kroll eventually found a way to use zirconium for industrial purposes like building submarines, nuclear reactors, and The Batmobile (probably). But the jewelry industry is now also making badass wedding rings out of black zirconium. 

What makes this ring stand out? Let’s start with the color. Most wedding rings are lighter colors like gold or silver, but not these. These rings are darker, more of a charcoal gray. This color makes these unique rings really stand out against their lighter-colored contemporaries. 

Black zirconium rings offer more than just looks. They’re affordable, relative to other types of wedding bands, and their maintenance is super-simple. They’re also super-durable so they won’t break AND super-lightweight so they won’t get in the way. But the best part, bro? They’re hypoallergenic. That’s right. If you have sensitive skin or a nickel allergy, these rings are perfect for you. They won’t cause any irritation to your sensitive skin. What’s more? They’re actually good around chemicals. So if you’re a doctor, nurse, mad scientist or bartender, black zirconium is going to be your friend.

Manly Bands has some badass black zirconium wedding bands to choose from. Whether you consider yourself a creative, an athlete, or an outdoorsman, there’s a black zirconium ring with your name on it. Literally. We can even engrave something special on most of our black zirconium rings!  

Titanium Wedding Bands

Next up, titanium. This tough-as-nails material hasn’t been used to make wedding bands for THAT long (the late 1980s, to be exact), but it quickly established itself as a titan in the industry … see what we did there? 

Let’s go over all the benefits of titanium wedding rings, shall we? They’re super-lightweight, so you’ll have no idea that it's on your finger as you go about your day full of testosterone-filled activities like chopping wood and lifting weights. Not only is it light as a feather, it’s also stiff as a board. Titanium is durable and tough, as it won’t bend or break no matter what’s thrown at it. 

It’s also super reasonably priced, so you’re getting a lot of bang for your buck with titanium. But the best part? It won’t irritate your sensitive skin! Our titanium wedding bands are made from medical-grade titanium, so they won’t trigger any allergies or aggravate your sensitive skin. 

What do we have to offer in titanium wedding bands? Well, take a look for yourself. That’s another benefit about titanium; it’s super-versatile. You can get something simple and silvery like The Architect or pair it with other materials as seen in The Nicholson and its black zirconium inlay. 

Wooden Wedding Rings

Let’s shift away from metals for a second, shall we? To quote the modern-day philosopher Larry David, society should respect and revere all wood. Do you? say yes Well then, you’re in luck because we also offer some beautiful wooden men’s wedding bands. Our wood wedding bands are available in two styles … we offer wooden bands themselves, and we offer wood inlays on bands with metal. The Drake and The Erikson are some examples of our wooden bands, while The McKinley and The Shaka are metal bands that feature wood inlays with titanium and black zirconium bands, respectively. 

Wooden wedding bands are perfect for those with sensitive skin. Wood itself is pretty hypoallergenic, and it can also be paired with any of the aforementioned hypoallergenic materials to make a beautiful, badass, and comfortable ring. 

However, we gotta let you know that our wooden wedding bands are water-RESISTANT and not waterPROOF. So, try to avoid getting them wet if you can. It’s okay to wear one during a little rain, but take it off for your Olympic high-dive routine. A wood ring constantly exposed to your deep dive will eventually cause the wood to crack and break inside the ring - not fun to see. But if you’re set on getting a wood ring and have some budget to spend, we check out those on The Founder’s Line and Gentleman’s Reserve. Any ring $350+ comes with a Limited Lifetime Warranty so if you break it, we fix it... 

Cobalt Chrome Wedding Bands

When you combine two fancy-schmancy scientific elements called cobalt and chromium, you get cobalt chrome. This material is usually used to create stuff like jet engine turbines (not a big deal) but it’s recently become popular in the jewelry industry. And it’s easy to see why...cobalt chrome wedding bands rock.

I mean, what more do I have to say? If something is used to make a freakin’ jet engine, it’s good enough to go on your finger! But let’s go a little deeper. Cobalt chrome is a very durable and tough material, so it’s scratch resistant and won’t crack or bend. But it’s toughness isn’t all...it’s also perfect for those with sensitive skin! Cobalt chrome is hypoallergenic, so you won’t have to worry about any rashes or breakouts even if you have a bad nickel allergy. 

Cobalt chrome is also a very versatile material, as it pairs perfectly with all of our various inlays and sleeves. Let’s take The Sentinel, one of our many beautiful wedding bands. Pairing a dinosaur bone inlay, wooden sleeve, and cobalt chrome wedding band creates one of our most unique wedding bands perfect for a good lookin’ guy like you! When you pair a hypoallergenic cobalt chrome wedding band and a hypoallergenic inlay or sleeve, you get a ring that looks great AND won’t irritate your skin!

Deer Antler Wedding Bands

Finally, we come to our deer antler wedding bands. If you’re wondering, yes, these are made of real deer antler. You’ll LITERALLY feel like a majestic, beautiful stag with one of these on your finger. 

We don’t make the bands themselves out of deer antler, but check out these badass inlays in a hypoallergenic metal suggestion from earlier. For example, The Hunter pairs a titanium band with a deer antler inlay, while The Oryx uses a black zirconium band with a beautiful antler inlay. These deer antler inlays are perfect for those with sensitive skin, as they will not cause any reaction to metal since they don’t have any (duh). Like we said, just make sure you pair it with a hypoallergenic metal like titanium, cobalt chrome, or black zirconium. Fortunately, we have a lot of those rings available, so take a look and find one just right for you. Don’t see the perfect combo? Reach out to our custom ring team and we’ll design one specifically for you!

Well, dude, there ya have it. There are some excellent wedding bands that won’t irritate your sensitive skin. With any one of those materials or rings, you’ll be looking AND feeling great. Can’t beat that. If you need any other info about our rings—like warranties, maintenance, or want to ask us your question directly—head to the FAQ page or hit us up directly. We’re always here to help.