Irritated by Commitment?

Have I mentioned that I have a marvelous husband? A little over three years ago on July 8, 2005 my sweetie got down on one knee to propose to me on a tennis court after a little white ring box fell out of my racket case as we were getting ready to play. I said yes, he slid the most beautiful platinum engagement ring on my finger (I know all the girls say that but mine really is quite breathtaking) and we went along on our marry way to celebrate with friends and family (we were too excited to actually play tennis.)

Less than a year later on May 20, 2006 he slid another band on my finger that was a symbol of our commitment to one another. I have happily worn these two rings since then with the exception of a brief stint late in my pregnancy, when I was plagued with a condition commonly known as sausage fingers, during which time I wore them on a chain around my neck.

Given that I have worn one or both of these rings without incident for the past three years I was shocked to discover that I seem to have developed an allergy to them. WTH?!? Apparently I'm not the only person with this problem either- I googled "ring rash" and got 1690 hits!

There appear to be two prevailing schools of thought:
1. It is an allergy to the nickle or other alloys that are mixed with the platinum.
2. I'm not drying my hands well enough and water is getting trapped under my rings.

Since I haven't changed my hand washing habits (still just as obsessive compulsive as I always have been) it seems unlikely that #2 is the culprit but it also seems impossible to just develop an allergy to something you've been exposed to for years!

While many suffer from this affliction, very few seemed to offer up any solutions. I managed to take away the following suggestions:

• remove rings and wear around neck until the rash has healed
• take off rings when washing hands and make sure fingers are completely dry before putting them back on
• clean rings by boiling in vinegar with a drop of dish washing soap
• apply several coats of clear nail polish to the inside which will act as a barrier in the event it is an allergy to the nickle

While my finger may be irritated by the symbols of our commitment, the commitment itself remains strong and healthy. I love my man more today than I ever have and am so proud of the husband and father that he has grown into over the past few years!