The tween years are some of the most formidable years in a girl’s life. Your tween girl’s body is going through major changes, and body-image issues can start to crop up during this time. Her new hormonal shifts can make it a real challenge to manage emotions, and she experiences wild swings that may make you wonder if you even know her anymore.
Fashion becomes more important to girls in the tween years, and they often start experimenting with new looks. Girls start defining their own style that makes them feel empowered, and accessories are an important part of self-expression. The last thing your tween girl needs is an earring sensitivity to make her feel like her body is inferior.
Seeing that disappointment on her face when she discovers the itchy rash or crusty earlobes indicative of an earring sensitivity may make you want to run right out and buy her a gift box for earrings, full of hypoallergenic earrings, but there are a few things you should know before you buy.
Nickel is Probably the Culprit
Remind your tween that her earring sensitivity no fault of hers, and is also very common. Approximately 36% of young women under the age of 18 are allergic to nickel, which is the most common cause of jewelry sensitivities. Nickel is a durable metal that withstands heat well and adds shine to everything from zippers to water faucets. It is found in electronics like cell phones and laptops, and wearables like Fitbit. Because nickel is a harder metal than many precious metals, it is often mixed in with those metals to make jewelry more durable.
The prevalence of nickel in the environment is what contributes to the increasing commonality of nickel allergies. People are wearing more and more products containing nickel, and repeated, prolonged exposure leads to this sensitivity. Explaining these facts to your tween daughter may help her understand that her sensitivity to the earrings she loves so much—while maybe disappointing—is extremely common. When you dry her tears, you can discuss how to find the earrings that are right for her.
What to Look For
Because many metals are actually not pure in their original state, and nickel mixes well with a variety of metals, traces of nickel can be found in most jewelry. Gold and silver often have trace amounts of nickel in them, but sterling silver and gold that is at least 14k or better is usually a safe bet. Rose gold and yellow gold are more likely to be nickel-free than white gold. Jewelry that is purely made of these metals have a greater chance of being truly hypoallergenic.
One thing to watch out for, however, is what the posts are made of. The body of a pair of earrings may be made of entirely hypoallergenic metals, but it does no good if the posts have nickel in them. Gold and silver are too soft to withstand constant wear, and so the base of the post is usually made from a harder metal, then coated in gold or silver. When you purchase earrings for your tween girl, you need to make sure the posts are nickel-free, and made of a material like titanium, palladium, or ceramic.
Even when you find earrings that are hypoallergenic, be careful to make sure the backs are not made of nickel. It can be a huge disappointment when you finally find a pair of hypoallergenic earrings she loves, only to have them irritate her earlobes. You may want to try switching out the backs with ones you know are free of nickel to see if that helps.
Rowan Earrings are Certified Nickel Free
Rowan designs their earrings especially with your tween in mind. Their earrings are made from 14k gold vermeil or sterling silver and are batch-tested to certify they are nickel free. You can give her the gift of brand new hypoallergenic earrings every month with a subscription to an earring gift box. When you order the earring gift box from Rowan, your tween will be delighted to open the mail and find fun accessories that she can use to jazz up every outfit in her wardrobe.
A gift box for earrings from Rowan not only brings the fun back to her fashion again, but it will also give you the opportunity to share some special bonding time so necessary for this stage in your tween girl’s life. Every earring gift box in this subscription includes a special surprise and a beautiful card that includes fun, thoughtful conversation starters. Use this time to listen to your tween’s answers, and share your own perspective with her.
The tween years are a challenge for girls and the adults in their lives. Finding the right earrings doesn’t have to be. When you work together to find a fashion that works for your tween and incorporate bonding conversations into your time together, you set her up to grow into the empowered young woman she deserves to be.
