Allergic to the barbell
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Ariadnula
Posts: 435 Member
I developed a little scaly patch at the top/ back of my right arm recently, all rough and extremely itchy.
I went down my usual route of deciding it's a melanoma or some deathly skin disease, until I realised - scratch - scratch - that I have an identical one on my left arm. I don't think skin disease is generally symmetrical.
I recently changed my gym clothes and I'm wearing muscle back vests instead of t-shirts. (Got to show off those muscles! And, um, scaly patches.)
And I think that has to be the cause - it's exactly where the barbell sits, though not in a long line, just a little circle about 1cm in diameter. So it looks like I'm allergic! I might have to change back to t-shirts, because I'm constantly scratching.
Does anyone know what the bar is made of? Steel, I think - but is it coated? Is this a 'thing' that happens, or am I a super sensitive little scaly princess?
I went down my usual route of deciding it's a melanoma or some deathly skin disease, until I realised - scratch - scratch - that I have an identical one on my left arm. I don't think skin disease is generally symmetrical.
I recently changed my gym clothes and I'm wearing muscle back vests instead of t-shirts. (Got to show off those muscles! And, um, scaly patches.)
And I think that has to be the cause - it's exactly where the barbell sits, though not in a long line, just a little circle about 1cm in diameter. So it looks like I'm allergic! I might have to change back to t-shirts, because I'm constantly scratching.
Does anyone know what the bar is made of? Steel, I think - but is it coated? Is this a 'thing' that happens, or am I a super sensitive little scaly princess?
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Hmm, a bit of googling suggests the bar might be coated in nickel, and maybe I'm allergic to that. The obvious answer is to go back to t-shirts. Bah - I like my new tops!0
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May be aggravating but wear your muscle back vests underneath the t, then just wear the full t when you have the bar on your back and slip it off after. I love my racer backs! Can't imagine having to wear a full shirt when working out. Ugh
I sweat a lot and I find myself taking my racer back off to finish in my sports bra. I lift at home so YMMV.
Another idea, maybe find a protective sleeve of some sort. One that won't be dangerous and only cover the part touching you. So not cushiony, slippery, etc. With all kinds of gadgets running around, there has to be something you could slip temporarily over it.
Side note: I have a friend who is allergic to nickel. She can't wear any jewelry that contains it. Do you have issues with jewelry?1 -
I do sometimes, yes - cheaper jewellery can make my ears or fingers itch. But only a little, and after I wear it for a while, which is why this is surprising - that bar isn't there terribly long! It IS pressing on me pretty hard, mind you
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Another possibility is the knurling is causing friction on your skin creating a rash/mark and as it heals it itches. This is super common. I even get it through a tshirt occasionally.0
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Fittreelol wrote: »Another possibility is the knurling is causing friction on your skin creating a rash/mark and as it heals it itches. This is super common. I even get it through a tshirt occasionally.
Oh! hadn't thought of that... it feels more like an allergic reaction, but I suppose that's possible!0 -
Interesting. I just get a bit red. You can tell if I've done front, high bar or low bar squats based on the red spot locations.0
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Fittreelol wrote: »Another possibility is the knurling is causing friction on your skin creating a rash/mark and as it heals it itches. This is super common. I even get it through a tshirt occasionally.
i had that dead over one of the vertebrae in my neck when i was squatting high bar. i was thiiiiiis close to making that melanoma-check call to my doctor when the shoe dropped.0 -
A lot of people are allergic to nickel. I bet you're correct that that's what it is.0
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How frustrating! I'm super itchy today... despite wearing a t-shirt yesterday. I'll try taking an antihistamine and see what happens.0
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Oh man, I am going mad with itchiness today! I stupidly just went to the gym in a vest top last night, thinking, this is silly, just get on with it.
And then I could barely sleep! I went to the pharmacy about 45 mins ago and they recommended some antihistamine cream, which I have slathered on. I suppose this will tell whether it's an allergy! But no effect so far.
I looked at the bar last night and my shoulders are too narrow for it to be the knurled (new word to me) surface - my shoulders are within the smooth bit. There's a knurled bit in the middle too but it's only 5 inches or so wide.
I'm sure no one is interested in my itchiness but I either tell you lot or everyone in my office and they'd just be perplexed by my using a barbell at all!!0 -
Metal allergies exist. That being said I have slightly itchy patches on my shoulder blades just from the bar making my shirt rub on me. It's ever so minorly scraped, which means teeny scabs... which means itchy. Either way, I'd switch back to t-shirts.
That being said mine are not THAT itchy, and once the skin toughens up, I expect it will go away. I recently lowered my bar position.
A friend of mine was allergic to her flute (metal) and had to put tape on her flute. So some kind of cover maybe?
Honestly... it could be fungal too. Other people use the bar at the gym and who knows what skin problems they have.0 -
Metal allergies exist. That being said I have slightly itchy patches on my shoulder blades just from the bar making my shirt rub on me. It's ever so minorly scraped, which means teeny scabs... which means itchy. Either way, I'd switch back to t-shirts.
That being said mine are not THAT itchy, and once the skin toughens up, I expect it will go away. I recently lowered my bar position.
A friend of mine was allergic to her flute (metal) and had to put tape on her flute. So some kind of cover maybe?
Honestly... it could be fungal too. Other people use the bar at the gym and who knows what skin problems they have.
Ewwww! Fungal. There's a thought...
I can't say the anti histamine cream is doing much, so who knows. Definitely back to covering up, anyway. I thought about using a bar pad - I have my own, but I've been told they're not a great idea, and I don't know if it would work at all with a low bar position.
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Okay, if this of any interest or use to anyone else, it looks like it's definitely been an allergy - I wore a t-shirt for squats on Saturday and have been slathering myself with antihistamine cream. And ... the red, raised, itchy patches have practically vanished. Thank goodness!
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I'll be waiting for this to happen to me. I'm allergic to almost all silver metals. Even ones that are supposed to be nickel free will cause me issues likes stainless steel and sterling silver. Even aluminium will give me hives. It popped up first when I was still married and had my white gold wedding ring start doing it quite a while after the birth of my daughter. I'll probably need gloves but I guess that won't cover all the hand. I dunno what I'll do then.0
