One woman believes it may be time to stop wearing cheap earrings, after the serious allergic reaction she had to a pair she purchased from a popular retailer. The TikToker, Erin (@formervegetarian) shared her PSA in a viral video that has now amassed over 1.4 million views.
“Hi, I’m Erin and I’m pretty sure I’ve been accidentally poisoning myself for the last, like six months, by wearing extremely cheap earrings from a very popular online store,” the woman began in the clip. She later appeared to confirm in the TikTok comments that she was referring to Shein.
While she spoke, she showed a photo of herself with two extremely irritated-looking, watery, red eyes.
She then explained that one day she woke up with her eyes swollen (as pictured) and immediately went to the eye doctor for help.
“They were very painful and very red,” Erin continued.
The doctor allegedly prescribed some eye drops, which helped a bit.
However, she said the drops may have caused an immune response in her body, resulting in a rash that remained for months.
To try to get rid of the rash, the woman changed her diet. She also invested in makeup to cover the unwanted mark.
Did Shein earrings cause her rash?
Ultimately, one unlikely action finally got rid of the rash: She took a pair of earrings out of her ears.
“It went away,” she said.
A study from the American Academy of Dermatology found that fake jewelry could make people ill. Nickel is commonly used to make low cost jewelry and it is estimated that more than 18% of people in North America are allergic to it. This allergic reaction can cause rashes or irritation.
“So just be careful when you’re buying very cheap jewelry from very cheap brands,” she warned. “They actually can do a little damage.”
The TikToker made it clear that she is not a doctor and cannot give medical advice, but she still wanted to warn others.
In the comments section, many welcomed the advice.
“Me taking out my SHEIN jewelry right now,” user Mandasundem wrote.
Others tried to diagnose the rash and allergic allergy.
“That’s a nickel allergy!” user Kait commented.
“Perioral dermatitis!!” user Sinead McArdle wrote. “Can affect your whole face but its essentially eczema from an allergy!!”
@formervegetarian Teehee #greenscreen #eczema #eczemahealing #skin #jewelry #health #holistichealth #fyp #foryoupage #foryou #skincare ♬ original sound – Erin
This is not the first time an allergic reaction inspired popular, viral content. One woman’s calm attitude toward experiencing a life-threatening allergic reaction made rounds last year and even left doctors shocked. Another woman used to the platform to blast a flight attendant for telling her to return to her seat while she was having a severe nut allergy.
The Daily Dot reached out to Erin and Shein via email for comment.
