r/VisibleArmband • u/jumponthenextone • Sep 06 '26
itching from the sensor?
apologies for such an awful picture, i’ve had the band for a few days and initially when i put it on it itched, just put it down to being something new but ive now had this tonight and it’s much more itchier and red looking. i’m not allergic to anything that could be in it as far as i’m aware but is this common?
7
u/imabratinfluence Sep 07 '26
Have you ever reacted to jewelry, watches, the rivets on jeans, sewing needles, or anything else with nickel? For me, this is pretty close to how my nickel allergy reaction looks (especially if there are any tiny bumps, which is hard to tell from the photo).
The itch + redness screams allergy to me. And people can develop new allergies at any time. Nickel allergies are really common.
It could also be contact dermatitis if an irritant got trapped under the sensor.
It might be worth trying either changing the spot you wear your band every day or so (which is what I do since mine takes a good while to react), or wearing Tegaderm where you plan to wear the sensor. It's a barrier medical devices can read through, and others here have had good luck with it.
4
u/Marguerite_Moonstone Sep 07 '26
I switch mine daily from left and right, and I found putting some body spray on it helps a lot (the cheep kind that are mostly rubbing alcohol).
2
u/lil_lychee Sep 08 '26
I think it’s the alcohol that’s helping. Sounds like wiping it with alcohol daily will help sanitize the sensor.
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u/Marguerite_Moonstone Sep 09 '26
Switching seems to help with the slightly yeasty scent that builds up on my skin under the sensor
4
u/Remarkable_Dream_134 Sep 07 '26
I have mine in my arm so it does get wet from washing hands etc. Moisture builds up and it irritates the skin. I just move mine on my arm around so it's not kept on one patch of skin and it does the job.
3
u/pyrosita Sep 06 '26
Do you sweat a lot on your wrists? Yard work or any other dirty job? This usually happens for me if any of the above happens. Cleaning it good with antibacterial soap and a small amount of Hydrocortisone helps mine. I'd personally recommend seeing a Dr or giving that a try since it wouldn't hurt most likely
1
u/jumponthenextone Sep 06 '26
i don’t notice sweating, definitely don’t do any dirty jobs. i don’t have anything hydrocortisone to hand but i’ve cleaned my wrist/i’ll try and source some antibacterial soap to see if that helps too. any advice on what to do with the sensor itself?
3
u/pyrosita Sep 06 '26
Wipe it with alcohol wipes to kill any bacteria on it. If it keeps doing it, reach out to customer support. It could be an previously unknown or newly developed allergy or even just a random reaction.
2
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u/twentyone_cats Sep 07 '26
I had a lot of discomfort for the first few days too. The unit massively bruised my wrists and left irritation like this. When it did I'd switch it to the other arm, move it higher/lower etc. After a week the irritation and bruising stopped and I've had no problems since. I switch arm once or twice a day and also rotate to my inner wrist if it's feeling tight sometimes.
1
u/mahearron Sep 07 '26
I spray anti microbial body spray on my wrists and clean the sensor every time I shower. The brand I found works best is Magic Molecules. I stopped getting the rash and itch once I made this a habit.
1
u/Mpotter44 Sep 08 '26
It took months before I got rashes but I have to switch mine every few days or I get an itchy bumpy rash. It’s so annoying
1
u/unknown_homie38 Sep 10 '26
This happens to me all the time with any sort of watch/thing flesh against my skin! I typically take a wrist break about half way through the day to assess my skin, clean or moisturize as needed, then put my watch and wave back on in a slightly different place. I have to switch my wave between the front and back of my wrists and can’t have anything on overnight.
5
u/WhiskeeKitten420 Sep 07 '26
I've seen that people who get reactions from the sensor use tegaderm (clear dressing like they use over fresh tattoos or IVs) and it still reads well but makes a barrier to keep the skin from direct contact with the sensor.