Imagine if a doctor told you that a newly-formed neoprene allergy was aggravating your dermatitis, and that as a result, you could no longer wear a wetsuit. And if yes, what actions can I take to prevent the reaction? A cruel fate, like the old commercial for Nasonex featuring a hapless bee whos allergic to pollen. Sorry Doc, but washing the suit in any kind of shampoo wont work, nor will using a skin, if the OP is truly sensitive to Thioureas or any other chemicals used in the manufacture of the neoprene. Latex products, like latex gloves, could also lead to allergic reactions such as swelling, cracking, blisters, dryness, allergic contact dermatitis or erythema. Hillenbrands goal with his marquetry beach scenes is to capture the soul of places that are meaningful, either to him or to a client. What does the rash look like (e.g., coloration, pustules, hives)? Im hoping that modern medicine may be able to help us out also. If theres been a little too much talk lately about how the California Dream is dead, Hillenbrands gallery is calling bullshit. Always better safe than sorry! Geier J, Lessmann H, Uter W, et al. I emailed many wetsuit companies, but they wouldnt tell me what was in their neoprene, so I was left with trial and error. It includes a full body suit as well as socks and hood. Thanks!! Opting for a dry suit with silicone or neoprene seals would seem to solve the problem, but sometimes latex can be found in unexpected places. When you use our website, cookies are placed on your device. Sometimes blisters come with pus, which get infected and I have to stop diving for 10 days and get antibiotics. By dinner time, the whole left side of his face was swollen, and filled with liquid, even if he did not feel any pain and could eat normally. Does anyone have advice about how to treat or look after a neoprene suit so that such an allergic reaction doesnt occur again? I found Doc Vikingos reply above re curing agents in a NEW suit to be hugely beneficial, as this mad rash and itchiness only seems to happen to me with a NEW neoprene suit. If it turns out you are allergic, you can look into a wetsuit made without neoprene such as a Thermocline Neoprene Free wetsuit by Fourth Element. Reach out to our customer service team at service@wetsuitwearhouse.com and they can send you a sample of Patagonia Yulex to try! As your wetsuit is new, you may wish to hand wash it with baby shampoo or a delicate laundry detergent and then allow it to air well until the next wearing. YES, you likely have a allergic reaction to neoprene. Thanks! When she's not scouring the web for travel deals, you can find her either hiking, running, gardening, tending to her animals, or reading a good book outside on a beautiful day. Since then I have noticed that I do get itchy from the adhesives on medical tape and I would be too afraid to put on a wet suit because I am about 99% sure that I would go into an itching fit!???? My old suit is made of only nylon / polyester. Now I think I am going to try to go back to the cotton socks or neoprene socks to test if thats the problem. The story of a 49-year-old Australian male technical diver living in the USA, told in a case report by Divers Alert Network[1], can help us see that there can be a curious downside to the matter. What exactly is a neoprene sensitivity and how do you know if you have one? Please read the following and let me know if you wish to pursue the discussion: Occupational Allergic Contact Dermatitis Due to Thioureas: Discussion, 05/13/2010; Dermatitis. Ive been through this issue myself, and its likely an allergy to the Thiourea group of chemicals. I just want to enjoy my hobbies! We currently offer multiple neoprene gloves from MICROFLEX,TouchNTuffandAlphaTec,all of which maximize comfort and performance without risk of allergy. Your email address will not be published. With this slightly pretentious name, all we are really describing is an elastic piece of rubber chord worn around the neck to hold the alternate air source in position. My feet beak out on the top of my foot in tiny red bumps and itch like crazy. I like to think of it as creating paintings out of wood that dont use any paint. I had bought a new neoprene wetsuit just prior to the trip and the week was ruined for me as I had no option but to keep wearing the same suit as we were out at sea. Therefore I am going to try n wash the bad stuff out of the new suit and try it again. They used air and EANx50, and their dive lasted 39 minutes, including decompression. I can relate to those that have had a reaction to neoprene because Im suffering from one as I type this. I own the non-neoprene wetsuit called Thermocline from Fourth Element that others have mentioned. [4,5] Thiourea compounds should be patch-tested separately from one another because they do not cross-react with one another.[1]. 6. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Neoprene is a safe latex alternative for those with Type IV skin allergies. Do the kids rash guards contain neoprene? Good luck to everyone here!! Upon his diagnosis, Mac went so far as to try an old, bright-red Billabong wetsuit from a garage sale that had ample time since 83 to leach out the allergen, but it quickly ripped. Already a member? It seems the neoprene getting in contact with ocean water caused the problem. After inspecting all pieces of equipment, the final findings indicated that the bungee necklace used was worn out. Hope this helps! 1. Recently though I purchased a new Hyperflex wetsuit with the nice comfortable lining and my reaction was over the top, it basically gave me psoriasis in places I have never had them before, chest, under arms, in between my legsetc they took that suit back thankfully, but I still needed a suit so I purchased a more basic limestone based suit from Needs Essential, this suit only has a nylon lining. I wear neoprene dive boots over the socks (they dont make any other type) and neoprene diving gloves with medical exam gloves underneath. I was a Scuba diving instructor for 30 years but now just do windsurfing. However, your report of a history hypersensitivity to medical/athletic tapes, and the described distribution of this rash, really does rather suggest that the problem is related to contact with natural or synthetic rubber-like compounds. If the rash occurs again, you can try wearing a rash guard, although there is no guarantee this will work. Smooth skin neoprene has caused me more problems on the neck. What kind of temps are you swimming in? I got OW certified only a few months ago. Mac jaunted south of the border to get barreled in Southern Baja whenever possible. Those allergic to latex proteins may have minor reactions such as skin rashes, but in some cases, those reactions could be life-threatening. Does it burn or itch? Which CT Surfers Can Still Make The Top 5 At Teahupoo? During one year diving never happened anything, and I was using cotton socks and then neoprene socks, just right at the beginning. How national federations work in the era of Olympic surfing. I really do not want to give up diving because of something like this. Hi there, just wandered by doing some research for a neoprene life jackets blog post. As a keen diver for over ten years, I find it very frustrating that an activity I love causes so much pain, itchiness, and irritation. 4. When he talks about his art, Hillenbrand turns toward the metaphysical, to what he calls cosmic parallels between surf breaks and the way water moves slowly through a tree over time. The dermatology specialist informed me of this. Who is helped and who is hurt by France's abandoned CS event? An estimated8-17% of occupational workers have a natural rubber latex allergy. This list is actually from Patagonia corporate. Ansell has a solution for the allergy protection you need. Patagonia received a lot of inquiries about their neoprene-free line of wetsuits (called Yulex) from customers who deal with skin allergies. I am not allergic to any particular material, but this whole event is making me think twice. While it is extremely difficult to create a product that is skin-friendly for all (because not all allergies are created equal), Patagonia worked some serious magic to create a line of neoprene allergy-free, sustainable, fair trade and potentially hypoallergenic wetsuits. Sign In, Want to join? Is That Bad? First, cracked heels and cuts during for 4 months (dry skin), then something similar to eczema, little blisters that never burst and only sometimes itchy coming very slowly from the side of the feet to the top. How do I get tested to narrow this down, I just cannot bear to be a human guinea pig any longer, it takes weeks to get control of these spots and the itch is not tolerable! [4] A study by the North American Contact Dermatitis Group found that 1% of patients tested with MDTUs had positive reactions; 17% of these were occupationally relevant, and gloves were the most common occupational source. I develop a rash localized to the area that was taped. In 99 I had a slight type 2 bends incident and noticed any dive after I recovered, I had the intensely itchy red bump rash anywhere I have worn a wetsuit or hood made with black rubber or neoprene. And it's headed to Huntington Beach for the Vans U.S. Open of Surfing. So I just finished my OW certification and after several days of pool and open water diving, I am now sporting a nasty, itchy, uncomfortable rash on my neck, shoulders, chest and feet. Its quite a conversation-starter, but then so are raw, red ankles, wrist & neck! The wetsuit is new and is mine. However, Patagonias suits are not completely dive-specific so that would be the only issue. Neoprene splinting: Dermatological issues. It is a chemical compound not named after anyone.]. For a different (and less physically debilitating) livelihood, Mac turned to art. Marilyn. I thought I was allergic to chlorine, so I used this neoprene suit in a salt water pool same rash and itchy skin. I would recommend potentially trying to wear a baselayer glove like this one underneath your neoprene gloves to create a barrier to protect your skin and see if that helps. Usually, they occur when the latex allergens touch the skin. Patch-test reactions to thioureas are frequently relevant Dermatitis 2005;16:1213. I have over 500 dives under my belt and had started a career in underwater photography. He started highlighting the waves he saw in pieces of wood with colored dye so that other people could see them too. [1]See: Case report: acute facial swelling in a recreational technical diverby Peter Buzzacott, William K. Dolen, James Chimiak, Physiological Reports, 2017, Case report: acute facial swelling in a recreational technical diver. It is an excellent suit, very comfortable, easy to put on and wear. Amber Waves of Grain opened in December on the Coast Highway in his hometown of Del Mar, San Diego County. As for treatment, antihistamines, both oral and topical, often are useful in easing the discomfort of a number of contact skin rashes, but you really do need to find an alternative if this rash is going appear every time you put on neoprene. I have had the same problems that you all have had.