titanium

My daughter has recently had her belly button pierced and it was done with a titanium bar.  Could she be allergic to the titanium?  At the top of the bar it seems to always stay red and with the occasional pus coming away from it.  We have been rubbing in E45 cream but it has not disappeared.  Can you help or make a suggestion?  Thanks.  

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,

Titanium true allergy is rare. Its content of aluminium and vanadium were thought to have long term effects in the body, although studies to date have found no negative effects.

As your daughter is having redness and discharge of pus from the piercing, it is due to infection of the skin over there. It can be confirmed after culture sensitivity of the wound swabs/blood/discharge from the site of piercing. Specific antibiotics are then prescribed.

Pls consult a physician as antibiotics are available on prescription and diagnosis of infection can be confirmed after examination and culture of the pus swabs.You can also confirm whether titanium is causing an allergy by MELISA (Memory Lymphocyte Immunostimulation Assay) test which is a blood test that is confirmatory for metal allergy.

Hope it helps.Take care and pls do keep me posted if you have any additional queries and how your daughter is doing.