Mobile phones can cause skin irritation

Its official – mobile phones are irritating. Mobile use is being attributed with a rise is cases of skin irritation.

So-called ‘mobile phone dermatitis’ is caused by traces of nickel in mobile phone casings. Around a third of the population has some level of allergic sensitivity to nickel – women are particularly susceptible as they are more likely to have been exposed to cheap nickel jewelery.

“In mobile phone dermatitis, the rash would typically occur on the cheek or ear, depending on where the metal part of the phone comes into contact with the skin,” says Dr Graham Lowe, of the British Association of Dermatologists, “In theory it could even occur on the fingers if you spend a lot of time texting on metal menu buttons.”

Motorola RAZR owners beware.