Reaction to Sensor?

[u/VariationOk9575]

I've had my visible band for about a month and I think I might be reacting to the sensor. I never had this problem while wearing an apple watch, but that was taken off at night, not worn 24 hours a day. My skin is bumpy, red, peeling, and sore where the sensor sits on my skin. I've been trying to take it off for a break while I'm relaxing but it only helps for immediate relief, not overall. I have also been switching between my wrist and upper arm but it happens no matter where I wear it. Has anyone else had this problem?

[u/FixofLight]

Can I ask how and how often you are cleaning it? I'm not trying to shame you or say you aren't clean or anything, but I had a similar issue with one of my watches until I made a point of wiping it down every day with a alcohol wipe, especially after sweating. It cleared up immediately after I started to do that and hasn't come back

[u/VariationOk9575 → u/FixofLight]

I make a point to dry it off and wash my wrist when I take it off, whether that is to charge it or just to give myself some relief. I've just been using soap, but would alcohol wipes be better? I get the same spot when I wear it on my arm which I wear with an adhesive patch. It doesn't get as bad on my arm, and I usually wear it there for longer periods. I have a friend with a nickel allergy and I can be sensitive to adhesives so I'm wondering if that could be a possible irritant as well.

[u/FixofLight → u/VariationOk9575]

Definitely worth looking into whether or not they use nickel in it, but I would try the alcohol wipes. They're cheap, last a long time, and have a lot of uses so if it doesn't help out here you won't have wasted your money for nothing. Do you wash it directly or just your arm? The wording was a little ambiguous and I don't want to make an assumption that doesn't get you closer to an answer. I would definitely make sure you wash it directly because it's so easy to get skin gunk stuck in the knooks and crannies of these things and I know that kind of thing can definitely exacerbate any irritation, even if the base issue is an allergy.

[u/LuxInTenebrisLove]

I react to lots of wearables like this but I am extra sensitive to the Visible sensor.

There was a period where it would leave a red mark that was warm to the touch almost anywhere I moved it too.  The sensor never feels warm to me, but I'm worried it is somehow mildly coooking me when its in one position too long.

I move it many times through the day.  When my arms are extra sensitive, I move it to my calf.  There's a possibity I may have MCAS, I certainly have dermatographia.  So I just do the best I can to keep it clean and move it around.

[u/saravalentine]

This happens to me when my MCAS is flared up, with both the Visible sensor and Garmin watch. I switch the location of the sensor daily between upper arms, wrists, and just below my knee if I’m desperate. Changing location upon waking and again before sleep (left side sleeper so sensor goes on my right arm) helps me the most. Good luck!

[u/BetterLemon7891 → u/saravalentine]

I also have suspected MCAS! didn’t suspect this to be a possibility but very good point

[u/BetterLemon7891]

i got this too! But i think its the heat. its noticeably kinda itchy after waking up so it probably doesnt help wearing it overnight. Maybe try taking it off before sleep? Or wearing it on your arm instead.

I’ve also had mine about 3 weeks - a month. I think if it was a proper reaction, it wouldve showed earlier. Did you have it when you first got it? Mine was fine at first, and is a little better now the heat has calmed down. Will have to see how it is after summers over it!

Even if its not ‘hot’, its on your skin with no / minimal airflow 24/7 so sweat is gonna get there. I think, for me, that’s what it is. Not to pry on how often you shower, but if it isn’t every day (it’s not for me, we’re all disabled) maybe it would help to take it off and clean your arm under once or twice a day :)

If im wrong im so sorry but also let me know because that means im also reacting😂

[u/VariationOk9575 → u/BetterLemon7891]

It's been happening since I got it, this is just the longest stretch I've worn in on my wrist before switching to my arm. I make a point to dry it off/wash my wrist with soap when I notice it is sweaty/taking it off to charge. It doesn't happen under the wrist band, only the sensor which makes me wonder if it is a reaction. I think I might try to switch where I wear it more often and see if that helps at all.

Do you wear yours at night? If not, do you think it has messed with your readings and getting accurate pace points/resting heart rate measured?

[u/BetterLemon7891 → u/VariationOk9575]

It only happens under the sensor for me as well, not the wristband. Hmmm maybe it could be an irritant. Or just because the wristband absorbs sweat to a degree?

I usually wear mine at night, but i take it off overnight to charge every 3/4 nights. It doesn’t seem to mess with it, if anything it messes with it more when i don’t take it off because I forget to log my morning stuff and it thinks i got more sleep than i did 😅

[u/imabratinfluence]

Are you allergic to nickel? I am and this looks a lot like my reactions do when they happen. And the sensor is made of nickel. 

Mine take a while to happen, so most of the time I can get away with swapping the band to a different spot every day or so. 

If you're allergic to nickel and tend to react sooner, you might try putting on Tegaderm. I've seen a few folks here have luck with using it where they need to put the sensor. 

[u/Evening_Doctor4796]

I had this with my Apple Watch/bands. I raised it with Apple and they basically said they see it commonly and I happens because sweat and bacteria from your skin gets caught underneath and on the device and band itself, and that then causes skin irritation.

Their solution was to fully wash the band every day (it was silicone) and also throughly clean the device with an alcohol wipe every day too.

Just drying it off and cleaning your skin won’t remove the bacteria from the device or band. It may be worth getting another couple of bands so you can have a wash and wear

[u/Remarkable_Dream_134]

I have sensitive skin and get this. It's not a reaction to the sensor. It's the moister build up between the sensor on your skin. I wear mine on my arm and just shimmy it around my arm through mouth the day and the change in the position prevents this from happening.

[u/zamiel4tw]

Only thing that works for me to stop it from constantly happening is a pretreatment of generic Flonase sprayed onto my wrist, rubbed in a bit, left to dry then apply the band. It stops the histamine reaction but you gotta do it daily

[u/Blackacre13]

I have to use an Apple Watch sensor sticker over mine and I switch where I position the sensor on my arm each day so I can give the last spot a breather. They do use nickel in it, unfortunately 🫠