‘I’ll never be wearing earrings for the rest of my life’: Customer warns against buying from Shein

Photo by@sailor.rozema/TikTok

‘How the hell did THAT happen?!’

A lady is cautioning others about purchasing budget earrings from Amazon, Shein, and H&M, after she experienced keloid formations on her earlobes due to wearing them.

On a TikTok post that has garnered more than 334,000 likes, Sailor Rozema (@sailor.rozema), a content creator, shares a warning with her community of "dangly earring girls": the inexpensive jewelry found in fast fashion can have negative impacts on your well-being.

"If you're looking for more reasons to avoid buying cheap jewelry from Shein, H&M, Brandy Melville, etc.," Rozema starts, "I'm about to reveal what I've been advocating against for the past two years."

Rozema tucks her hair behind her ears and gets closer to the back of them, showing big scars shaped at the bottom of each ear where it's likely there was a piercing for an earring.

From ‘dangly earrings’ to keloids

"This is the old earring display I had," Rozema mentions, picturing a display filled with rows of bright, dangling earrings behind her, "all the earrings here are from Shein, Amazon, a couple of Kate Spade pieces, H&M, and Brandy Melville."

Rozema admits she was once a big fan of dangly earrings before her keloids showed up. Now, the content creator reveals she avoids wearing her hair in ponytails out in public due to her self-consciousness about her keloids.

Some might suggest she could just have them removed, but Rozema disagrees, pointing out that the keloids would likely come back. "They tend to grow back almost all the time," she clarifies.

Rozema mentions that she visits a skin doctor every two months and gets a steroid shot to attempt to make the keloids less noticeable.

“They’ll literally never go away. I will never be able to wear earrings for the rest of my life because of Shein earrings,” she says.

As the video ends, Rozema sends a final warning. “Even though the earrings are literally $1, don’t buy them.”

Viewers offer advice

In the comments, users shared their reactions and their advice for how they combat the risks of cheap jewelry.

“How the hell did THAT happen?!” one user exclaimed.

“Usually I’ll coat them with clear nail polish and ALWAYS clean them with alcohol before putting any jewelry in my ear and I have yet to have a problem with my super sensitive ears,” another viewer offered.

“Usually it doesn’t depend on the cheap stuff, you can also be allergic to certain things! Cheap or expensive! I can’t carry everything either,” a third viewer noted.

Someone else wrote, “I used to work for a very well-known diamond jewelry company. I only buy pure silver or gold from now on. Metal allergies are more common than we realize.”

The Daily Dot has covered before the story of Rozema on TikTok, who shared her experience of dealing with a severe skin reaction around her eyes, chin, and ears for six months until it resolved after she removed her Shein earrings.

A correlation between keloids and low-cost jewelry?

A study referenced in the article by the American Academy of Dermatology found that about 18% of North Americans are allergic to nickel, a material commonly used to make low-cost jewelry.

A study featured in the National Library of Medicine discovered a link between the growth of keloids on the earlobes and the worsening of nearby neurogenic inflammation, attributed to the metal components of the earrings worn by the participants examined.

To steer clear of irritating nickel in jewelry, skincare expert Dr. Jean Ho advises opting for sterling silver in its purest form or jewelry crafted from stainless steel as the most secure choice.

Those who adore gold should also keep an eye out. Dr. Ho points out that even 14-karat gold contains "leachable nickel," which is nickel that can be extracted by sweat, water, and soaps. To dodge nickel in gold pieces, she suggests choosing 18-karat or 24-karat gold.

Although fast fashion retailers like Shein and H&M offer a wide variety of stylish and affordable earrings, Rozema cautions that the savings in money might come at the expense of your health.

As the caption of her video reads, “I’d rather pay for solid gold hoops than my dermatologist bills.”

The Newsbreak creator did try to reach via email to ask for details. We also contacted Amazon and Shein through a press email to get their thoughts.