[Emikoisabella]

Phoenix, I have to use it for regular maintenance. I usually use the machine once a week to maintain 🙂

[Emikoisabella]

I’m a fellow hyperhidrosis sufferer and I feel your pain. Have you heard of iontophoresis? It’s a process where you soak your hands in water with a small electric current and it is supposed to thicken up the skin on your hands to prevent the sweat. These machines can run very expensive but I’ve been using the cheapest one called Drionic (and you don’t need a prescription to buy this one). Combing this with occasional applications of drysol at night and using tite grip + dry hands/prince grip has made a huge huge difference. Also, not sure how long you have been poling but I’ve found that with time my sweat has decreased and/or my grip strength has improved making it easier for me to grip even when I’m sweating.

I know it sucks to have sweaty hands but hang in there! You will eventually find what works for you 🙂

[Emikoisabella]

PoleNika – I did use the velcro strap that came with the sleeve but unfortunately it didn’t prevent it from sliding all the way down. I probably should have called Victor but my boyfriend and I tried for hours to get it off (using a leaf blower) but we couldn’t get it off. I really loved my pole sleeve, but I just don’t see it as being “removable.” I would love to buy another sleeve one day when I have the space/money so I can have a permanent chinese pole along with my chrome pole 🙂

[Emikoisabella]

Jivete – I had the same experience as you! I had my pole sleeve on my chrome pole and because it shifted down so much after using it over the course of a month the sleeve was too close to the base making it impossible to roll up exposing the adjuster screws so I had to cut it enough to take down my pole. Even after I took it down I found it impossible to remove the sleeve so I ended up cutting off the entire thing. I was very disappointed 🙁

[Emikoisabella]

Cij1916 – my old studio is not just a pole studio (they have Zumba, yoga, dance, etc.) so they only offer pole a couple times a week. Also, in terms of the difficultly of classes thy offer, I have outgrown them. My new studio is at a higher level and dedicated solely to pole which is why I decided to make the switch last month.

Poledanceromance – I looked at the poles that I react to and there are no scratches or scuff marks, the entire pole looks dull compared to other chrome xpoles. You can also tell that they used to be shiny and have since worn off because the base of the pole is still shiny. But, like you said, because my rashes are definitely on the mild side I guess I don’t have to worry about nickel toxicity. It seems like I only get rashes on areas that are very sensitive (armpit area, legs, stomach), since when I did shouldermount work the other day I didn’t get any kind of contact dermitis on my shoulder.

[Emikoisabella]

Update #3

Patch tested windex and itac (since I found out that many people in studio use it and I don’t) and they were both negative. Went back to my old studio again one last time and my skin was perfectly fine. After poling for 2.5 hours last night at the new studio, I immediately wiped down my body with these antibacterial wipes (the athletic body wipe) that I bought from Amazon, showered as soon as I got home, put a ton of calming lotion on and a little bit of Benadryl anti itch gel near my underarms (where I am most prone to breaking out in rashes). I woke up briefly in he middle of the night feeling itchy but I tried convincing myself that it was psychosomatic and fell back asleep. I woke up this morning and I had rashes on my underarm area, obliques, and part of my leg. However, they weren’t as bad as the rashes I got last week.

So, I think it’s safe to say that these rashes are contact dermatitis from the actual pole (most likely nickel). I don’t know why I never noticed this before, but when I took a good look at the chrome poles at my new studio, I noticed that the finish is dull and they aren’t shiny like my chrome pole at home/chrome poles at my old studio, so it’s possible that the chrome later is stripped and the nickel underneath is being exposed.

My next step is to try some barrier cream, since wiping down my body after poling didn’t prevent 100% of the rashes. I read online that a zinc-oxide based cream can help protect the skin so I will try that next. I know that some people suggested taking Benadryl before poling, but I really don’t want to rely on oral medications/become dependent on them, especially since I’m trying to find a permanent solution.

Also, should I be concerned with exposing my body to nickel on a daily basis? After reading articles on nickel allergy and the harmful side effects associated with nickel over-exposure, I’m starting to freak out a little since I will be training at my new studio 6+ hours a week.

Thanks everyone for helping me figure this out!! 🙂

[Emikoisabella]

Yea, I’ll definitely have to try that too.

[Emikoisabella]

Teachtrinity – thanks I will have to add that to the list of things I should try 🙂 I know that you can develop allergies over time but what makes this so strange is that I can still use the chrome xpoles at my old studio and at home and not get a reaction.

AerialGypsy – they use rubbing alcohol and windex, but I always wipe down my pole before I use it with the rubbing alcohol. The poles at my old studio are at least 2 years old but they are not used nearly as much (1 – 2 hours a day 5 days a week vs. 4 – 5 hours 7 days a week). I’m also going to talk to the studio owner tonight to see if she has insight into what might be causing this reaction.

[Emikoisabella]

Update #2

So, I’ve determined that I’m definitely reacting to something at my new studio. I went back to my old studio on Sunday and poled for 2 hours and my skin was completely fine. No rashes and no itchiness that night or the next day. I went back to my new studio on Monday and poled for 2.5 hours – I used a different pole that I hadn’t used before and wiped it down really well with rubbing alcohol. Unfortunately, I woke up in the middle of the night scratching everywhere. The next morning I had rashes on my legs, parts of my back and even my elbow pit. I think the reaction was worse this time though because I am still itchy today and I haven’t poled since Monday.

Another side note, I found out these poles are definitely chrome xpoles, which I normally don’t react to, and they are only a little over a year old. Is it really a possibility that the chrome started to wear off in just a year? I know that these poles are used heavily (much more that my old studio and obviously my pole at home) but this is giving me hope that maybe it’s not the pole. I just find it so strange that I only react to the chrome xpoles at that studio and no where else – most people who have severe enough nickel allergies react to ALL chrome.

Anyways, I’m starting to get a little frustrated but hopefully I’ll uncover this mystery soon. I’m going back to my new studio tonight and I will try another pole that I haven’t used before and will also try wiping by body down with towelettes afterwards to see if that helps.

[Emikoisabella]

So here is an update:

I did the spot test on my skin for rubbing alcohol and dry hands – my skin didn’t react.
Yesterday I went to my new studio for an hour of pole and didn’t use any grip aids just in case, brought my own towel, etc. and I broke out in rashes on my right leg and it kept waking me up in the middle of the night because it was so itchy! It’s crazy because I worked on my phoenix spin, handsprings and tick tocks…so my legs only came in contact with the pole for not even 1/3 of the class. Here is the picture of the rash for those that are curious: http://imgur.com/NZITlWj

So, it’s looking more and more like I am reacting to the pole itself. But there are 3 more things that I’m going to try so I can rule out what is causing this.
– I’m going back to my old studio tomorrow, so I will see if my skin reacts (it never did in the past year and a couple months but we will see).
– The next time I go back to my new studio I’m going to try a different pole. I’ve been using the same pole since I’ve been at the new studio and I was thinking it could be so worn down from use that the nickel plating under the chrome might be exposed.
– I haven’t bought the wipes yet, but if switching poles doesn’t help I’m going to see if wiping down my body immediately after reduces/eliminates the reaction.

Wish me luck!!!

[Emikoisabella]

That’s a great idea! Thanks!

[Emikoisabella]

I will definitely report back after experimenting. I am the type who breaks or immediately after any contact with nickel – I had to return a Michael Kors watch because I started breaking out in rashes right underneath my wrist after wearing it for a couple of hours. With that being said, I’m still hoping that this is being caused by something chemical rather than the pole itself.

I also read online that our skin is more sensitive when we sweat/our pores are open – and I was sweating more than I usually do during this particular pole session. So I think I’ll bring body wipes from now on and immediately wipe off after I finish to see if that helps.

[Emikoisabella]

Thanks so much! 🙂

[Emikoisabella]

Thanks for the tips, I will definitely try that!

[Emikoisabella]

Thank you! 🙂