Allergic reaction to resin?

Ofcourse, but you could have a more severe reaction if your sensitive/allergic to it.

 

Hell, if people can be allergic to water, i think they can be allergic to ANYTHING. But i dont see how resin would enter the system unless it was in liquid or dust form. Just dont come into contact with the dust and theres no problem. Sure people might be allergic...but have you ever heard of someone bursting into hives or getting a reaction from touching something solid? (other than plants, since they have oils and secretions that get absorbed into the skin to start a reaction)

 

I know of at least two people whose activity in the BJD hobby was adversely affected by resin, although one of them was heavily involved in customizing and so would have had more exposure to resin and resin dust than your average owner. One had respiratory problems, and the other had bad skin reactions. But these were both preexisting and fairly severe conditions, so unless you're predisposed to any allergies like these, there's no reason you'd be particularly affected. It is true that resin continues to give off fumes even when it's set, though - for example, a doll kept in a box or bag for a while will be smellier than one left out in open air.

Just use general caution when doing anything that will expose you to resin dust or other toxic substances - wear a facemask when sanding or coating your doll with Mr. Super Clear, don't constantly sniff the resin :P, etc. You might also want to wash your doll's parts when they arrive, since dolls straight from the company often still have resin dust in the joints and insides.

 

What Emera says is true, it still gives off fumes after it is cured; some gases haven't made their way up to the surface yet. Although it's not an allergy, I am very sensitive to the smell of fresh resin. I get headaches and dizziness from a doll with the "new doll" smell. I have to air them out before I can keep them in close quarters with me. In the case of one doll who I opened in the car, the fumes were so concentrated and strong that I almost passed out behind the wheel. :O

 

I'm really allergic to urethane. When the urethane dolls arrive, I have to be careful because my hands and arms go red and become itchy. This lasts for a couple weeks until the dust goes off them and they de-gas. Once they are dust and gas free, I am ok with them and have no problems at all. So, when these dolls arrive of course... I want to pick them up. Everyone has to remind me to be careful!

I am not allergic to French resin, which I have been told is non-toxic and it also has no de-gassing. When i open those boxes I don't smell much at all.

Catrina

 

Huh? Um, seeing as how humans are like 75% water, wouldn't someone allergic to water die from the water in their body or dehydrate from not being able to drink? And how would they shower? Seems like that's one of those urban legends LOL.

And back OT, I've never heard of a resin allergy, but I suppose it's possible. I remember seeing another thread asking pretty much the same thing, but I don't recall if a concensus was ever reached. Personally I wouldn't worry about it, but if you're very concerned, maybe contact your doctor. He would know all about strange allergies.

 

OMG.

I read the title and went, "......OHMIGODNUUUUUU!" O_______O

 

From material safety data sheets that I have read at work, it is possible to be sensitive to resin. Resin dust especially, will cause asthma attacks and allergic reactions to people who are sensitive to it. I am asthmatic and had difficulty playing with my Volks girl for the first few days until her "new doll" smell had gone away. I can't say much about any skin rashes, only that it would probably be most unlikely. Wet resin isn't good to touch, but dry should be just fine. Don't stress yourself out too much over it, there are obviously a lot of people in the hobby that are doing just fine. ^-^

 

It is true. There was a girl interviewed on talk and news shows a few years ago who was allergic to water on her skin. They had pics and everything.. It was pretty bad.

I wouldn't be surprised by people allergic to resin dust. I would prolly have a reaction too, if I sanded.. Which I haven't yet, but sure to find out sooner or later. lol.. I'm allergic to latex, too.. So, if I'm working with anything that's dusty/chalky or like talc, then I have to use that glove cream stuff. In a way, it's like MSC how it coats the dolls to protect them, but it's a cream to put on your skin that creates a barrier. (They use it in hospitals)

 

I sand in water but have still had problems - it pays to wear gloves. I take an antihistamine before sanding and cover my hands in calamine afterwards. It makes a huge difference. You can buy wet and dry sandpaper and it's a lot easier to use.

 

I've heard of lots of people with asthma having problems being around their dolls for prolonged periods of time.

Resin dust is really toxic anyway though.

 

I'm allergic to it in a liquid form, I break out in hives. You might just want to wear long sleeves, gloves and a good mask next time. If you still get a rash you can take some benedryll to make it clear up faster(I usually take it at night).

 

Thanks for all the answers.
I have an OK understanding of allergies. Just wanted to see how many of you have severe reactions and what you do to prevent them. It is comforting to know that people with allergies or sensitivities still manage to enjoy the hobby. I think I will be very careful to prevent a reaction rather then just see if I get one. Probably a good idea for everyone.



I'll try to find more info on this subject and post it for people who have an interest or worry as much as I do.

 

Usually if I set the doll in a place where it can air out for a while (fresh air but no sunlight... fortunately my room is good for that) then I don't have a problem with it but YES, the 'new doll smell' irritates my chemical sensitivity something awful. Some companies are better and worse than others (I haven't really had a problem with Hypermaniac, for instance, but I can't be in the same room with a Unoa for at least a few days).

I think Unoa have more chemical outgassing because they are kits that are bundled up into plastic fairly soon after casting. So when you open the plastic you get a snootful of strong chemical scent. Other dolls, that are put together at the manufacturer, have a chance for some of the chemicals to 'air out' before they're bundled up, so it's not so intense once it gets to you.

As for resin allergy specifically, yes... you can have allergy to virtually anything (especially things that contain chemicals) and in a powdered form, there are more chances for it to irritate your skin, etc. So, you're not alone.
H

 

yeowch! I don't think I'll try sanding my doll, or i'll sand her outside. I have asthma and i'm allergic to a whole bunch of things but since my doll hasn't arrived yet,I don't know if I'll need to sand her or not.

Luckily my mother keeps Benadryl on hand ( a medecine that stops allergic reactions) because doctors here are stupid and keep giving me medicine i'm allergic to _-_

 

So...can one be allergic to resin in its solid state? If I hold my doll too much will I get rashes? o.o;;;;;

 

It is possible to be allergic to resin - actually, you can be allergic to anything! But particularly if you were dealing with resin dust. Resin contains chemicals, and they could be released in the dust during sanding, etc... From the sounds of it, your rash was caused by something you came in contact with, and if you weren't wearing gloves it could very well be the resin. But there is also the possibility that you are allergic to the materials used for blushing. Many people are allergic to paints, charcoals etc, I am very allergic to them too. If you were airbrushing, tiny particles of paint that you can't even see could've settled on your arm and caused a rash as well. There are many possibilities. However, unless you have a very very severe allergy to whatever it was, when the resin is hard or the paint is dry or whatever, you should be ok. Although the paint on my Elfdolls still irritates my chemical sensitivities even though I've had them for quite a while now. It's getting to the point that I'm considering finding new homes for them! So I guess you'll just have to wait and see.

 

Now this is an interesting thread! I have my own (very odd!) story to tell.

I used to kinda work "behind the scenes" for a doll company and part of my job is inspecting each and every doll that comes to us before they go to customers. I do have mild allergies to things, but I had never been affected by handling the myriad of dolls that I did.

That was until one batch from a new company came along. I became terribly achy and flu-like, and quite suddenly, too! I was scared that I had caught something really horrible because of how sick I was, so I immediately went to my doctor in a panic (I didn't connect this to the dolls yet). The doctor told me it was allergies and gave me some medicine, whew! I then made the connection to the dolls I was inspecting. I can't handle dolls from that company anymore. O_O;;; It was the weirdest allergic reaction I've ever had, especially since I can be around MSC and pastel dust (wearing a mask!) with no problems.

My suggestion if you're really worried about allergic reactions on a new doll is to air your doll out when you get it, perhaps overnight, and then go over the doll with a magic eraser or a damp paper towel to get any stray resin dust off of it. That should take care of any irritants that may come with it. If you're REALLY ambitious you could always unstring it and give it a bath with dishsoap after airing it out! After my weird doll reaction I periodically subject all mine to baths just in case. XD

 

this is interesting...i have never sanded one of my dolls. I can touch them okay but I have Multiple Chemical Sensitivity so I don't know what would happen.