Anyone developed a rash/bumps?

[DroidUser42]

WTH? Are you washing your hands with toilet bowl cleaner or something?:grin:

When dealing with people, you never know what kinds of things you'll find in their body fluids. Sweat is salt. And salt water is nasty stuff when it comes to metals. I'll add that a diabetic that is out of control (perhaps because they haven't been diagnosed yet) will secrete sugar. Who knows what all could be in someone's sweat.

Considering the band has only been out for a month at this point - that looks nasty. Odd, you'd think Microsoft would have done their homework on what kinds of metals are safe to put on the skin. Between women's jewelry and men's metal watch bands, I wouldn't think that would be a big secret.

 

[DroidUser42]

Note that those metal contacts are used by the phone to determine if you are wearing it. (Galvanic sensor) So covering them may make the band not operate correctly.

That and the stress sensor (that has yet to appear in the Health app).

 

[Karpito]

Sweat is salt. And salt water is nasty stuff when it comes to metals. Between women's jewelry and men's metal watch bands, I wouldn't think that would be a big secret.

I do sweat a lot. Is 83 today here in Florida... I'm pretty sure I don't have diabetes... Also, like everyone else, I wear the band for workouts, runs, etc.
I have some watches and never have any problem. My titanium Citizen ecodrive is 11 years old and looks almost like new...
We might have to wait until summertime to see the effects in colder places.

 

[Jaylen Smith]

I haven't developed a rash. I had a fitbit flex and developed a pretty bad rash from that device. I've had the band for a few weeks now and so far so good.

 

[realwarder]

I'm fine, but my band is developing the rush/bumps (bubbles?).
I think the band is allergic to me.

Also believe that these bumps are the reason I can't sync my band to my pc using the usb cable.

View attachment 89734

Call Microsoft Band support. They will want to investigate this.

 

[Karpito]

Call Microsoft Band support. They will want to investigate this.

I called, sent them a picture, set up a replacement...
Ask them to investigate, but not sure how much interest they have on doing it.

 

[karryt]

I had a similar rash/bumps the first day or two but just loosening up the band a tad made it go away completely. I was wearing it a little tighter than I used to wear my Pebble and after a while it would leave indents on my skin where the sensors were, then it'd develop the rash and get a little itchy.

 

[walkabt]

Same issue. Rash for a couple days, it went away. Then the band started to get pimply bumps all over it - both charging side and the heart rate monitor side and the USB charge cable stopped working...within the first month of use. It was a day one purchase, so I thought I just got a bad unit.

This past week, I walked into the Microsoft store and showed it to the clerk when we were at the mall to ask if this was normal. The manager came over, and replaced it on the spot. No receipt in hand, didn't ask me for information - the receipt they handed me for the exchange says "Customer: anonymous." I didn't have anything with me but the band. They said don't use the old charging cable - they though the unit might have gotten too hot during a charge. They included a new screen protector, new starbucks card and offered me the extended warranty - which I told them I did not have... they said they had not seen this issue and were sending it in to the product testers. They were VERY courteous and responsive to the situation. Rosa and the manager at Chandler Microsoft were very pleasant to deal with on the experience. I just wanted to know it wasn't normal, which it is not.

Unfortunately, the new band - only a few days old is itchy as all get go. My neighbor is a dermatologist and thinks it is a reaction to the surgical steel that they appear to use on the band which a small portion of the population will have an allergic reaction. She suggested I try to just get my money back because I couldn't wear the unit.

 

[DroidUser42]

Unfortunately, the new band - only a few days old is itchy as all get go. My neighbor is a dermatologist and thinks it is a reaction to the surgical steel that they appear to use on the band which a small portion of the population will have an allergic reaction.

That does seem like a possibility. It seems you've now become sensitized to it.

Contact Dermatitis

 

[Th3P]

I haven't developed a rash. I had a fitbit flex and developed a pretty bad rash from that device. I've had the band for a few weeks now and so far so good.

Also had the same with the Fitbit flex but so far (3weeks use 24/7) and no signs on any rash

 

[sublimese]

Have the EXACT same issue. bumps on the metal part of the band. Makes it very difficult to get the charging cable to make a proper connection. Called band support and they are sending out a replacement.

 

[jwpear]

Microsoft replaced my day one Band because of the corrosion on the sensor under the face. I called them up and got a very knowledgeable and courteous lady named Cosette. She asked if I had been cleaning it after workouts--I had--and requested I send pictures as proof of the problem. After reviewing the pictures, she confirmed right on the call that I qualified for a replacement under the hardware warranty. Shipped a new Band out right away via FedEx two day. My new Band has started to corrode after a week of wear, just like the first.

Disappointed with the corrosion issue, but kudos to Cosette and Microsoft for the stellar support.

 

[Therealeinn]

An update from my original post:

A customer service technician contacted me on the phone about 2 weeks ago and asked if I wanted to return the Band for a full refund - I declined and said I'd like to keep the Band as I enjoyed it and was not hurting (just had the redness and was itchy from time-to-time).

Yesterday, seeing if there was any other people who officially made complaints about the redness and rash, I went into my local Microsoft store where I bought the Band and showed them. They started an official replacement process and they gave me a new Band. None of them had personally seen the issue I was experiencing (as documented on the first page; it had gotten significantly more red the week after the pictures were taken but has started clearing up about 2 weeks ago). They informed me that I should try waiting for my redness to go away before wearing the new Band, so I will give that a shot.

As for the actual redness and rash, I think Walkabt and DroidUser42 are correct that I have dermatitis or at least some type of skin allergy. I was trying to recall other times this has happened and I believe it was when I wore a metal watch a long time ago (which, I believe is the reason I stopped wearing watches altogether about 10 years ago). Hope this helps anyone who has experienced similar reactions!

EDIT: at Excalibur1814's recommendation below, I added these two pictures. Ignore the Band's metal imprint (and I've ensured the redness is NOT caused by it being too tight on me).

 

[anon(5327127)]

Might want to take a better picture in order to add clarity!

 

[Therealeinn]

Another update: I have started recently using some Gold Bond Anti-Itch cream from the store, which also says it reduces redness and rashes, and it seems to be making the redness go away. I am still wearing my Band about 16 - 20 hours a day, except for when the cream is on (Microsoft stated that you shouldn't be using any lotion or cream when wearing the Band).

If anyone else is experiencing these rashes or redness, I would recommend purchasing the Gold Bond Anti-Itch cream. I've been putting it on in the morning for about 2 - 3 hours for the past few days and, while the rash hasn't completely disappeared, it has certainly reduced it by about 50%.

 

[Jeremy Griffith]

Ouch.... that looks rough. My skin is very sensitive and I have to be very careful of what type of soap, deodorant, etc. I use. I was a little worried when I got my Band that I would have a similar issue, but so far, so good. I did get a little bit of a rash after I washed my hands and got some soap underneath the Band and didn't get the soap rinsed off well enough. Fortunately, after switching my Band to the other wrist for a few days, it went away. Best of luck!

 

[NDMerritt]

I just noticed a rash a few minutes ago from where the contacts rest on my wrist. Thanks for the information from everyone. I've never had an issue with watches or bracelets or anything on my wrist, but I have also never worn anything as constant as the Band. I've moved it to my left wrist and will be sure to keep it wiped down after jogging.

 

[Therealeinn]

Use 91% Isopropyl Alcohol (rubbing alcohol) that you can get at Rite Aid or some other convenience store (make sure it's 91% and not 70%). Take a q-tip and then dump it into the container, get as much off of it as you can, and then start rubbing the Band all over - even the metal pieces. I usually do it every other day.

 

[DroidUser42]

Use 91% Isopropyl Alcohol (rubbing alcohol) that you can get at Rite Aid or some other convenience store (make sure it's 91% and not 70%). Take a q-tip and then dump it into the container, get as much off of it as you can, and then start rubbing the Band all over - even the metal pieces. I usually do it every other day.

You can buy a box of alcohol swabs from the same place for a couple of bucks that make it easier to do.

 

[kriz225]

I had the same exact problem (from the pictures you took, my wrist looked exactly the same) with a medium band. I couldn't wear it more than two days or so without a rash appearing. I didn't believe the issue was related to an allergy since, aside from the fact that I don't have any allergies to my knowledge, the way the rash developed didn't add up.

Initially the rash appeared on the area where the galvanic skin response sensor is (underside of the screen), so I thought the material used for that was producing a reaction. However, the rash then also began to develop on the sides of the wrist, where the plastic/rubbery material is. The rash looked identical, so I figured it couldn't be an allergy to the metal. The other thing that I noticed is that the rash seemed to come on much faster if I wore the band to bed. The rash started to develop after a single night, where if I didn't wear it to bed it took 2-3 days of wearing it before it began to appear.

My thinking was that the rash developed from sweat being unable to dry properly, due to the band being too tight on my wrist. Even on the most open "click" the band was a bit uncomfortable. I've recently replaced it with a Large model (they finally had stock at my local store) and I've been wearing it for 3 days and 2 nights so far with no rash developing whatsoever.

I'll update this if the rash starts again, but I believe my assessment was correct and the issue was due to the band being too tight.