Do all Apple Watches after 3 risk burning your skin?

[cosmichobo]

G'day,

My wife used to have a Garmin, which uses electric sensors for heart rate etc, and it burned her wrist.

When I got her an Apple Watch, I specifically went for a 3, because it uses optical sensors instead of electric.

Unfortunately the battery now needs replacing, and for $129 AU (battery replacement via Apple), I could buy a 2nd hand 4th gen watch instead.

Looking online... And on this forum... I see plenty saying that Apple Watches have burned their wrists.

Does anyone know - are some models better than others? Less risky for burns?

(Yes, I appreciate that most people don't experience burns... but given my wife has in the past, we're working on the idea that it's her skin at fault... so potentially would have the same reaction with Apple's watches that use electricity..

Thanks

cosmic

 

[skyhawkmatthew]

Later Apple Watches still use optical sensors for heart rate monitoring. The electrical contacts are only used for the ECG, so if you don't use that function they won't do anything.

 

[bricktop_at]

Given the fact that only a very very tiny faction of AW users has encountered this I assume that it’s impossible tell if there is any higher or lower risk with any model of the AW.
To me it‘s a problem that‘s user specific and not watch related.

 

[bricktop_at]

Later Apple Watches still use optical sensors for heart rate monitoring. The electrical contacts are only used for the ECG, so if you don't use that function they won't do anything.

But since ECG measurements only pick up the electrical impulses of your body and don‘t actively send current through it, that can‘t really cause burns…

 

[nnc]

According to the Specifications table on Wikipedia, neither of the SE models have an electrical heart sensor. Series models do, starting with 4. Maybe you can find a SE. Even a SE 1 will probably be supported longer than a 4.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Watch

 

[cosmichobo]

Thanks for the tips. Can't say I even knew/remembered there were SE versions.

The SE says it uses optical sensors, so that may be the way to go. Looks like they sell for around $220 on eBay. Not too bad...

 

[Howard2k]

Nothing to do with optical vs electrical. Most likely she needs to regularly clean her wrist and clean the watch, that's the most likely source of irritation.


The HR sensors are all optical on all watches. The EKG (not on the SE) is electrical through the crown.

 

[InvertedGoldfish]

Sounds more like a rash from it rubbing or bacteria

 

[glenthompson]

I've had issues with contact dermatitis with watches and fitness trackers in the past but my 3 Apple Watches has been flawless in this regard. A couple of 3rd party bands have caused me problems but never the watch. I do clean the back on a regular basis due to my skin getting crud into the crevices.

 

[BenGoren]

We’ve been through this before, multiple threads.

No wristwatch on the market today, smart or otherwise, will burn your wrist by any reasonable definition of the term, “burn.”

Any bracelet or similar item has the potential to cause contact dermatitis (whose symptoms often superficially resemble burn symptoms).

Overwhelmingly, contact dermatitis is caused by a bacterial infection. Stop wearing the watch until the wound heals. Give the watch and the wrist a good cleaning, and apply the thinnest possible schmear of an off-the-shelf broad-spectrum topical antibiotic (such as Neosporin) before putting the watch back on. Clean the watch regularly, especially at the first slightest hint of redness or itchiness or sour smell.

Note that this is not an “eww gross” criticism of basic hygiene. In many cases, there’s no noteworthy visible accumulation of gunk, and different people have different sensitivities. Some get well past “eww gross” and never develop dermatitis.

The next most common cause is sensitivity to some sort of personal hygiene product, such as soap or lotion, that gets trapped beneath the band. In normal use, the product doesn’t cause noticeable harm; but, when held in close contact for an extended period, it does. A dermatologist can help figure out if this is the case, including identifying specific ingredients to avoid.

In rare but notable cases, contact dermatitis is caused by an allergic reaction to a material in the watch. If you suspect this, consult a dermatologist. If you’re allergic to the materials in the Apple Watch, that’s something you’re going to need to know about, because it could have significant impacts on future medical treatment.

Cheers,

b&

 

[johnb300m]

While I've not done any empirical studies on Apple watches and burns, I surmise the vast majority of these "burns" are really bacterial rashes, or maybe even some kind of allergic reaction to certain metals or plating that contacts the skin.
Everyone is different with vastly different sensitivities.
I personally cannot wear ANY watch on my wrist for more than two days. I will get some kind of rash. I have to wash the contact location daily.
Just the way the watches are made, if any of these burns are remotely close to "temperature" burns, they'd be from some kind of rare catastrophic battery failure. And in that case, a localized wrist burn is the least of your issues.

 

[Timpetus]

I'm prone to contact dermatitis but fortunately the AW has been very good in this regard. I used to not be able to wear a watch for any length of time beyond a couple days because I'd get a watch-shaped raised red area on my wrist. The AW only rarely causes me to get a few small red bumps, and I just switch wrists for a couple days to let it clear up.

None of the AW models do anything to impart current into the skin, so the "burn" is most likely her skin reacting to contact. Adjusting the tightness of the band may help if it's moving around too much or pressing too hard into her wrist.

Edit to add note about cleaning:

I do suggest, as did others in this thread, cleaning the watch regularly. I keep mine on for most showers, and that helps keep it from getting too dirty. I also remove it and take the straps out, rinse it under water and wipe off with a microfiber cloth. The edges of the straps and around the sensor ring are where most of the dirt builds up that I have to wipe away.

 

[NervousFish2]

This might sound bonkers. But never had dermatitis issues from my AW while living in Ohio. Soon as I moved to Texas it was a different story. I now rotate my watch straps, and clean them, regularly. One tip i wanted to offer: toothpaste and a Phillips sonicare electric toothbrush! I keep one bristle head set aside in my drawer that I use only for this purpose. I brush each watch (my two silicone straps and my one metal link bracelet) once every 1-2 weeks or so, depending on the season. The results have been a game changer. It just works!

 

[BenGoren]

This might sound bonkers. But never had dermatitis issues from my AW while living in Ohio. Soon as I moved to Texas it was a different story. I now rotate my watch straps, and clean them, regularly. One tip i wanted to offer: toothpaste and a Phillips sonicare electric toothbrush! I keep one bristle head set aside in my drawer that I use only for this purpose. I brush each watch (my two silicone straps and my one metal link bracelet) once every 1-2 weeks or so, depending on the season. The results have been a game changer. It just works!

I’d recommend against the toothpaste. It’s an abrasive that, over time, is unlikely to do good to anything mechanical.

But I do use a toothbrush and a bit of Dawn on my Ultra’s Alpine Starlight band. The watch itself I usually just rinse when I have the band off, sometimes with a single small drop of soap. I don’t think I’ve ever felt the urge to use the brush on the watch itself.

And you’re not bonkers. Different locations have different climates, for starters. If you’re near the coast in Texas you likely have a great deal more humidity than you did in the Midwest. And there are different endemic microorganisms; there’s a reason San Francisco sourdough tastes different from other sourdoughs. You could well be sensitive to something common in the air (soil, water, whatever) in Texas that’s not to be found elsewhere.

b&

 

[InvertedGoldfish]

I’ve lived all over, from snow country to hot and humid, never had a issue with any watch

Think it might be more of a hygiene or genetics issue

 

[JtheLemur]

I see plenty saying that Apple Watches have burned their wrists.

[…] are some models better than others? Less risky for burns?

I just… can't… Keep MacRumors Forums Weird, I guess.

 

[JustAnExpat]

As others said, I never seen anyone get a "burn" from a watch. It's impossible for enough heat to be build up to cause a burn. I remember seeing a post here from someone saying they got a "white hot" burn from the watch. It is physically impossible for a burn to be developed from the Apple Watch, because of how little power they produce.

 

[TechnoMonk]

I have seen Samsung phones burn but not AW. Like other have said it’s likely contact dermatitis.

 

[NervousFish2]

I’d recommend against the toothpaste. It’s an abrasive that, over time, is unlikely to do good to anything mechanical.

But I do use a toothbrush and a bit of Dawn on my Ultra’s Alpine Starlight band. The watch itself I usually just rinse when I have the band off, sometimes with a single small drop of soap. I don’t think I’ve ever felt the urge to use the brush on the watch itself.

And you’re not bonkers. Different locations have different climates, for starters. If you’re near the coast in Texas you likely have a great deal more humidity than you did in the Midwest. And there are different endemic microorganisms; there’s a reason San Francisco sourdough tastes different from other sourdoughs. You could well be sensitive to something common in the air (soil, water, whatever) in Texas that’s not to be found elsewhere.

b&

Thanks. Maybe I'll forgo the toothpaste. I have found that rinsing doesn't always do the trick. Once or twice, I have just used distilled vinegar mixed with a drop of dish liquid. Soak first, then scrub with the powered toothbrush. That actually does work quite well, too. But I feel the toothpaste was working best (the watch itself is completely removed from the process. Only scrubbing the bands/link bracelet, in these scenarios

 

[BenGoren]

Thanks. Maybe I'll forgo the toothpaste. I have found that rinsing doesn't always do the trick. Once or twice, I have just used distilled vinegar mixed with a drop of dish liquid. Soak first, then scrub with the powered toothbrush. That actually does work quite well, too. But I feel the toothpaste was working best (the watch itself is completely removed from the process. Only scrubbing the bands/link bracelet, in these scenarios

If it’s just the band, and the watch is in no way involved … then that’s a different story. It’s not hard to imagine some sort of solid metal that polishes quite nicely with toothpaste, depending on the finish. I wouldn’t use toothpaste on gold plating, for example, but, if somebody I trusted told me to use toothpaste on polished stainless, I’d give it a try.

And, of course, what you do to care for a metal band will be completely different from a leather band, and so on.

My caution against the toothpaste was on the assumption that you were using it on the watch itself. I can imagine getting away with that … for a while … maybe …

b&

 

[titan4]

I used to get skin reactions from the fluoroelastomer sport bands but since I moved to the nylon sport loop never had a reaction ever again, but that's me, I am apparently allergic to AirPods Pro as well.

 

[cosmichobo]

If you google this subject, or even look here in Mac Rumors, you'll see plenty of people experience this. I say plenty - If there's a few dozen people posting online about it, then there's plenty more that aren't.

In general - my wife is not "one of those" people who has skin or other issues. In fact, I'm the one with severe atopic dermatitis, taking medication that costs $3k per month in order to feel human... not her... However, my wife's skin blisters if she leaves surgical tape on it for too long - you know, that white tape that they use in hospitals, because it's meant to be the most safe tape imaginable...

(That said - after her wrist developed a big red sore from the Garmin - I sure didn't try it out myself!)

 

[bricktop_at]

If you google this subject, or even look here in Mac Rumors, you'll see plenty of people experience this. I say plenty - If there's a few dozen people posting online about it, then there's plenty more that aren't.

It‘s the nature of internet forums that usually complaints are what‘s being posted. So you‘ll normally read mostly complaints and the balance is waaaay off.

Plus, if you ask me (and I‘m not judging anyone specifically), lots (if not most) of those complaints are caused by improper hygiene, allergies or other ways of misusing the watch…

 

[cosmichobo]

It‘s the nature of internet forums that usually complaints are what‘s being posted. So you‘ll normally read mostly complaints and the balance is waaaay off.

Plus, if you ask me (and I‘m not judging anyone specifically), lots (if not most) of those complaints are caused by improper hygiene, allergies or other ways of misusing the watch…

Even if someone's smothering the watch in Marmalade before putting it on their wrist... if it doesn't happen with a non-electric sensor based watch - then chances are - the electric sensors - on some people - cause burns/irritation.

I'm not saying it's happening to 50% of users... or 5%... or 0.5%... but there certainly are people out there experiencing burns/irritation, from wearing Apple, and other, watches.

Obviously it's not a huge issue (such as to hurt sales), as if it was, Apple would have done something about it.

I know that people experience this problem, and really was just seeking out their counsel in case they had found that they could not wear an Apple Watch 4, but perhaps the 5 was ok.

So you can take your observations about poor hygiene and allergies and miss-use, and find someone who cares.

 

[dj1891]

I’ve never had an issue with apple, now Garmin a different story. I can only wear them for running then off as something in the actual heart rate sensor burns my skin to the point of a rash that will crack and bleed if I wear it all the time.