[Scratchesaddcharacter]

After years of wearing this watch it suddenly causes what I can only describe as a rash-burn on my wrist. The centre of which is square and matches the centre of the sensor.
I keep it clean, regular brush with a toothbrush and Simple Soap then rinse. The soap is hypoallergenic and non-fragranced.

I use no lotions and potions.

The was no itching or irritation, just a couple of days ago I took it off and there was what looked like a burn. I've been searching on the web for answers and have forwarded it Garmin support.
I have never had a problem until now so could it be the resin on the sensor? I wore it on my right wrist for one day and a slight reddening formed. Also the sensor resin seems to be crazed.

your thoughts appreciated

 

[myltz400]

I have had this type of thing happen off and on over the years, I just loosen the strap to let the area breath more and it has always gone away on its own. For me its contact dermatitis. You can look up the usual remedies but I am certainly no doctor...

 

[Scratchesaddcharacter]

Interestingly Garmin support have been exceptionally good over this considering I have had the watch for a reasonable time. After a number of questions on how I was wearing it etc by email and within three days they said these things should not have happened and will replace the watch for me. Must say I have to give them 100% for customer service as I never asked for it to be replaced. It appears on the forums some people had issues with how they were wearing them and supposedly bacterial infections.

 

[TGM-2]

After experiencing intermittent irritation for the last few years around the polymer watchband on my Fenix 5X, I have developed a painful rash under the optical HR sensor that does not respond to topical antibiotic, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory medications and will not go away. I do not wear any other watches or jewelry on either arm, and have refrained from wearing my watch for days at a time hoping for relief, but have noticed zero improvement. Following Garmin's recommendations for wear and care is utterly ineffective. Putting the watch back on for any length of time - even periods as short as 30 minutes - has only served to exacerbate the rash. I even purchased an aftermarket DLC titanium band in an effort to remove the polymer as a potential source of inflammation, but there has been no improvement. As a result, I am no longer able to wear my watch and it has become a rather expensive paperweight on my desk. This is clearly a serious issue for Garmin based on the pages and pages of posts on various online forums, to include Garmin's, but I have yet to see any sort of effective remedy or explanation offered by Garmin. As per multiple replies by Garmin on their forums, I have tried to send feedback via Garmin's support page only to reach a dead end (the SUBMIT button does nothing). I have also posted this on multiple discussion threads on Garmin's forum only to have Garmin label my posts as abusive and/or spam. Garmin clearly knows there is a pervasive issue and is hiding behind a circuitous feedback loop to nowhere that provides zero effective support. Which is congruent with my experience with Garmin's eTrex Summit GPS units nearly 20 years ago. I guess I'll have to go back to Suunto.

 

[gaijin]

After experiencing intermittent irritation for the last few years around the polymer watchband on my Fenix 5X, I have developed a painful rash under the optical HR sensor that does not respond to topical antibiotic, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory medications and will not go away. I do not wear any other watches or jewelry on either arm, and have refrained from wearing my watch for days at a time hoping for relief, but have noticed zero improvement. Following Garmin's recommendations for wear and care is utterly ineffective. Putting the watch back on for any length of time - even periods as short as 30 minutes - has only served to exacerbate the rash. I even purchased an aftermarket DLC titanium band in an effort to remove the polymer as a potential source of inflammation, but there has been no improvement. As a result, I am no longer able to wear my watch and it has become a rather expensive paperweight on my desk. This is clearly a serious issue for Garmin based on the pages and pages of posts on various online forums, to include Garmin's, but I have yet to see any sort of effective remedy or explanation offered by Garmin. As per multiple replies by Garmin on their forums, I have tried to send feedback via Garmin's support page only to reach a dead end (the SUBMIT button does nothing). I have also posted this on multiple discussion threads on Garmin's forum only to have Garmin label my posts as abusive and/or spam. Garmin clearly knows there is a pervasive issue and is hiding behind a circuitous feedback loop to nowhere that provides zero effective support. Which is congruent with my experience with Garmin's eTrex Summit GPS units nearly 20 years ago. I guess I'll have to go back to Suunto.

Good decision - enjoy your Suunto!
HTH

 

[GrouchoM]

Have you tried calling them? I found them quite responsive.

Typos courtesy of Samsung Auto-Incorrect

 

[hueysfanclub]

Has anyone had any updates on this matter. I have a garmin instinct and have almost identical looking rash's or sores to the ones in the photos. I have been wearing for around 5 years with no issue until now...

 

[Odie]

I gave my 7 year son my Tactical Instinct 1. I had the HR sensor on for him because he enjoyed watching his heart beat. He developed the same type of rash that some others are experiencing. I had him switch arms and I turned the HR sensor off. After his left arm healed, he switched back but I still kept the HR sensor off. After a few weeks, it happened again. So I cleaned around the sensor with a toothbrush (plus water and soap) every 1-2 weeks and he doesn’t experience the issue anymore.

 

[Victorv]

I also wear my 5x evryday since two months ago, no problem for me

 

[gaijin]

Has anyone had any updates on this matter. I have a garmin instinct and have almost identical looking rash's or sores to the ones in the photos. I have been wearing for around 5 years with no issue until now...

You may find this article from Garmin helpful: Watch Wear and Care Tips

HTH

 

[AN_NZ]

Also have something similar from wearing a fenix 7 - wondering if it is contact with the charging port, and if there is a cover to stop this