Fitbit, the creator of wristbands that track physical fitness, is getting complaints from users regarding the rashes they are getting from wearing Fitbit's newest product, the Force band.
Fitbit says the Force Band can help users by tracking distance traveled, calories burned, and all of the active time the user spends each day.
Numerous users have complained to the San Francisco-based company about how the band is giving them rashes, blisters, and dry patches on their wrists, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Trish Hamernick, Phoenix, Ariz. resident, described how she got her rash from using the Force band, My Fox Phoenix reported.
"If you notice redness, obviously immediately take it off," Hamernick said. Hamernick described the red and blistered rash as, "uncomfortable swelling, uncomfortable itching."
Kim Reichelt, a management consultant in Wayland, Mass., stated that she, too, developed a rash from using the band, according to The Wall Street Journal. Reichelt declined a settlement offered to her by Fitbit.
"To me, the point is that it shouldn't be sold anymore," Reichelt said. "It looked like I had been in [an] industrial accident."
Fitbit Chief Executive James Park stated Fitbit is conducting an extensive investigation into the cause of the rashes, according to The Wall Street Journal. Park stated he believes the issue comes from contact dermatitis, an allergy similar to a sunburn or a rash. On Jan. 14, Park stated Fitbit believed the rashes were caused most likely by allergic reactions to nickel, a component found in the steel in the Force.
Dr. Jeffrey Weinberg, a dermatologist with Mount Sinai Health Systems in New York City, stated the precautions that users and potential users of the Force band should take, according to NBC News.
"If you're a Fitbit Force user who's prone to this skin irritation, the best way to get rid of the rash is to stop wearing the device, and take the refund the company is offering or return it for another model," Weinberg said.
Weinberg also stated users can put up a barrier between the band and their skin in order to prevent from getting a rash, saying some of his patients place their belt buckles between their wrist and the Force band.
Fitbit is offering full refunds to customers who have had an allergic reaction to the Force band, The Wall Street Journal reported.
