I might be developing a sensitivity to nickel, not sure yet. 
I’d like to hear about other people’s experiences in this regard, and which whistles (aside from Gen plated) are considered risky. Is it true that brass has nickel in it?
I think it can. Nickel allergy isn’t unknown, and mining it can be hazardous to health.
Nickel was baned for earring wirers,and jewellery,in the UK some years back.
Myself I have never liked the stuff, brass is less likly to cause the same reaction. But you would not want to use it for earring wire either. Gold Silver Titainium and Stainless steel are the only safe ones.
I have a friend who is allergic to nickel, the only kind of watch she can wear is a Swatch, for some reason. I think this is fairly common.
Robin
My mom is allergic to nickel. She can only wear jewellry that is 14K gold or better. So, the obvious solution is to get a 14K gold whistle. 
Whew…keep’em coming. I feel important when you all post subjects in which I have done a heck of a lot of research.
First of all I need to know two things. 1) where is the skin irritation located.
2) when you wear jewery do you get the same allergic response?
let me know and I can probably save you a trip to the dermatologist.
I generally don’t wear jewelry, so I can’t help with the second one, and it happened on Friday when I played a new nickel-plated whistle. It didn’t affect my hands but it affected my mouth, itchiness and swelling. I have been advised by the maker to wash the whistle and try again, in case it was a reaction to the styrofoam it was packed in, but I haven’t done that yet.
ok now that I have an idea of what you are going through. I play Cheitains and Shaws mostly. I broke out (just a bright reddness) like a 3rd degree burn on my chin running from each corner of my mouth. I first thought that I was allergic to Nickel. So I wrote Dave Shaw and he said that his whistle contain very small amounts of Nickel and said that in most cases jewerly has a higher quantity then the whistle. All jewery has nickel and I vever broke out any where from jewery. I then asked about the wood insert, its made of pure boiled peachwood so i did a scratch test on myself with the wood and no reaction. Well I went weeks with this bright red chin, no blisters, no itching, just bright red. I went to the dermatologist and he said I suffer from FLAUTIST CHIN. It occurs when moisture builds up between the instrumnent and your skin along with pressure. I was on antibiotics for 30 days (I don’t advise being on them that long) and some steroid cream. I started holding my whistle at a angle and I still have a very pale redness whichI can live with (hey I am married so who do i have to impress 
) The bottom line is that if you can drink from a soda can and not break-out then its not nickel allergy. Also if it was caused by the whistle you would have a reaction between your fingers. you can look up FLAUTIST CHIN on the web. I would use a over the counter steroid cream and keep playing. Another thing you can do is a patch test or scratche test set in a chair and place the instrument across your stomach, leave it there for 30 minutes of so. Is you don’t break out then you know its not the nickel. hope this helps, if you have any questions let me know.
Thanks Keith, I’ll try some of your suggestions.
Do a web search on “nickel itch”
I heard that www.nonickel.com was going to start carrying nickel free whistles, harps, etc. I can’t really picture it seeing as it’s mainly jewelry and belts and stuff but I can hope…
I imagine you could probably gold plate a whistle cheap enough.
Ava, good news and bad news. In answer to your question, brass does not contain nickel, it is a combination of copper and zinc.(bronze is copper and tin). That is the good news. The bad news, is that apparently most of the whistling community doesn’t realize this, but Stainless steel is mostly a combination of Nickel and Chrome, both heavy metals, but for some reason mostly inert when in that form. I have a hard time believing you are allergic to nickel, but who knows.
I myself have never liked nickel plated whistles for the reason that I sweat when I am playing, and I can’t hold them, so I prefer the brass ones!(which actually show the results of the chemical reactions going on between the skin oils, sweat, salts, etc… in the oxide that forms on the whistles). If you have been playing for a long time, and this has never happened before, then it is unlikey that this is due to the whistles, as an allergy(usually) will manifest itself when you have had little exposure to it, and no opprotunity to develop any resistance to it. But that is only my amateur opinion on it, you may want to ask Amar, he may know more on this subject. Good luck.
Anyone want to send me thier nickle plated whistles? I don’t have a problem with em. In fact I love em!
It is also possible to develope alergies/sensitivities from long term exposure to reactive items also. Changes in body chemistry can also allow alergies to manifest, and yes, aging does change your body chemistry!!!