Well I jsut got my new Flute yesterday (see my other thread for details) and since it was used broken in and oiled I have been playing pretty much non-stop and I have started to notice an irritated spot where the Flute toches my skin. My question couls this be an Allergic Reaction to Blackwood? I am allergic to tree pollen so it is not unlikely for me to have an allergy to wood in fact my tree pollen allergy is so bad that most raw fruits and vegtables make my throat itch. If it is an allergy what should I do? The red spot doesn’t really hurt or itch though so could it just be irratated becuase of heavy playing?
What’s it oiled with? If almond oil, are you allergic to that?
I’d wipe down the flute around the embouchure, be sure and wash your face, and see what happens. If you’re allergic, it should become more than one bump.
If you are allergic, unless it affects your fingers, too, you can use superglue where your chin touches the headjoint - the kind that you paint on with a small brush much like nail polish, and that should take care of things for you. I was allergic to the German silver headjoint on a flute I had, and I used clear nail polish since it was easily removable off of metal.
Eric
It is a kind of bumpy red spot. Maybe I will try nail polish or see if it doesn’t go away in a couple of days.
You might also try superglue. Just make sure it dries before you try to play! 
Could be an allergic reaction. My lower lip got sensitised to exotic hardwoods but it took about 7 years, I think, until it happened to me. My symptoms include evident irritation (red to purplish) and weeping bumps, and a strong burning sensation; not unlike poison ivy, I’d imagine. Now I have to have lip plates inset in my flutes. The last time I tried an unplated blackwood flute the burn started almost immediately, so I put it down lest it get worse. Took almost a week to subside completely, and it wasn’t as bad --due to the brevity of contact, I’m sure-- as I’d had it before.
Definitely something to keep tabs on. It could just be redness due to friction, though, and that would be a good thing by comparison!
It seems like it is only in the spot where the cut of the embochure hits me which could mean something.
About 6 months ago I had the skin-prick test and also sub-Q tests. I’m strongly allergic to a half-dozen things and allergic to at least 20. I suspect it’s just a matter of time before I begin reacting to cocobolo. (I hate to paint such beautiful flutes with superglue.) Fortunately my primary flute is boxwood; if I become allergic to box, I might’s well just slink off and die.
Have you ever had poison ivy? That’s a typical allergic reaction of this type. Itching, burning, redness, swelling, and little fluid-filled blisters.
If it is just irritated, it might just be irritated. Wait and see if it gets worse.
I’ve irritated and bruised my lower lip from excessive playing on several occasions. Doesn’t happen as often now, though.
Might be that you’re just sensitive to whatever it was around the embouchure. Perhaps someone’s lip gloss or cologne, or–highly likely unless nobody who smoked ever played it–tars from cigarettes. There will be tons of that stuff in the pores of the wood.
Don’t use nailpolish. Nailpolish can be highly irritating. It often contains fragrance, in addition to just plain being irritating! It’ll be too thick to go on nicely and it’ll be heck to get off, too, which is what you’ll want to do as it starts to chip. It’s not the same as cyanoacrylate glue.
Places that sell nail-tech stuff, like Sally Beauty Supply (they’re everywhere) will have the superglue they use for nails available in a nailpolish-like container with a little brush. Or, you can get superglue in a container with a brush at home stores, I think. I think you want the thin kind, too . . . not the gel or thick forms. It goes on very thin, which is what you want, and stays there. It’s not likely that you’d ever want to take it off, as it will be very unobtrusive.
Meanwhile, why not give the flute a good oiling and a rubdown with some olive or almond oil? Rub on fresh oil, then wipe it off, rub on fresh, wipe off, etc., so that you clean as much residual stuff from the flute as possible. Then see what happens.
If you have the spondulics and are willing to sacrifice some time away from your flute, do consider a sterling silver lip plate inset. I’m afraid I don’t know how many makers are willing to do that if on sticks not of their own make. You might want to contact Patrick Olwell, but at my last contact with him, he’s just getting into it, although he does a great job, of course.
A well known problem in the recorder world. The oils in the exotic woods are the main cause of allergic reactions esp palisander which i am allergic to. Interestingly those that are allergic to the exotic woods will not be allergic to boxwood and vice versa. Thanks for the superglue tip.
I had a thought (they don’t come often!), assuming you are oiling the wood you might try rubbing the oil directly on the skin (think long and hard about the location) and see if that is the problem as oppossed to the wood.
If it were me I might take an antihistamine like Benadryl and see if that affects the site. I believe topical antihistamine is availible also. If you get a quick response to that application it would suggest an allergic reaction.
fwiw, ymmv
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Seems to be getting better. I have been been at Marching Bandcamp for the past week and it is quite possible that because I play Baritone (horn) in Marching Band that a combination of heavy B-tone and Flute playing caused this.