Yes, you can be allergic to gold, it's a lot less common than metal allergies, but I have a friend who raved over my belly ring, and I suggested that she get one, too but she said she's allergic to everything, even gold and silver. So yes you can be allergic, and taking it out should be an option b/c you can't keep in something that irritates your skin! I had to take out my belly ring, it got irritated... it sucks b/c now all I have left is a scar... but it's better than the pain I was in... I didn't even realize how much it hurt until I took the thing out...