What is the Safest Metal for Piercings?

 

Two of the most common problems with body jewelry are allergic reactions and infection.   Correct care and cleaning of piercings are essential, but the type of metal in the piercing jewelry you choose is also extremely important.  The following are the top 3 metals for body jewelry, and two choices that you should stay away from…unless of course you are in the mood for a painful oozing mess

 

TOP 3 METALS FOR BODY PIERCINGS:

 

#1  Titanium G23

Titanium is by far the top choice for body piercings, and can be safely used for initial piercings.  Implant grade titanium G23 (Ti6al4v-ELI) is the material used in surgical implants, is biocompatible (friendly with your body), resistant to body fluids and nickel free.  Titanium weighs less and is much stronger than stainless steel, which means you will have body piercing jewelry that is both durable, comfortable and almost completely without scratches.   Titanium is an expensive metal, but well worth the price.  Titanium body jewelry looks great, it lasts, and will look as good as new after many years of wear.

 

#2  Surgical Stainless Steel

Surgical stainless steel is the most common metal for body jewelry, and is just behind G23 titanium in terms of biocompatibility.  316L or 316LVM are the only grades of stainless steel that are approved as safe for wearing in healed piercings.  Keep in mind that even the best grades of stainless steel do contain nickel and may cause problems for those with nickel sensitivities.  Many countries have banned the use of stainless steel for initial piercings, and it is best to stay away from stainless steel altogether until after your piercing has healed.

 

#3  Gold

Although it is beautiful, gold is not a good choice for body jewelry, especially for initial piercings or long term wear.  Because gold is a softer metal and contains metal alloys, there can be a greater chance of irritation or infection.  Gold jewelry is beautiful, but should only be worn in healed piercings, and with care.  Replace gold body jewelry with titanium at the first sign of irritation.

 

NOT RECOMMENDED FOR PIERCINGS:

Sterling Silver:  Avoid any body jewelry where the part that is inside your skin (barbell, banana, ring) is made of silver.  All silver tarnishes when it comes in contact with body fluids, can easily harbor bacterial growth, and can contain allergy-causing metals such as nickel.  Body piercing jewelry with a sterling silver “charm” that is attached to or dangles from the end of the steel or titanium bar is perfectly fine, as long as you aren’t allergic to silver jewelry.  If you are allergic to silver, you should be OK if the charm is plated with rhodium (similar to platinum), so make sure you ask.  Most importantly, make sure that the part that is inside your body is made from a more biocompatible metal.

 

Plated or Mystery Metal:  Enough said.  Any “costume” or “plated” body jewelry is going to be trouble, as is poor quality stainless steel.  Stick with the top 3 choices above to be sure your piercing stays irritation and infection-free.

 

Remember that a body jewelry is placed inside you, and should be treated more like a surgical implant than a piece of costume jewelry.  Although it may be tempting to buy less expensive body jewelry, spending a little more money on higher quality metals is definitely a better way to go in the long run. 

 

 

Pierce a Minor: Go to Jail. Are you kidding me?

I’m sure that there are hundreds of households across the world where, at this very moment, parents and their teenagers are debating whether a tattoo or body piercing will be permitted.   Nothing new there… body art is now an element of fashion, and parents and teens have been fighting over fashion for pretty much as long as there have been parents with teenagers.

A bit scary, though – especially for body art professionals out there – are the laws that our friends in the State Legislatures have passed to punish service providers who tattoo or pierce underage customers without parental permission.  In some states, tattooing is illegal for minors whether or not the parents consent.  That’s not all…in some states these crimes are punishable by up to a YEAR in jail and hefty fines.  Some states make violations misdemeanors, but in others, such as Arizona, you are looking at a FELONY.

 Now, I must confess that I passed on having children, so I am not qualified to comment parent-wise, but surely a FELONY conviction is a bit harsh.  How about a refund instead?  Sure seems like a lot of time wasted by lawmakers who could be spending their time and energy (and our money) on something more important. 

 

For those of you piercing/tattoo professionals in the USA, here’s a great link with detail by state, including laws related to tattoos:  http://www.ncsl.org/programs/health/minorbodyart.htm.

Here we go.

A year ago, I didn’t know too much about tattoos or piercings.  My ears are pierced and my younger got a really bad tattoo back in the 1990s when his band was signed to MCA records, but aside from noticing that a LOT of people now have tattoos and body piercings, and many look like works of art, I didn’t have much personal experience with them.   That all changed 2 years ago when I met Robert and his wife Bella R (more on them in later posts), who are the brains and talent behind some of the most popular body jewelry in the world, including Bioplast and Crystal Evolution. 

I’m the webmistress for the developing online brands.  The first to launch was Crystal Evolution Online, which is a high-end titanium and Swarovski body jewelry, with some of the most unique and cool belly button rings you will find anywhere. 

Robert and Bella would be considered pioneers in the body jewelry world, so in addition to passing on what I have learned in the past 2 years, we’ll also have the benefit of great information from their combined experience.  It doesn’t get much better than that.