Body jewelry materials
Modern Western body piercing professionals use a wide variety of body jewelry materials. These include some manufactured glass materials as well as nickel-free metals and alloys such as titanium, gold, and niobium, which are versatile and can be used in both fresh and healed piercings. Others, like wood, bone, and silicone, are recommended only for fully healed piercings.
Recommended jewelry materials for initial piercings
Based in the United States, the Association of Professional Piercers is an international nonprofit organization that has developed safety standards for body jewelry based on research and historical experience. The APP states that jewelry in initial piercings should be:- able to withstand the heat and pressure of autoclave sterilization
- inert and compatible with the body so it doesn't cause irritation, allergy, or infection
Metals and metal alloys
- Surgical stainless steels compliant with ASTM F138 or ISO 5832-1 standards
- Surgical stainless steels compliant with ISO 10993-6, 10993–10, and/or 10993-11 standards
- Steel alloys confirmed as EEC Nickel Directive compliant
- Titanium that is implant-certified and compliant with ASTM F136 or ISO 5832-3 standards
- Titanium that is implant-certified and compliant with ASTM F1295 standards
- Titanium that is considered "commercially pure" and ASTM F67 compliant
Non-metallic materials
The APP mentions several types of glass that are safe for use in initial piercings: fused quartz, lead-free borosilicate, or lead-free soda-lime glass. The organization also designates several types of biocompatible polymers for use in new piercings:- Tygon Medical Surgical Tubing S-50HL or S-54HL
- Polytetrafluoroethylene
- Bioplast
Metals
Steel
includes grades of stainless steel used in biomedical applications. The most common varieties classified as "surgical steel" are austenitic 316 stainless and martensitic 440 and 420 stainless steels. There is no formal definition of what constitutes a "surgical stainless steel", so product manufacturers and distributors apply the term to refer to any grade of corrosion-resistant steel.Currently, the Association of Professional Piercers only recommends steel certified to meet ASTM or ISO standards applicable to surgical implant applications for initial piercing jewelry. The organization notes that "Many of them are used for body jewelry, but only a few specific grades are proven biocompatible." These include steel grades compliant with ASTM F138, ISO 5832-1, ISO 10993-6, 10993–10, t 10993-11 standards. Steel body jewelry may be sterilized in an autoclave.
SAE 316 stainless steel
, also referred to as marine grade stainless steel, is a chromium, nickel, and molybdenum steel alloy noted for its strength and corrosion resistance. SAE 316 stainless steel used in body jewelry can include 316L and 316LVM grades.Labeled as UNS S31603 under the Unified Numbering System, 316L stainless steel incorporates 16-18% chromium, 10-14% nickel, and 2-3% molybdenum, with an upper limit of 0.3% carbon. The "L" in this and the 316LVM grade number indicates a low-carbon variety, usually containing 0.3% carbon or less.
Designated as UNS S31673, 316LVM typically contains 17-19% chromium, 13-15% nickel, and 2.25–3% molybdenum with a maximum carbon value of 0.03%. The "VM" in 316LVM stainless steel stands for "vacuum melting," a vacuum induction melting process that prevents contamination from the air and removes existing gasses already dissolved in the metal.
ASTM F138-compliant steel, including UNS S31673, is used to manufacture body piercing jewelry and surgical implants. However, 316L stainless steel can demonstrate lower corrosion resistance compared to 317LMN stainless steel. Moreover, 316LVM stainless steel exhibits lower corrosion resistance compared with "other metallic biomaterials."
SAE 440 and 420 stainless steel
Both in the 400 series of SAE steel grades, 440 and 420 stainless steel varieties, known also by the name "cutlery stainless steel," are high-carbon steels alloyed with chromium. As martensitic stainless steel grades, their corrosion resistance is inferior to 316 stainless steel materials. SAE 420 and 440 stainless steel grades typically contain little to no nickel, but their compositions generally include carbon, chromium, silicon, manganese, phosphorus, and sulfur. Some SAE 440 steel samples may contain trace amounts of nickel.Considerations with stainless steel jewelry
Various grades of stainless steel, including 316L, 316LVM, and ASTM F138 compliant varieties, contain some percentage of nickel. Individuals with a nickel allergy may still experience allergic reactions to steel jewelry, depending on their sensitivity and jewelry's nickel content. As a form of contact dermatitis, nickel allergies can manifest after a person's skin comes in contact with items containing nickel. Nickel allergy symptoms can include a painful, itchy rash on the skin as well as redness, hives, dryness, discoloration, blisters, and draining fluid. Additionally, skin may become excoriated or broken, especially if the person scratches affected areas.One disadvantage of steel is its weight. For larger pieces of jewelry, this can be a problem as it can cause tension in the body tissue, and also unwanted stretching or tearing of a piercing. In areas with low blood circulation, such as the earlobe, this can be potentially dangerous.
Another downside is its tendency to become very cold during winter. This can cause problems; due to this, many change their jewelry to others made of horn, bone, wood, plastics, and glass during winter.
Titanium
Titanium body jewelry is often manufactured in either commercially pure grades 1 to 4, grade 5 Ti-6Al-4V alloy, or grade 23 Ti-6Al-4V ELI alloy.The Association of Professional Piercers recommends titanium jewelry certified to meet ASTM or ISO standards for surgical implant applications. This includes implant certified titanium that complies with ASTM F136, ASTM F1295, or ISO 5832-3 standards, as well as commercially pure titanium that is ASTM F67 compliant.
Pure and alloyed qualities have long been used for both piercings and surgical implants, and very few long-term allergies and other complications have been reported, though as with any material they could arise after prolonged contact with the human body. Ti-6Al-4V ELI alloy contains aluminum and vanadium.
When the EU Nickel Directive came into force, high nickel-bearing alloys were restricted from use in primary piercings. Because of its virtually 'Nickel Free' content, titanium has become one of the preferred materials used in piercing jewelry within the borders of the EU.
Titanium jewelry is lightweight, it is highly corrosion resistant and less likely to react with body fluids, is not magnetic, it can be anodized to create a layer of colored oxide on the surface. Common colors are yellow, blue, purple, green, and rainbow.
Titanium can be sterilized in an autoclave.
Niobium
is a silvery metal that is corrosion-resistant due to an oxide layer present on its surface. Pyrochlore is a leading source of niobium materials, including niobium metal from which jewelry is crafted. Pure niobium is inert and does not react to body fluids or the oxidization agent aqua regia. Because it oxidizes in Earth's atmosphere very slowly, it is used as a Hypoallergenic alternative to nickel in jewelry. Due to its biocompatibility, corrosion resistance, and mechanical properties, it is selected as an alloying metal for titanium medical implants.Niobium can be anodized in a wide range of colors, including black, and meets the APP's guidelines for use in initial and healed piercings due its ability to be safely sterilized in an autoclave and "compatible with the body so it doesn't cause irritation, allergy, or infection".
Bronze
is often used in larger piercings in the form of earweights and ethnic jewelry from Indonesia and other places of the world.Bronze is an alloy of different metals but the most common blend is 90% copper and 10% tin.
When buying bronze jewelry, buyers should make sure to buy from a reputable seller as some bronzes can contain arsenic which can "bleed" into your body. Bronze can also discolor the skin with a greenish color which can be removed, but if it gets into open wounds it can permanently discolor the tissue.
Silver
Jewelry made out of silver, a noble metal, has been common for centuries in all forms of jewelry. It has a certain luster and can also be treated to make certain areas black which gives a nice contrast.Gold
is a noble metal with a long tradition for use in jewelry.When using gold for piercings, a lower purity than 14 or 18 carat is not recommended.
Gold is about as soft as lead and is easily scratched. These scratches can irritate the body, especially in new piercings. Tongue jewelry made from gold is not recommended as chewing on the beads is common. To avoid the irritation of damaged jewelry from such scratches and flaws, gold colored titanium jewelry is a safer substitute.
Piercing jewelry is often made of a gold alloy, the most common being 18k, with 24k being entirely pure and much softer. 18k gold usually contains 75% gold and the remaining 25% copper, silver and traces of other metals. In lower quality gold, zinc, nickel and other irritants can also be found.
As said, gold jewelry should only be used in healing piercings if it is nickel free or palladium based. Allergy to gold is uncommon but it does exist, and then mostly from white gold. In some extreme cases, the copper in the jewelry can tarnish and cause greenish discoloring of the tissue.
Gold can become discolored from autoclaving. It could be several things, reaction to the chemical indicators, residues left from polishing or cleaning products, or corrosion of elements in the gold itself.
Experienced body piercing studios clean the jewelry with a jewelry steamer, and then an ultrasonic process with warm alkaline detergent, followed by a distilled or deionized water rinse, then an alcohol rinse to help remove residues. Use Class 5 or 6 integrating indicators instead of class 1 or 2 chemical process indicators for monitoring autoclave sterilization with gold.