Body Jewelry Materials
Stainless Steel
Of the many stainless steels available, only 316L and 316LVM are
appropriate for use as body jewelry. 316L is a low-carbon variety of
316. 316LVM is 316L that has been vacuum melted; the vacuum prevents
any air or airborne contaminants to attach to the molecules in the
metal, resulting in a more consistent steel. For most people,
however, 316LVM steel is not a necessity to heal and maintain a
healthy piercing.
316L / 316LVM stainless steel is comprised of several metals
including nickel, to which some people are sensitive. However, the
specific composition of 316L / 316LVM allows for very little
exposure to the nickel molecules, thus reducing the risk of
sensitivity.
The jewelry should be polished to a reflective shine (mirror
finish), free from rough edges, tool marks, and wire-drawing lines
and pitting which are present in the surface of the steel when it
arrives from the mill. When polished, true 316L is a white, not
grey, metal. Under-polishing will be most evident along the inside
of the ring where polishing is most difficult.
316L arrives from the steel manufacturer at specified degrees of
hardness. Most jewelry manufacturers use the least-hard (1/4 hard)
steel available for rings. Working the steel and forming the steel
into rings hardens it to some degree. Annealing, a controlled
heating and cooling process performed in a vacuum, yields a more
flexible steel, resistant to metal fatigue. Most piercers and
jewelry manufacturers agree that steel rings should be annealed to
some degree or made from annealed wire because an annealed ring is
easier to safely and quickly manipulate for insertion; pliers are
often unnecessary for manipulating thinner gauge rings. However, the
softer (more annealed) the ring, the easier it is scratched by tools
or simply by daily wear. The trade-off of using non-annealed rings
is that harder rings require tools to manipulate, increasing the
chance of scratching the jewelry during insertion. Very hard rings
cannot be torque open at all; bending can cause the ring to break
or create fractures invisible to the unaided eye which can trap
bacteria.
Gold
1 karat = 1/24th of the alloy is pure gold.
Only solid gold of at least 14 karat (58.3% gold) is appropriate for
body jewelry. Some piercers prefer to use only 18k gold (75% gold)
in fresh piercings.
Gold-filled and gold-plated or jewelry is not appropriate. Gold
plating is very thin and can wear away quickly with the friction to
which body jewelry is exposed. Bending the jewelry after it is
plated will cause the plating to fracture and chip. (All of
Tribalectic's gold body jewelry is SOLID gold)
Some people are sensitive to the metals present in karat gold,
namely nickel, silver, zinc and copper. White gold often causes more
adverse reactions than yellow gold because a high amount of nickel
is used to yield the white color. Many body jewelry manufacturers
now use nickel-free gold alloys. White gold alloyed with palladium,
an inert metal of the platinum group, instead of nickel is less
likely to cause a metal sensitivity. Some people who cannot wear steel
alloys can wear 18k white gold palladium alloys.
Green or pink gold should not be worn because of the higher
concentration of copper and zinc used to produce the color.
Some people's perspiration is acidic enough to corrode the non-gold
alloys in karat gold, evident by blackening of the jewelry and
discoloration of the surrounding skin. Over a long period of time
gold jewelry exposed to urine may acquire a rough, dull surface. The
acids found in urine leach into the surface and dries to form a hard
crust. Buffing or polishing the jewelry will remove this build-up.
Daily cleaning of the jewelry will prevent this build-up.
Gold jewelry will often become discolored when exposed to povidone
iodine. Gold jewelry may become discolored when steam autoclaved;
the indicators on sterilization packaging and tape appear to cause
discoloration. Discolored jewelry can easily be repolished with a
soft buffing cloth.
Jewelry that has undergone surface depletion, or pickling, will be
less likely to discolor. Pickling is a process of heating the
jewelry or submersing it in a weak acid which removes oxidation of
non-gold alloys fromthe surface of the metal.
Titanium
Titanium is an extremely lightweight, elemental metal. The specific
alloy used for body jewelry is 6AL4V ELI (6 parts aluminum and 4
parts vanadium with the remainder being Titanium), specifically 136
grade with extra low interstitial elements.
Titanium is the most bio-compatible of all metals due to its total
resistance to attack by body fluids. Titanium is often used in
permanent surgical implants where the tissue is encouraged to
assimilate the implant; the pores in the metal allow for the tissue
to attach. When titanium is used for body jewelry it should be
highly polished to minimize porosity.
When exposed to air or water, titanium immediately reacts with
oxygen to create a thin, inert oxide layer. While the titanium alloy
contains aluminum and vanadium, the oxide layer does not contain any
traces of either element.
Titanium jewelry is available in a range of colors which are
produced through anodizing, not dyeing. During anodizing, the
jewelry is submerged in an electrolyte solution and voltage is
applied. Anodizing creates an oxide layer on the jewelry. The color
results from refraction of light through the oxide layer, and the
thickness of the layer determines the resulting color. The voltage
applied during anodizing determines the thickness of the oxide. The
anodized oxide eventually wears away, causing the color to fade or
change; how long the process will take depends on the thickness of
the oxide layer and the amount of friction and wear on the jewelry.
Unanodized titanium is light to medium grey in color.
Glass / Pyrex
Glass jewelry is available under popular trademarks such as Pyrex
and Kimax or can also be referred to as borosilicate glass. There
are many other types of glass, but these are the only types suitable
for body jewelry. They are tempered, medical-grade, non-porous
and lead-free. Some suppliers also make jewelry under the names of
Millicane or Dichroic glass – these terms refer to the colors inside
the glass. These colors are created sometimes with metal alloys and
other non-safe materials, so body jewelry made with these materials
should be encased in a layer of Pyrex or Kimax glass to prevent
exposure to unsafe elements.
Glass jewelry, although non-toxic and basically bio-compatible,
should not be used for a fresh piercing or during stretching, but
only on well-healed piercings. Also, keep in mind that glass is
heavy, so the larger the piece of jewelry, the more strain it will
cause on your piercing. Very large plugs or talons can cause
involuntary stretching and then create healing problems.
Niobium
Niobium is an elemental metal and is strong yet flexible and is
slightly heavier than 316L stainless steel. Niobium is chemically
non-reactive. Few people are sensitive to niobium. Niobium
jewelry is available in a range of colors which are produced through
anodizing, not dyeing. During anodizing, the jewelry is submerged in
an electrolyte solution and voltage is applied. Anodizing creates an
oxide layer on the jewelry. The color results from refraction of
light through the oxide layer, and the thickness of the layer
determines the resulting color. The voltage applied during anodizing
determines the thickness of the oxide. The anodized oxide eventually
wears away, causing the color to fade or change; how long the
process will take depends on the thickness of the oxide layer and
the amount of friction and wear on the jewelry.
Black niobium is achieved by heating the niobium until it is red-hot
and cooling it. After blackening, the jewelry can be polished. Black
niobium will not fade.
Niobium jewelry is available in matte ("satin") or high-polish
("mirror") finishes. Niobium is very porous making it difficult to
achieve a high polish. Poorly polished niobium can retain polishing
compound residue which is often toxic. Matte finish niobium should
not be used for new or healing piercings because the pores can trap
bacteria and the rough surface will to adhere to the interior of the
piercing, causing it to tear when the jewelry is moved.
Acrylic / Plastic
Plastics come in many forms and under many different names –
Acrylic, Nylon, Teflon (PTFE), Silicone, Polymer, Lucite, Resin,
Polyamide and Polyester. Acrylic is probably the most
well-known plastic, and there is a lot of acrylic body jewelry or
accessories available. It’s inexpensive, versatile, lightweight and
comes in a variety of colors. The problem with acrylic is that it’s
not autoclavable, which is the only truly safe way to sterilize body
jewelry of any kind. It also degrades if it comes in contact with
alcohol, so keeping a piece of acrylic jewelry clean is a challenge.
It also shatters under pressure, so things like biting down on your
tongue barbell can be a real problem if you’ve got an acrylic ball
on the end. Acrylic jewelry can suffocate a piercing that needs to
breathe, and the end result can be redness, soreness, seeping and a
bad odor. Although widely available, acrylic really is not
recommended for piercings. If you must wear it, it should only be
worn short-term and only in a well-healed piercing.
A couple of things that should be noted:
The FDA has approved some grades of acrylic, but that doesn’t
necessarily mean they are 100% safe for long-term use or are
completely innocuous. Use common sense when dealing with any new
piece of body jewelry – if it starts giving you problems, take it
out.
Glow-in-the-dark acrylic is a plastic that has a naturally occurring
glow that is caused by carcinogens. This type of acrylic is not
deemed safe for any kind of body jewelry. However, UV-reflective and
blacklight-reactive acrylic jewelry is considered safe as they do
not contain any harmful chemicals.
Lucite, Polymer, Monofilament Polyamide and Resin are all similar
materials to acrylic and carry the same risks. A lot of retainer
jewelry is created with these products, which are generally for
short-term wear anyway.
Silver / Sterling Silver
Sterling silver is 92.5% silver alloyed with copper or some other
metal. Sterling silver jewelry is usually marked "925."
While silver and sterling silver jewelry can often be safely worn in
healed piercings, neither should be worn in a new or unhealed
piercing or in a piercing that is located in a moist area of the
body such as the mouth or genitals.
Silver tarnishes quickly. When worn in a new piercing, the tarnish
can be deposited into the skin causing it to darken or turn grey,
often permanently.
Silver is very soft and is easily scratched. Scratches in the
jewelry surface can easily irritate even a healed piercing and trap
bacteria, encouraging infection.
Wood
Body jewelry made of wood has great versatility. It is lightweight,
so even a largely stretched piercing can be accommodated without
discomfort.
Wood comes in a variety of colors and hardness, depending on the
source, which can be anything from the reedy bamboo to the
rock-solid ebony.
There are, however, some cautions that should be taken regarding
body jewelry made of wood. Although most raw woods are relatively
safe, there are some that could be considered toxic when brought
into contact with the skin, especially for a duration. Also, dyes
and other chemicals are sometimes added to wood to enhance their
natural beauty, but these can cause irritation of the skin known as
“contact dermatitis”. The severity of the reaction to these toxins
vary from person to person, but the best thing you can do is avoid
them altogether. At Tribalectic we make sure that your organic body
jewelry is safe to wear.
Wood is also not recommended for long-term wear, cannot be autoclave
sterilized, and is not recommended for new or unhealed piercings.
Don’t allow wood jewelry to get saturated or over-heated (remove
jewelry before swimming, bathing, or entering a sauna), but it can
be safely cleaned with mild liquid anti-bacterial soap and a small
amount of water, providing that it is dried immediately. Then it can
be lightly treated once a week with jojoba or olive oil to prevent
cracking. Tea tree oil can also be used for cleaning and to add
sheen.
Bone / Horn
Although they consist of different substances, bone and horn body
jewelry can be treated essentially the same. They are semi-hard,
porous, and can be carved into different shapes for a variety of
body jewelry uses. Most bone jewelry will come from cow bones, and
most horn jewelry comes from buffalo, although there are always
exceptions to every rule and you need to be sure what you are
purchasing.
Bone and horn are relatively lightweight, come in natural shades of
white to black, and can be carved into different shapes. Bone and
horn are fragile and can shard when broken, so care should be taken
not to allow them to be exposed to extreme pressure. They are not
autoclavable, but can be carefully washed with mild antibacterial
soap and a small amount of water and then treated once a month with
jojoba, coconut or olive oil. They are not recommended for new or
unhealed piercings, should not be worn long-term or during swimming,
bathing or sleeping.
Rubber & Silicone
Rubber and silicone are very similar products in that they are
basically a plastic that is pliable and stretchable. They are
acceptable for accessories, but not highly recommended for
piercings, especially unhealed ones. There are now flesh tunnels
available in silicone and while the material is bio-compatible, it
comes with another set of risks. One is that silicone has the
ability to auto-stretch, which can potentially cause tearing or
over-stretching of the hole. Another is that because of the
pliability of the material, it tends to cause a seal against the
skin and could allow a build-up of seepage which could eventually
lead to severe infection. If you use any of these products, it’s
imperative that you keep the area clean and dry at all times.
Rock/Stone
Rock or semi-precious stone is also used to create beautiful body
jewelry. It’s heavy, and usually won’t come in very large sizes. The
weight can also cause the jewelry to fall out unexpectedly.
It’s more durable than other organic materials, but can still break
if dropped or treated roughly. Despite it’s smooth surface and solid
texture, stone still cannot be autoclave sterilized and needs to be
cleaned with mild antibacterial soap and water.
Stone jewelry is not recommended for new or unhealed piercings and
should only be worn for short periods of time.
Platinum
Platinum and metals in the platinum group such as palladium are
completely inert, making them excellent choices for body jewelry.
However, platinum is economically impractical for most manufacturers
and consumers. Platinum is also very heavy which makes platinum
jewelry inappropriate for some piercings.
CHECK OUT:
Body Modification
Genital Piercing Risks
Body Piercing-Healing Phase