Surgical Steel Vs. Titanium Body Jewelry for Sensitive People.

There are several metals commonly used for body jewelry that are considered safe and body-friendly.

While gold is one of the most popular jewelry materials, it’s not really suitable for initial piercings and any gold jewelry used has to be made of nickel-free gold in order to be safe and Hypoallergenic. 14 kt Yellow Gold - is commonly made of the following materials: 58% pure gold, 25% pure silver, and 17% pure copper. Gold can be alloyed with other metals, too. Be aware that white gold commonly contains nickel (added for both color and strength). We do not recommend nor will not pierce with any gold it is too soft of a material.

What about other materials? The most popular piercing jewelries include Surgical Steel and Titanium. Both are available and recommended at Bodytech for initial piercing and for healed piercings.

Surgical Steel as a Body Jewelry Material

Surgical Steel is one of the most popular body jewelry materials. Surgical Steel is a type of stainless steel with specific alloys. Some of these alloys include nickel, which is why generic stainless steel should not be used for jewelry.

In order to produce body-friendly material that can be used for body jewelry and implants, steel has to be treated in specific ways. What is colloquially known as Surgical Steel is a material with specific alloys and properties. There are many different grades of Surgical Steel but only a few are body-friendly and suitable for body jewelry.

The only body-friendly grades are 316L and 316LVM Surgical Steel. These are low-carbon Surgical Steel materials. They do contain alloys, however, the alloys are trapped inside the material through special process so they cannot be released from the metal.

Allergic reactions, when they occur, are rarely due to the Stainless Steel but from other factors (most commonly from mechanical irritation or harsh cleaning products). Some people, however do have allergies to the nickel found in the metal. Polishing the steel to a mirror finish results in a protective layer of chromium oxide that helps keep the nickel content trapped inside.

Titanium is Ideal for Hypersensitive Users

Those with hypersensitivity issues should use Titanium instead of Surgical Steel. Titanium is a preferred material for initial piercings because it’s an elemental metal – it doesn’t contain nickel. Titanium is as strong as steel, but as light as aluminum. It does not corrode, does not tarnish, It does not react to sunlight, salt-water, or any body chemistry, It can also be anodized to produce many vibrant colors and in its pure state, is totally non-allergenic, It is a perfect solution for a sensitive body that are having problems with healing a piercing.

Unfortunately, Titanium is also more expensive material, so the piercing and the jewelry are going to be a bit higher, but you are worth it!