Is stainless steel or sterling silver better for piercings? or is sterling silver ok for newly pierced ears?This is a great question because getting a new piercing is a sensitive affair.
While people have various thresholds of pain, not everyone is the same. However, one thing that ought to happen to everyone is that the healing process goes smoothly.
The last thing you want is having an infection because the pierced flesh did not heal well.
Here we’re going to look at what metal is best, stainless steel or sterling silver when it comes to piercings. Additionally, we’ll look at other metals you can use and those you should steer clear of.
Stainless steel
There are various types of stainless steel but when you’re getting a piercing, insist on surgical stainless steel.
As the name implies, that is the kind of metal used when undertaking surgical procedures. You want to get the same type of metal for your body.
The reason for that is that it is not an irritant to the skin in general, specifically to exposed flesh.
The most common type of stainless steel is 316L when it comes to jewelry. L here refers to low carbon. The other type available is 316LVM. It is similar to the former, but it has a smoother finish.
Here, the VM means that the metal gets produces in a vacuum. The reason for getting these two types of metal is that they are durable and do not react with body fluids, which causes an infection in the first place.
The other reason to tend toward surgical stainless steel is that it doesn’t contain any nickel which is by far the most common irritant when it comes to jewelry. It is especially so for people who tend to be sensitive to metals.
Where nose rings are concerned, the ideal metal to go for is surgical stainless steel because it is hypoallergenic. Additionally, it is affordable and safe to have on when the piercing is healing.
Sterling Silver
One metal you ought not to use when getting a piercing is sterling silver. There are plenty of reasons why you should steer clear of it. One of the reasons is that it contains other allow metals that are likely to interfere with the healing process.
That means they are going to react with body fluids, leading to infection.
Alone, silver tends to tarnish even when it comes into contact with sweat and other natural fluids. Should you end up using sterling silver, even if you do heal, you’ll have a stain from the reaction caused. Here I write a post on 5 metals that good for sensitive ears. You guys can click the link to read.
That is because of the silver oxidizes and thus turning the metal dark grey or black. The reason for that is sterling silver is made of 92.5 percent silver, and the remaining percentage is made of other metals, typically copper. Copper is what reacts with the skin. Also, a scratch in the metal is going to harbor bacteria.
One thing to note is that when your piercing is healed, sterling silver is a hypoallergenic meaning that there won’t be a reaction in the whole created. That is, however, not the story with a fresh piercing as stated.
Therefore, the best time to purchase sterling silver is after your piercing heals completely. You don’t want the metal to react with an open wound.
Other unsuitable materials for piercings(You should Avoid)
Let’s look at other materials that you should not use when getting a piercing.
1.None metals
There is plastic, nylon, wood, bone, and other materials that have the capacity to absorb body fluids should not be used.
They are also a breeding ground for infection because they are also hard to clean. These types of materials are also uncomfortable because they tend to be sticky because they are absorbent.
In general, these types of material tend to react with open wounds, and they’ll do the same with the spot where you’ve gotten our piercing.
2.Plated metals
The other metals not to use are plated metals. The reason is that any plated material ends up wearing off.
What happens when they are in constant contact with other elements, as they would be when you’re in the healing process.
So what ends up happening is that you get an irritation as a result of the reaction with the metal that is underneath. Often times it is metals like copper, nickel or zinc.
3.Pure gold
The most common karat gold in the market is the 14k and 18k gold.
In general, it appears that most people don’t have a problem with this quality of gold when getting a piercing.
The problem comes in when it is either low karat or high karat gold.
First, 24K gold is very soft and in general, is not the best of jewelry, let alone piercings.
On the other hand, low karat gold has cheaper metals combined that could include nickel, copper, palladium, and the like, all of which are allergens.
4.Alloys containing nickel and lead
Alone, metal alloys that contain nickel tend to be an allergen and are banned in various countries worldwide.
That said, by itself, you can expect there to be multiple concerns with the healing of the new piercing.
The other problematic metal is lead, which is commonly known to lead to poisoning. That is due to the fact that lead is a neurotoxin, which is bad, especially for children and the elderly.
Conclusion
ConclusionWhen you have to get a new piercing, there is plenty of metals that you can’t use. Others include metals that mix with body fluids because they cause infection and poisoning as well.
The other metals that you can indeed use are titanium, niobium, and Tygon. Also, if you have a piece of jewelry that is already irritating you before the piercing, then you’re better off not using it when getting a fresh one done.
I hope you guys come back for more fashion and fashion jewelry posts or for more jewelry metals topics. Stay Cool and see you guys in the next post.
Tiger is a fashion&jewelry lover. He is also a fashion jewelry manufacturer that help thousands of small business to grow and also do business with some big fashion jewelry brands. He is a truly metal expert and he will share some information you are looking for.