Body Jewellery - Which Metals are Safe?

Looking individual or unique is the reason many people choose to have body piercings. This is why there are so many different body piercing accessories available. But with body piercings it makes sense to choose the best quality. Think about it, the material used in your jewellery piercings will be sitting inside your skin. It is therefore easy to understand why you should use the best materials. Choosing good quality handmade body jewellery is easy if you understand the materials used.Solid gold is a safe option. Plated gold can deteriorate and the cheap material underneath will be exposed to your bloodstream, and it may contain harmful irons. Likewise, 9ct yellow gold is less than 40% gold, and the rest are alloys which may contain metallic ions which could be released into the bloodstream. 14ct and 18ct yellow gold however, can create healthy body piercing accessories such as nose studs, providing that they are nickel free.Platinum may cost the most, but it is by far the best metal for body piercing accessories. It is hardwearing and doesn’t oxidise, tarnish or discolour, and is not affected by bodily fluids. It is also hypoallergenic and stays its brilliant white colour and won’t blacken in piercings. This is why platinum makes the ideal handmade body jewellery material for any type of piercing, be it nose, ear, eyebrow, belly button or elsewhere. Silver is considered by many as a safe material for body piercing accessories. It is not. Pure silver contains harmful alloys like nickel and is very heat conductive, so not suitable to being exposed to the sun or sun-beds. White gold of 14ct is a compound of gold with other metals. As long as it has no nickel or plating, white gold is ok for use in handmade body jewellery.Jewellery is often labelled “nickel-free”. It reacts easily with the amino-acids inside the body, and the immune system will fight it. This is the reason for many people’s nickel “allergy”. Stainless steel is considered to have too high levels of nickel to be safe for body jewellery.Therefore, it is best to keep your body piercings healthy with good quality handmade body jewellery. Choose body piercing accessories made with solid gold, 14ct or 18ct yellow gold, platinum or 14ct white gold, and ensure that they contain no nickel.