It’s very important to know what piercing material work best for your piercing. Using the wrong piercing material can lead to irritation, trouble healing and even infections! Keep reading for more information on the piercing material that will work best for you!
What to Consider When Choosing a Piercing Material?
Do you have any sensitivities?
Do you have any allergies to particular metals or alloys?
Is your piercing fully healed?
Is your current piercing irritated?
Are you looking to wear the piercing long term?
What Piercing Materials Do You Carry?
Currently, we offer a wide variety of body piercings in Implant Grade 23 Titanium, 316L Surgical Steel, 925 Sterling Silver, 14KT Gold and we also have a limited selection of Acrylic/Bioplastic piercings. Keep reading for more in depth information about each piercing material!
Implant Grade Titanium
If you are looking for a hypoallergenic option that is great for sensitive skin and healing, we recommend our Implant Grade Titanium selection! It benefits include: being lightweight (nearly 50% lighter than 316L Surgical Steel), nickel free, non-tarnish, impervious to scratching, durable and long lasting. Titanium jewelry is often a little more expensive than other piercing materials as it’s the highest quality metal you can use for your piercing!
316L Surgical Steel
We carry a variety of materials, but our most common and one of the most widely known is 316L Surgical Steel. We carry 316L Surgical Steel which is usually the piercing material you are originally be pierced with. Although many piercers are moving towards piercing with Implant Grade Titanium!
The benefits of using 316L Surgical Steel include that it contains very little nickel making it easily worn by everyone, even those with sensitive skin. Non plated 316L Surgical Steel will not rust or tarnish over time, it is very durable and long lasting!
925 Sterling Silver
925 Sterling Silver is a customer favourite. It has a bright shine distinguishing itself from 316L Surgical Steel and Implant Grade Titanium which tend to have more of a dull gunmetal colouring. It benefits include being: lightweight, easily bendable and bright in colour!
Keep in mind that 925 Sterling Silver is meant for healed piercings only - we don’t recommend wearing 925 Sterling Silver if you have sensitivities to nickel or copper! Also note that 925 Sterling Silver can tarnish over time. Be sure to clean your 925 Sterling Silver with Sterling Silver polish, a polishing cloth or even toothpaste and warm water to return to it’s original shine!
14KT Gold
14KT Gold is another customer favourite. We carry 14KT Gold in white and yellow gold. The higher the grade of gold, the softer it gets which is why higher grades of gold are not recommended for body piercings.
14KT Gold is a soft material and it is only recommended for healed piercings. It is bright in colour and doesn’t fade like plated jewelry and it is very lightweight. It can dull down over time from being worn in the body, and it can be lightly buffed back to its original shine!
Acrylic & Bioplastic
Acrylic and bioplastic body jewelry is commonly used in plugs, tunnels and tongue rings. Acrylic and bioplastic are safe to be worn in your piercings. They are lightweight and contain no alloys. They are only recommended for healed piercings. Overall, they are super comfortable to wear! They are great for customers who are unable to wear metal piercings and are safe for wear during an MRI!
Plating
One important factor to consider when choosing a piercing material is whether the item is plated. Plating is essentially a coloured coating on the piercing to make it appear a different colour. For example, if an item is Titanium gold plated (pictured below), it is coloured coated to look gold. This does NOT mean that the item is pure gold, it simply appears gold in colour. Plated items may fade over time and plating can tarnish. Any information above pertains to body piercings that are not plated.
