piercings and jewellery

will real gold stop the risk of infection and if so is 9ct enough?
i don't want a reaction from using cheap silver or anything

Reply 1

Chi3f

9ct gold is still cheap gold...

Reply 2

lovelee-jublee

Got this off www.bmezine.com ...

Gold
1ct = 1/24th of the alloy is pure gold

Only solid gold of at least 14ct (58.3% gold) is appropriate for body jewellery. Some piercers prefer to use only 18ct gold (75% gold) in fresh piercings.

Gold-filled and gold-plated or jewellery is not appropriate. Gold plating is very thin and can wear away quickly with the friction to which body jewelry is exposed. Bending the jewellery after it is plated will cause the plating to fracture and chip.

Have you actually been pierced or are you looking into which metal to be pierced with? Because the majority of piercers use a metal like titanium because it is light and the body is less likely to reject it (see BME FAQ section).

Your piercing will become infected if you don't look after it properly, no matter what metal you are pierced with. When you get pierced the piercer will give you instucts on how to clean your piercing...if you do not clean it thoroughly it will become infected.

Reply 3

rosetinted

If you're determined to use gold then 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 plated jewelry is definitely not a good idea, gold plating is very thin and can wear away quickly with the friction to which body jewelry is exposed. Generally gold is not a recommended material for body piercing jewelry as many people are sensitive to the metals present in karat gold, namely nickel, silver, zinc and copper.

Your best options are:

Surgical grade stainless steel. If you are nickel sensitive then stainless steel still has some nickel content but the specific composition of surgical grade steel allows for very little exposure to the nickel molecules, thus reducing the risk of sensitivity. If you go to a licensed piercing studio the most common jewelry used for piercing will be made from steel.

Titanium. Titanium is the most compatible metal with the human body. It is totally resistance to attack by body fluids and as long as your jewelry contains no imperfections this would probably provide the most compatible jewelry to be pierced with. It comes in a range of colours, created by anodizing the metal, which is safe for fresh piercings. The only color your should not go for is black as it is coated in titanium carbide which can react badly with your body.

The jewelry itself must be be polished to a reflective shine (mirror finish),
free from rough edges, tool marks, and wire-drawing lines and any scratches or dents. These will allow bacteria to get trapped in your piercing and may lead to infection. You should always go to a licensed piercing studio to get pierced with a piercing needle. Piercing guns put your ear through a lot of trauma and the butterfly backs on jewelry don't allow for the natural swelling which is part of the healing process. The jewelry you will be offered is a straight barbell, curved barbell or hoop with a little ball (captive ball ring or CBR). The most appropriate jewelry depends on the piercing..what are you having pierced?

One last point is to make sure that your piercing studio puts all their jewelry and needles through an autoclave (pressured steam heater) which sterilised everything before use. Your equipment will be ripped out of a sealed bag before use (an autoclave bag). Check with the studio they use one, if they are licensed for piercings they should do. Always follow the piercing aftercare instructions as they will help prevent infection.

Only get your ears pierced at a license piercing studio (often found sharing premises with a tattoo shop). Ask to see their licensing certificates. Do not get pierced with a piercing gun, it is less sanitary. Oh and check out www.bmezine.com for all your piercing needs. There is a section where you can ask questions to professional piercers so if you cannot find your specific information then ask. I thoroughly recommend doing all your research at this site. It also has great aftercare instructions.

Reply 4

Juno

Unfortunately rosetinted there is no such thing as licensed for body piercings. It's up to individual councils to decide what they're gonna do, and most just leave it at hygeine certificates which means they're clean but don't necessarily know what they're doing.

Reply 5

Tarts_n_Vicars

The metal doesn't cause an infection - it causes a reaction if you're allergic to it. So long as you keep the piercing clean it should not become infected.

Is it ears or somewhere else?

Reply 6

rosetinted

I forget how backwards the UK is on some things! I'm living in Canada currently and my province has licensing laws on piercing and tattooing.

In that case then use bmezine and put in some good time on researching studios. I know a bunch of studios that have been recommended time and time again, up and down the UK. Cold Steel in Camden is a particular favorite. That way you can find somewhere with this hygeine certificate..and who know what they are doing..