Piercing: Titanium or stainless steel? What to choose?

Surgical steel

First of all, what is surgical steel (or stainless steel)?

Surgical steel is a general term used to describe a type of stainless steel used in various medical applications, including making jewelry for your body piercings.

In other words, when you are told "with stainless steel there is no risk of infection and it is good for healing" do not pay attention to this kind of marketing arguments . The term stainless steel can just as well designate a "304" steel or any low-end steel, which is considered stainless but perfectly unsuitable for the human body.

As for the term "surgical steel", it is a term that is generally used by marketing and sales departments to talk about stainless steel. In other words, technically, this term only exists in marketing language. It is unfortunately often used to talk about any polished metal that comes along.

Without going into too much technical detail, there are many so-called "stainless" steels and they are all made from an alloy of several metals.
In our case, it is obvious that the quality we are looking for for our piercings that you will put on your beautiful body is the one that meets all the hygiene standards for an implantable material: namely, 316 LVM steel. Nobody wants to end up on the beach with a red and swollen navel.

List of quality stainless steels , starting with the most suitable for a piercing:

1. 316 LVM steel (ASTM F-138): It is used in the medical field, particularly for implants and piercings. A refined steel, 99% free of impurities. This is the improved version of 316 L, designed specifically for implants and piercings. It meets the American standard, ASTM F-138 , dedicated specifically to medical implants.
2. 316 L steel : It is now used in culinary tools, among other things, or for certain medical tools. It is very resistant to corrosion and offers very good strength. This steel remains of very good quality, it is not recommended for piercing, in the sense that the technical specifications no longer meet current requirements, but remains your best alternative to lower quality alloys.
3. All other steels : We can only recommend that you stay as far away as possible from all steels whose origin or standard you do not know. The biggest risk is to come across a batch containing nickel or other alloys that are strongly discouraged (or even very dangerous) for your health. The risk can be tempting when you think you will see the same jewel at €2 or €3 instead of €20, but the health complications that you may encounter later will clearly make you regret your decision.

It's about your health! Don't look for small savings, look for quality!

The advantages of stainless steel (also known as surgical steel)

Stainless steel, or surgical steel, has several advantages as a material for piercing jewelry:

• Corrosion Resistance: Surgical steel is corrosion resistant, making it safe for use in piercings. It is especially resistant to corrosion when in contact with bodily fluids, such as sweat or saliva.
• Hypoallergenic: Surgical steel generally contains less nickel than other types of steel, reducing the risk of allergies and skin irritation.
• Economical: Surgical steel jewelry is generally less expensive than titanium jewelry, making it accessible to more people. So you can easily plan on having a few replacement pieces without spending all your money.

Disadvantages of (surgical) stainless steel

Despite its advantages, (surgical) stainless steel also has some disadvantages:

• Allergic reactions: Although surgical steel is hypoallergenic, some people may still be sensitive to the few impurities it contains. In these cases, titanium may be a better option.
• Varying quality: The quality of surgical steel can vary greatly from manufacturer to manufacturer, meaning that some stainless steel jewelry is much better quality than others. If you're lucky, you'll get the right batch, if not, you'll end up with a defective/unsafe batch, leading to all the complications we know about (irritation, plaque, redness, prolonged healing, etc.)

Titanium

What is titanium?

Titanium is a lightweight metal, yet incredibly strong and corrosion resistant. It is one of the most comfortable materials available for piercing jewelry for everyday wear.

It is often used to create alloys with other metals, such as iron and aluminum, for applications in aerospace, medicine, and other industries. It is one of the best metals for the medical field due to its properties; it is stronger and lighter than steel, contains fewer impurities, and is one of, if not the, best material in terms of biocompatibility.

For a titanium piercing to be considered implantable, it must meet ASTM F-136.

Here is the list of different qualities for titanium in the field of piercing, starting with the best:

1. ASTM F-136 : Titanium that meets this standard, specific to medical implants, is the only one that meets all the health criteria to be implanted. It is one of the best qualities currently on the market for the composition of a piercing. It is the new, purer, more worked version of G23 titanium but also more expensive, by force of circumstances.
   
2. G-23 : G-23 grade titanium has been used for piercings for a very long time. It was not a very refined version of titanium but this quality was already much higher than what was on the market, especially with poor quality stainless steels. It is used today for mechanical tools because its properties are highly sought after.
   As with 316 L steel , G-23 titanium is not recommended as implant jewelry since all safety standards are not (anymore) fully respected (in particular concerning the acceptable impurity limit). However, it remains, by far, a much better alternative to a "steel" jewelry purchased on the market, between 2 sausages and 1 melon.
3. Other titanium or unspecified standard : For piercing, avoid wearing a material whose origin or ISO standard that was respected during the manufacture of the jewel is unknown. In any case, this is what we recommend, do not trust blindly. Among the many professionals who exist in the field, and who have your health at the heart of their concerns, there are unfortunately, as everywhere, unscrupulous (or simply incompetent) sellers.

Please note: Titanium that meets the ASTM F-136 standard is G-23 type titanium BUT in its more refined version, free of impurities, and therefore implantable.