Surgical Steel Body Jewellery
Until recently, surgical steel was the preferred material for body jewellery and is still the most common kind to be found in many stores and locations. This is still the case in many parts of the US but the EU laws have stated that all new piercings must only be pierced with materials that have a very low nickel content. Surgical steel and stainless steel, whilst having low nickel contents overall, no longer meet these credentials and are thus no longer used in piercings that are still healing.
That said, surgical steel body jewellery is still incredibly popular for piercings and body modification enthusiasts. This material creates a particularly effective sheen when polished, meaning that stainless steel piercings are eye-catching and attractive with their metallic shine. Many prefer steel body piercings tom titanium for this precise reason but surgical steel is heavy and reacts to hot and cold temperatures, which can cause stress for those wearing piercings in sensitive areas during particularly cold or hot days.
Also, due to the heavier weight, multiple surgical steel piercings in a small area of the body (e.g. earlobe) can put some strain on the tissue. Allergic reactions to this material are rare but not unheard of, though they may often be due to other factors such as the cleaning products used on the body piercings rather than the surgical steel itself.
Upsides of surgical steel body piercings would be the affordability of the material and the ease with which it can be cleaned. Hardwearing and long lasting, it’s easy to see why this is such a long standing body piercing material and is particularly commonly used for navel piercings thanks to its ability to be shaped into new and interesting designs.
Surgical Steel Body Jewellery Tips
- Bright and attractive lustre, used a lot for navel piercings and is still the most common material for body jewellery
- Due to its weight, don’t wear several heavy piercings made of this material in a small area of your body
- Surgical steel will react to hot and cold temperatures; keep this in mind if you’re out on a cold day or thinking of visiting a sauna
- Prolonged wear can lead to irritation, if you experience reactions to surgical steel body jewellery then we’d advise you change to titanium
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