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How do I know my body jewelry is safe?

A common method used in the industry to loosely discern jewelry quality was to try a material on, and if one did not get a rash or prominent reaction, assume that it was safe sort of like a patch test a dermatologist would suggest. We have gone far beyond all that to ensure the safety of our jewelry.

The jewelry that we sell and use for long-term wear (greater than 24 hours) is certified for compliance with human implant standards by independent laboratory tests. The material chemistry, mechanical properties, crystalline microstructure and surface finish have been scrutinized, tested and certified for human implant applications, to ensure our jewelry is suitable to heal and wear in a new piercing. We most commonly use ASTM  F136 or F67 compliant Titanium with an ASTM  F86 surface preparation.

Body jewelry should meet the same standards intended for human implant. They are sensible, applicable and achievable to ensure safety for insertion of objects into broken or intact skin in perforations of the human body. Most common body jewelry does not even come close to these specific standards for chemistry and surface finish. The jewelry making traditions and materials that apply to a necklace or wedding band that are attractive on the outside of your body are not adequate or appropriate for items that are put inside your body, whether in a healed or fresh piercing.

We should not use materials that have not been proven safe for surgical implantation, by maintaining ASTM and ISO standards. If not we become directly responsible for the burden of proof to avoid any harm people may come to from the material.

What body jewelry materials do and do not work and why?

• All materials must be documented for each lot and size of each type.
• Random samples should be tested for compliance to appropriate standards.
• Titanium should meet ASTM standard F67 or F136 or better.
• Steel [only useful for temporary wear] should be ASTM F138 or F1537 or better.
• Refined 24 karat gold is considered biologically inert but soft and easily scratched and damaged.
• Platinum with Iridium (90% Pl: 10% Ir) and with Ruthenium (95% Pl: 5% Ru) is considered biologically inert but heavy and relatively soft and easily scratched.
• Uncolored quartz and borosilicate glass such as Pyrex© should meet ASTM Specification F1538 for Glass and Glass Ceramic Biomaterials for Implantation.
• ASTM F86 explains appropriate surface preparation and passivation for metallic surfaces.

There exists a body of evidence indicating that Niobium (Nb) seems inert and well accepted by the human body, along with titanium, tantalum, zirconium, pure refined gold, and platinum as the six most biocompatible elements. Although used in numerous surgical implant alloys Nb has not been adequately documented as successful by itself for surgical implants nor been proven safe for body jewelry wear by scientific rigor, and is soft enough to be scratched easily. Tantalum, it's closest elemental neighbor is a common surgical implant material in use today and makes jewelry that is beautiful to begin with, but the surface finish is easily marred by fingerprints, dirt and grime.

Consider anything else a novelty item. It may be wearable for less than 24 hours without noticeable irritation if people treat it a novelty and give their body a break from it regularly. Alternating jewelry for a healed piercing can be done safely if jewelry is cleaned properly and attention paid to the surface finish prior to insertion. Even the fanciest platinum and gold can cause allergic reactions.
Wearing material not certified for implant for more than 24 hours means risk of allergic reaction and infection, since it has not been proven harmless to your soft tissue and bone. Most such materials will keep a piercing in an unhealthy state, the skin more permeable at the contact surface, increasing your risk of damage and infection. Abscess, yeast and fungal infections are commonly reported at the site of piercings in clinical literature, and this may be related to excessive moisture in the opening. The primary clinical microbiology behind common infections related to body piercing should be determined. For the time being, the closest comparison can be made with the organisms related to infection of sutures and surgical staples.

Why not surgical implant steel?

Steel should only be considered for short term wear in fully healed piercings. Nickel (13 to15% by volume) is dissolved in the F138 alloy to make it non-magnetic and resistant to corrosion. This alloy is supposed to trap nickel and other irritants under a layer of chrome (chromium oxide, which is susceptible to corrosion by chlorine, such as the salt in perspiration) where it releases allergens and toxins very slowly. As ions of the metal diffuse into skin, the tissue reacts to protect itself and granulates thick scar tissue around the offending item to wall it off, like a splinter.

• Use of materials that contain nickel in human implants has been found as the culprit behind harm such as discoloration, soft tissue damage and excess scar tissue from it leaching into the contacted area and into deeper tissue.
• In body jewelry wear, steel can be seen to cause thickened scar tissue, which contributes to loss of sensation in the scar area in addition to direct damage to local nerve endings.
• Current uses of the steel commonly advertised as "implant grade" for body jewelry in medical devices in contact with broken skin is primarily limited to temporary devices such as surgical staples, wires and other fixation hardware and can not be used for any implant or initial piercing purpose in the European Union.
• Most of such "surgical" steel is labeled as such for marketing purposes, as the material was intended to be used for instruments such as scalpels, forceps and retractors.
• Misdirection exists in regards steel alloys, considering that they are numerous, e.g.,  Cobalt chrome alloy steel has been used in permanent surgical implants, and may be tolerated by the body with below 0.05% detectable nickel but has other irritant properties.
• Allergic reaction to chemicals in steel alloys, such as nickel are as common as 1 in 10 individuals, and can lead to mild to severe contact dermatitis.

To make steel safer for short term wear in healed piercings, it must be passivated as indicated by standard F86, by electro polishing or nitric acid  after it is milled and shaped into jewelry. This serves to remove irritants, seal and purify the surface structure to a cleaner and more biocompatible chromium oxide.

Polishing alone leaves a significant exposure risk to:

• nickel		• phosphorus
• chromium halides		• sulfur
• molybdenum		• ceramic tumbling media
• iron		• polishing compounds

These irritants can lead to granulation of excess scar tissue and allergic reaction. Unsealed manufactured steel products contain such impurities, therefore long-term exposure could cause serious medical hazards. The difference between surface finishes can be seen under as little as 10X magnification.

An interesting theory that begs further study: Long term Nickel exposure from oral braces prior to piercing may help people become tolerant to nickel.

Why not Acrylic?

• Acrylic is rated as slightly toxic on the required Material Safety Data Sheet
• Acrylic contains chemicals that are known to cause cancer
• Acrylic cracks and crazes (forms a network of tiny fissures) and becomes porous

Acrylic has not been proven safe to wear for any extended period of time, especially in the mouth, mucous membrane, or genitals. The main problem with acrylic is that body temperature causes it to degrade and release monomer vapors, which are as toxic as carbon monoxide. Ethyl acetate in particular is a carcinogen. The ethyl acetate and methylmethacrylate monomers are the biggest problem with clear and or colored (Plexiglas© or Lucite© methylmethacrylate) acrylic resin jewelry. Even somewhat below  body temperature (80° F or warmer), they are constantly released into the body. These chemicals are slightly toxic and known to cause damage to living tissue, as well as increasing the risk of skin cancer in that area.

If you do not bother to sterilize jewelry before you wear it,
you could easily pick up an infection,
and the possibility exists for something as morbid as
Hepatitis C virus from careless handling.

This risk is easily avoided, and worthwhile for healthy piercings. Most plastic melts in an autoclave, so you cannot safely sterilize it for wear in the first place. If chemical germicide [Wavicide, Madacide, and others] is used to attempt to clean the plastic, it can bond to the material and poison you. Hydrogen peroxide/peracetic acid solutions have come along to accomplish low temperature sterilization in as quickly as three hours to a new pre-cleaned piece [Compliance, Sporox].

Alternative plastics from which the toxic chemicals and irritants
can be effectively removed could be used and cause little to no harm.

Implantable plastics may be used in a piercing instead of acrylic. Polymers of polycarbonate, PTFE (Teflon©) and PMMA and elastomers such as silicone, are among many plastics used in human implants covered by ASTM. To our knowledge no well-made implant quality, safe plastic products are currently sold commercially as body jewelry.

We at Miller Cotton's Tattoos have found that some of the jewelry from trusted manufacturers we once used did not meet these standards. We hope that Niobium, other alloys of gold and numerous other materials are proven to be safe. We are striving to bring out excellence in the manufacturers we use, and to test and develop new materials and designs. 

Cheap tattoos aren't GOOD!  Good tattoos aren't CHEAP!

 
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Miller Cotton's Tattoos, LLC
1447 S. Glenstone, Springfield, MO 65804
417.889.8287 (TATS)  •  info (at) millercotton.com

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