Imperial

Things You NEED To Know About Body Jewelry

Not All Body Jewelry Is Created Equal

Good jewelry ain't cheap
and cheap jewelry ain't good

If you think you're getting a bargain, think again. Body jewelry you find at the mall, department stores or online body jewelry "bargain stores" is typically crap. Body jewelry that claims to be "high quality" stainless steel or "high quality" surgical steel is NOT GOOD ENOUGH!
You should accept nothing less than Implant Grade surgical steel.

But what does this mean?
Surgical steel comes in many different grades based on their composition and levels of chromium, nickel and maganese. The most corrosion resistant are found in the 300 series steels, which contain chromium and nickel. However, not all 300 series steels are appropriate for invasive body piercing applications. The amount of nickel salts released to the body from inferior grades of surgical steel is unacceptable and poses a possible hazard to YOU! As defined by the Association of Professional Piercers (APP), the only surgical steel acceptable for body piercing is 316LVM ASTM F-138 (or 316LVM for short).

Why do some jewelry manufacturers use inferior grades of surgical steel?
Implant grade surgical steel (316LVM) is more dense and harder to machine than the lower grades of surgical steel that some disreputable companies use. Why do they use it? Because it's so cheap and easy for them to machine, they can create the "illusion" they have the same jewelry as reputable companies but for a lot less. These companies have no regard for consumer safety and their products should be avoided at all costs.

How do I know if what i'm buying is 316LVM?
That's a tough question. Anybody can claim their jewelry is made of 316LVM whether it's true or not. Every jewelry manufacturer is supplied with a document certifying the grade of steel they are buying. These certificates (Metal Certs or Mill Certs) are available to anyone buying body jewelry at the wholesale level. The jewelry manufacturers should readily make available a metal cert to any wholesale customer who asks. Failure to do so by the manufacturer typically means they are trying to hide something.

So, the first step in ensuring quality 316LVM jewelry would be to only buy your jewelry from a reputable body piercing establishment. If the place you're buying your jewelry from doesn't do body piercing there is a good chance that they don't care what grade of jewelry goes into your body. If they don't have a vested interest in the successful healing of your piercing - then they probably aren't too educated in the subtle differences in grades of surgical steel.

Secondly, ask the body piercing establishment to see a copy of the metal cert; ask them to show you where it says that the material is 316LVM. If they don't have a metal cert, then how do they know that the metal is 316LVM? If they refuse to show it to you - then they're trying to hide something.

The final thing to consider is if the body piercing establishment has a certified APP body piercer. Body piercers who are certified by the APP are bound by a strict code of health, safety, ethics and quality. Anything less would result in the APP membership being revoked.

We Don't Play or Gamble With YOUR Health
and Neither Should YOU!

Internally Threaded or Externally Threaded - What does it mean?

Internally threaded means that the bar is the "female" (no visible threads) and the bead is the "male" (a threaded post extending from the bead). The bead threads INTO the bar.
Externally threaded is the opposite. The bar has visible threads at the end and threads into the bead.

Externally Threaded Jewelry and Your Piercing
Each time you take an externally threaded piece of jewelry in and out of your piercing you are "dragging" those threads through your piercing. Imagine what that does to your body when a piercer wants to use externally threaded jewelry as the initial/starter jewelry for your new piercing. External threads may tear new tissue (leading to scarring), trap bacteria, and release polishing compounds into the piercing. All of these add up to potential problems for you and your piercing.
Internally threaded jewelry can be a little more expensive than externally threaded jewelry - but the cost is minimal compared to your health and safety and the health and safety of your piercing.