Any Luck With Niobium Or Hematite?

Q: has anyone with nickel/surgical steel allergies/hypersensitivities had any luck with niobium or hematite? i can't use nickel, steel, or gold... i've used sterling for a few years, but am wondering about the more readily available niobium and hematite... i talked to a body piercer (friend) and he suggested avoiding anything but silver since i don't know for sure... then again, he'd never run across anyone with steel and gold hypersensitivities... he also suggested putting in sterling spacers so that i could wear other metals (no skin contact)... i'm really liking the looks of some of the hematite hoops, but i'm not willing to risk a reaction and subsequent infection... so, anyone with any experience??

A: hemeatite should prolly only be used only in healed piercings. this is from the rec.arts.bodyart Piercing FAQ, which can be found at www.eskimo.com/~rab, 2

A: 1 METALS The metals used for body jewelry are chosen because of their "body friendly" qualities. However, some metals are more biologically inert and considered more hypoallergenic than others. Most metal sensitivities can be attributed specifically to nickel sensitivity. 316L stainless steel and certain gold alloys contain nickel. People who are nickel-sensitive can often wear niobium or titanium. Niobium and titanium are elemental metals. Sensitivities to niobium are rare but not unheard of. [snip] Sterling Silver Sterling silver should never be worn in a fresh or unhealed piercing or in a piercing that is located in a moist area of the body (mouth, lip, navel, genital). Silver oxidizes very easily when exposed to moisture. When worn in a fresh piercing the skin often absorbs the oxide and the piercing darkens or turns grey, usually permanently. Silver causes chemical irritation which can result in scarring. Silver is very soft and is easily scratched; scratches in the jewelry surface irritate the piercing and trap bacteria. Silver captive beads should not be worn on new piercings.

Discuss It!

Most Popular Articles

More