MontanaPiercer
03-14-2005, 03:17 AM
To have the best chance of healing, one very important factor is the type of jewelry that is used initially. Not want to go into styles in this post, I will be discussing just materials, steel in particular.
For steels, top dog is 316LVM, which is grade 316 (chart shows alloy components), "L" meaning lowered carbon, and "VM" meaning vacuum manufactured, which ensures a homogeneous distribution of the elements. This grade is sufficient for the strict European Standard requiring less than 5 ppm nickel content.
The downside to this jewelry has always been its price, most times a piece of 316LVM is up to 10 times more expensive. In an industry that is unfortunately having to deal with a cost war with any piercing for $25 shops popping up, it is hard to convince a client that the expenditure is worth it. So, what do we do....most, including myself opt for the less expensive 316L grade steel. It has shown to be sufficient for the vast majority of people, and allows a half decent profit margin. Nickel content of 316L can be as high as 10%. The minimum grade for initial jewelry is 316L. What causes sensitivities to certain jewelry is caused by the nickel leaching out of he jewelry and reacting to the body. Nickel allergies affect between 2 to 10 percent of the population, but usually causes nothing more serious than slightly prolonged healing times. There are some people 1% or less, that are severely allergic, and would be better served by a titanium alloy or niobiom.
http://www.machinist-materials.com/stainless_table.htm
This is a steel chart
http://home.bresnan.net/~tattooart/stainless_table.jpg
For steels, top dog is 316LVM, which is grade 316 (chart shows alloy components), "L" meaning lowered carbon, and "VM" meaning vacuum manufactured, which ensures a homogeneous distribution of the elements. This grade is sufficient for the strict European Standard requiring less than 5 ppm nickel content.
The downside to this jewelry has always been its price, most times a piece of 316LVM is up to 10 times more expensive. In an industry that is unfortunately having to deal with a cost war with any piercing for $25 shops popping up, it is hard to convince a client that the expenditure is worth it. So, what do we do....most, including myself opt for the less expensive 316L grade steel. It has shown to be sufficient for the vast majority of people, and allows a half decent profit margin. Nickel content of 316L can be as high as 10%. The minimum grade for initial jewelry is 316L. What causes sensitivities to certain jewelry is caused by the nickel leaching out of he jewelry and reacting to the body. Nickel allergies affect between 2 to 10 percent of the population, but usually causes nothing more serious than slightly prolonged healing times. There are some people 1% or less, that are severely allergic, and would be better served by a titanium alloy or niobiom.
http://www.machinist-materials.com/stainless_table.htm
This is a steel chart
http://home.bresnan.net/~tattooart/stainless_table.jpg