Body Jewelry

Humans have a need to express themselves in a variety of ways. Sometimes it can come in the form of creating works of art, singing or writing. Other times, people will express themselves through the applications of tattoos on their body, and some will take the method of putting on body jewelry to show their individuality.

Body jewelry is created for the sole purpose of body piercing. Originally, body jewelry came primarily in the form of earrings on women. However, recently things have changed to the point that not only are women wearing jewelry elsewhere on their body, so to are men.

Body piercing has become a form of fashion in our current decade and as a result, vast amounts of jewelry has been crafted to accommodate this niche of fashion. What was originally the domain of materials such as gold and silver, is now seeing the implementation of jewelry made of surgical steel, titanium, glass, plastic, wood, horn, amber, stone, bamboo, silicone, fossilized ivories, tusks and other bones.

Types of Materials
There are many types of materials, as has been stated, that are used in body jewelry, and some are more popular than others for various reasons.
Steel Jewelry, which is often referred to surgical steel, is not preferred for new piercing jobs because there is a high nickel percentage in it. However, this type of material works great if the piercing has already healed.
Titanium is very popular for body piercing because it is light with only 60 percent stainless steel, it does not react to body fluids, nor is it magnetic and more often than not it is free from causing allergies to someone.
Niobium is very similar to titanium but it is heavier, which makes it less popular as a material for body jewelry. When someone is considering using Niobium, purity is essential, with a maximum purity of 99.9 percent most often desired. If purity is reduced, it can cause allergies in some people.
In large piercing jobs, like ear-weights, bronze is the most often used because it is so cheap and so widespread, being comprised of 90 percent copper and 10 percent tin.
Silver has been very popular for centuries as a material for jewelry. Due to the shines, many people love to use it as a material. Of course, there is a downside and it is that it causes a nickel-allergy in many people. This type of material should never be used in fresh piercing jobs because it reacts with blood, sweat and other body fluids that can lead to oxidization, causing the metal to turn black. This can also cause nickel-salts which will lead to severe allergies and a bleaching of the area around the piercing. This type of blemish can last a lifetime, so it is important to be careful.
Gold is very popular for jewelry for the simple reason that it is beautiful. However, anything below 14 or 18 karats is not suitable for body jewelry. Typically, 18 karats is used with 75 percent gold and 25 percent copper or silver. Gold jewelry should never be used for healing types of piercing jobs because body fluids will cause the metal to discolor.
Body Piercing Techniques
Whenever piercing is done, it is important that the person who is getting their body pierced. Experts who have trained in body piercing will use a hollow surgical needle similar to the one used by doctors and nurses when in need of getting drops of blood.

Risks
It is common for some individuals to have an allergic reaction to certain types of metals used in body piercing. Most do not realize they are allergic to a particular metal until they have received the piercing.
When the body is injured, it works to restore and rejoin the injured tissue that has been damaged. Normally, this is not a problem, however with piercing there is the issue of a foreign substance in the skin that prevents this from happening. The jewelry, which is the foreign substance, will keep the wound open, but care with cotton and healing agents need to be applied after the piercing has been done to ensure it heals properly.