Gold
BELLY BUTTON RING
Gold is also soft and can have imperfections that could breed bacteria. Higher grades like 24-karat gold may be considered better because they contain less nickel, but since they're even softer, they're still risky for piercings. Solid gold is only recommended for fully healed piercings and for people who don't experience irritation from this metal. Avoid gold-plated jewelry.
Surgical Stainless Steel
HELIX EARRINGS
The only acceptable grades of stainless steel for
BODY JEWELRY are 316L or 316LVM. The former is implant-grade and is probably the most common and widely used metal for body piercings. The latter has the added advantage of having been melted in a vacuum—meaning it has a virtually flawless finish and is less irritating.
