Materials for Piercings and Body Jewelry
Manmade Nonmetals: Acrylic & Glass

Although metals and natural materials are used most often for body jewelry, there are nonmetal manmade materials which are suitable. Acrylic, nylon, teflon, and borosilicate glass are used for piercings and other body jewelry. Other types of plastic and glass are not interchangeable with these materials: glass and plastic compositions and properties vary.

• Acrylic

  Acrylic and acrylic styrene copolymer are plastics. Acrylic is not an ideal material for body jewelry. It is soft, semiporous, and brittle. It cannot be autoclaved and is degraded by alcohol. Acrylic is susceptible to scratching and fracturing and provides attachment sites for tissue and bacterial growth. It is never suitable for fresh piercings. However, acrylic is lightweight, available in a dazzling array of colors, and will safely 'glow' under black or fluorescent light. Although the cured thermoplastic is not especially reactive (nontoxic, nonhemolytic), incompletely polymerized acrylic will release vapors which can cause sensitivity reactions. In addition, materials that truly glow in the dark (as opposed to reacting under ultraviolet light) tend to contain toxic or possibly radioactive chemicals, depending on the formulation. The bottom line is that there are some FDA-approved acylics which are safe for use in healed piercings, but you cannot assume that 'acrylic' in general is appropriate or safe.

• Nylon

  Nylon is a flexible, autoclavable plastic. It can be scratched, but can be worn by persons unable to tolerate metals.

• Teflon (polytetrafluoroethylene or PTFE)

  Teflon is an implant grade polymer (plastic). It is flexible, wear-resistant, and slippery. It can be autoclaved and can be worn by people who experience metal sensitivity reactions.

• Borosilicate Glass

  Borosilicate glass is sold under brand names such as Pyrex and Kimax. This glass can be autoclaved, fractures cleanly, and can be firepolished to a very smooth finish. Glass is relatively porous, so in most cases a barrier of clear glass should separate any colored glass (which may contain metals) from the body.

• Overview - Materials for Piercings & Body Jewelry
• Metals & Alloys (Steel, Gold, Titanium, etc.)
• Non-Metals (Acrylic, Glass, Teflon, etc.)
• Natural Materials (Bone, Wood, Ivory, etc.)

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