Steel or Titanium to choose?
Surgical Steel 316 L or Titanium ASTM F136 to make a new borehole, the big dilemma... which is better of the two, which one to use, is one better and the other worse, there is so much difference, for sure ....
Let's get into the big dilemma, blog's, articles, opinions in the forum, a lot of ink has been written about one or the other .... let's see if we can shed some light on this recurring issue.
Let's first describe the properties of each of the two materials to get an idea of what we are talking about.....
Surgical Steel 316 L
316 L stainless steel is an alloy of iron and carbon that contains 17% of chromium in its composition which gives it a high resistance to corrosion and also has a 2.1% of molybdenum that further improves its resistance to corrosive environments.
As the L has a low carbon content, we could say that it is an improved version of the stainless steel of all times.
Surgical steel is used in all types of medical utensils, scalpels, staples... due to its durability and hypoallergenic properties.
All Surgical Steel Jewellery is polished and has a lustre very similar to silver.
Advantages:
Hypoallergenic properties: the amount of nickel it contains is residual.
Durability, does not oxidise with body mineral salts.
Brightness, shade and gloss do not change over time.
Highly resistant to degradation.
Titanium ASTM F136 enhanced version Grade 23 Ti6Al4V ELI
Titanium is first extracted from rutile (titanium oxide), which is abundant in coastal sands. ... To extract pure titanium, the Kroll Method is generally used, which consists of obtaining titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4)..... We will not go any further as this does not answer our questions but it is good to have an idea of where the raw material comes from.
That titanium G23 is "purified" has less oxygen, nitrogen and iron than its predecessors.
This Grade 23 titanium and the ASTM (American Society of Testing Materials) standards make this material a specification that allows contact in the human body due to its low levels of "impurities" and thus very safe for the body.
This material is called a bio-component (bio-metal), i.e. an inert compound designed to be implanted or incorporated into a living system.
Titanium is more expensive to produce than Surgical Steel.
Advantages:
It is a biocompatible material.
It is a lighter material than steel.
Nickel free
Both steel and titanium can be anodised, which in simplified terms means that by means of a bath with different compounds and an electrical charge a coloured coating can be added, the material is not painted, but by means of "oxidation" a layer of colour is added, which in turn protects the earring.
Once we have all the data I personally am not so clear if the perforations made with Titanium are MUCH BETTER or only SOMETHING BETTER than the steel drilling option.
There is a post in which they state that titanium piercings heal 3 times faster than steel... I personally have looked for the report or the study and I have not found it, so in view of the data that do not seem to be conclusive, I have sent a questionnaire to several Piercers I know and these are the conclusions.
To summarise what almost all Piercer's say when it comes to piercing, there are two moments to differentiate:
Pending First LayingEarring: larger than the final size so that the area can swell without problems and also allows the area to be washed and cleaned more comfortably. It is therefore an earring that we will replace quickly.
Pending Final: slope with much less slack, of the same or a different shape than the first set and usually of a more elaborate design than the initial one.
Having said that, the Piercer is usually pierced with a 316 L Surgical Steel earring, it is an earring that the person will not wear for 15-20 days as in tongue that is changed soon so that the bar does not bother or no more than two/three months, then it will be changed for a definitive one, now. YES all recommend it to be made of Titanium.
Conclusion:
Titanium piercing is better positioned for good healing and better healing of our piercing but we do not find Surgical Steel an unsuitable material for piercing, in fact it has no specific disadvantages that would define it as an unsuitable product for Piercing Jewellery.
We therefore recommend using Titanium and Steel for our boreholes as both components are suitable for it.
1 thought on “Piercing de Titanio o Acero Quirúrgico”
I'm not sure about that... but thanks for the info.