Just as there are different body piercing locations, there is a variety of body jewelry types and the best materials available are surgical grade steel, titanium, gold and niobium. You also get Bioplast and PTFE that are body friendly.
Body jewelry also comes in different shapes, for example, the belly barbell rings, captive bead rings and horseshoe or circular barbells, etc. Materials also vary. Here are the facts about body jewelry types and best materials.
Belly button piercings are very popular and you have the banana barbell that is the most common jewelry used in it. Captive bead rings are also used for these. These don’t move much, avoiding irritations.
Tongue piercings are equally popular and considered quite sexy by mot people as it enhances the kissing experience. The best jewelry for this is the barbell. A longer barbell goes in at the time of piercing, which is then changed into a shorter one when the piercing has healed and the swelling has subsided. These are easy to wear as they can be screwed on and off.
People all over the world get nose piercings. The nose screw is an ideal body jewelry for this piercing as it is easy to wear and it holds in the jewelry, sitting flush with the skin just like a stud.
Horseshoe barbells are also called curved barbells, except that they have more of an arc. Here the beads screw on and off just like a barbell. curved barbells have beads of the same size.
Labret studs are worn on lip piercings, tragus and other piercings as well. This is a bar with a stud at one end and the decorative bead at the other.
Barbells, by far are the most commonly used body jewelry.
Captive bead rings are ring shaped, with the ends held together by a little ball with depressions on the side for taking in the ends. The difference between this and a ball closure ring is that in a BCR, the ball is held by the ends.
Plugs are a body jewelry type and best materials for this is wood, stone, organic, bone, etc. these are worn in stretched piercings on the ears, nose, etc. Metal is often avoided as some people are allergic to it.
Body jewelry also comes in different gauges or sizes to suit different piercings. As for materials, choice and reaction play a role. While some people prefer the shiny look of stainless steel, others prefer titanium, which is good for those who react to steel. Niobium is also a good metal for piercings. You can use white or yellow gold, which are the best quality.
In recent times, a special plastic called Tygon is being used for those who are sensitive to metals – especially the nickel content in stainless steel.