Surgical Steel

Surgical steel is the most common metal used in body jewellery. There are two grades of surgical steel - 316L and 316LVM.

Surgical steel is a type of stainless steel that is often used in the medical industry due to its strength, as well as the fact that it is easy to clean, can be sterilised in an autoclave, and is non-corrosive.

316L and 316LVM surgical steel is also scratch resistant, can be polished to an attractive mirror-like shine, and can be anodised or coated in a variety of colours. This makes it ideal for body jewellery, but only in fully healed piercings.

It is worth noting that even the best grades of surgical steel contain nickel, and therefore may cause problems for those with nickel allergies. If this is the case, then titanium is a better option.