Minimum Standards for Jewelry for Initial Piercings
The APP Board of Directors has adopted a revision to the APP minimum membership standards for jewelry for initial piercings. Although a Members’ vote was taken to adopt the original standards, a membership vote is not required when establishing or revising membership requirements. The Board has opted to proceed without member polling for the following reasons:
1. This revision simply updates and expands the standards set forth in the original document.
2. The new revised standards better reflect the current practices of both the APP membership and the piercing industry at large.
3. The APP has had extensive communication—both in person and in writing—from piercers questioning the out-dated and confusing nature of the previous standards.
4. Regulatory agencies often utilize the APP standards and incorporate them into law. Maintaining the outdated standards can therefore have negative consequences for piercers using acceptable products that were previously not listed.
The practice of relying solely on the implant designation of a material has now been addressed. Although implant standards address bio-compatibility of a given material when used for surgical implants, they cannot be directly applied to the use or required finish for body jewelry. Agencies that determine these designations and standards do so for both material quality and end usage. Implants rest permanently against internal tissue unless surgically removed or replaced, and are designed for greater tissue adhesion. Healing piercings, however, form tissue against the smooth non-adhesive surface of the jewelry, and this jewelry can be changed when appropriate. For these reasons we list designation compliance as it applies to material content only; the finish requirements are described separately below.
Products with an ISO or ASTM designation are so noted and a statement specifying the finish requirements particular to body jewelry has been added. In addition, several materials designated for applications other than implants have been proven through historical and practical application to be suitably bio-compatible for initial piercing.
The revised Minimum Standard for Jewelry for Initial Piercings is as follows:
Steel that is ASTM F-138 compliant or ISO 5832-1 compliant
Steel that is ISO 10993-6, 10993-10, and/or 10993-11 compliant (EEC Nickel Directive compliant
Titanium (Ti6Al4V ELI) that is ASTM F136 compliant or ISO 5832-3 compliant
Titanium that is ASTM F-67 compliant
Solid 14 karat or higher nickel-free white or yellow gold
Solid nickel-free platinum alloy
Niobium (Nb)
Fused quartz glass, lead-free borosilicate or lead-free soda-lime glass
Polymers (plastics) as follows:
Tygon® Medical Surgical Tubing S-50HL or S-54HL
Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) that is ASTM F754-00 compliant
Any plastic material that is ISO 10993-6, 10993-10 and/or 10993-11 compliant and/or meets the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) Class VI material classification.
All threaded or press-fit jewelry must have internal tapping (no threads on posts).
For body jewelry purposes, surfaces and ends must be smooth, free of nicks, scratches, burrs, polishing compounds and metals must have a consistent mirror finish.
This revised wording will be used on all future APP publications and correspondence where the earlier version of the standards was published.
James Weber
President
president @ safepiercing.org
Didier Suarez
Vice-President
vp @ safepiercing.org
Bethra Szumski
Secretary
secretary @ safepiercing.org
Eric “Sque3z” Anderson
Outreach Coordinator
outreach @ safepiercing.org
Danny Yerna
International Outreach Coordinator
intoutreach @ safepiercing.org
Elayne Angel
Medical Liaison
medical @ safepiercing.org
Eduardo Chavarria
Membership Liaison
members @ safepiercing.org
