We use the term "medical grade" to describe our jewelry, but what does that really mean? If you're new to the world of hypoallergenic earrings, you might be wondering where medicine comes into the equation. Today we're going to break down the truth about medical grade, how titanium medical grade earrings work, and how you can find the best quality hypoallergenic earrings.
"Medical grade" is a label that most often is found in healthcare settings. The secret to medical grade materials is biocompatibility. Biocompatibility is defined as "the ability of a material to perform with an appropriate host response in a specific application" (Boyd Technologies). In layman's terms, this means that if a material is biocompatible, it can be placed in the human body without causing a reaction.
At Tini Lux our favorite medical grade materials are titanium and niobium. These materials are shiny, beautiful, and resilient, and can be placed in the human body without causing an allergic reaction. They make for comfortable earrings you can wear all day long. Some jewelry materials have a reputation for being biocompatible, such as sterling silver earrings or surgical steel earrings. But think about it, does sterling silver tarnish? Why yes it does! That means sterling silver is reactive. These metals may also contain traces of nickel, which is the leading cause of metal allergy. Truly allergy free earrings never contain nickel, so if you are searching for earrings for sensitive ears, make sure to check that they are nickel free earrings.
To recap; medical grade materials are materials that are biocompatible. These are materials that do not react to the human body. The biocompatibility is why you will never see titanium steel jewelry tarnish. So if you find yourself asking, why does my earring hole hurt? Take out that jewelry with questionable metals and find yourself some medical grade hypoallergenic earrings.
