The last thing you need to deal with when faced with medical testing and procedures is being told to remove “all jewelry”. You have enough stress and do not deserve more!
The reality is that commercial jewelry definitely DOES need to be removed - there is no way to know what materials it is made of, so that lack of information leads to the positive decision of removal. Most commercial jewelry are made up of many different metals, an amalgam, none of which are listed on the packages. Most of us have had the experience of a favored piece of jewelry turning our skin green or the plating degrading the surface of the piece - this is exactly why it is best to remove this type of jewelry.
Body piercing jewelry that is non-decorative is totally different in that it IS known what materials are used in its creation, typically ASTM F-138 Steel and F-136 Titanium. Knowing the “recipe” of the jewelry you wear is important in these situations, but presuming that all metals are “bad” is just easier than learning the facts. We should always prefer our medical professionals to make informed assessments of each of our personal medical situations.
The professional Body Piercing industry utilizes the exact same implantable materials as the medical industry so to ensure safety, bio-compatiblity and decreased risk during healing of body piercings. These materials are safe to retain during most medical procedures, with the exception of the piercing site being directly involved in the procedure. These materials do not heat up, draw electrical spark or get pulled out of the body - these are myths.
Modern implantable metals were developed by the medical industry for utilization as permanent and/or semi-permanent implantable devices, such as plates and screws used to repair bone, arterial clamps, shunts, ports or other devices retained for long-term situations. They are both non-magnetic and electrically inert. Other implantable materials, such as PTFE, are non-metallic and can be safe to use for fully healed piercings. However, new and healing piercings cannot be safely removed and/or reinserted without risks of infection and rejection. These types of materials breakdown biologically, and so are not safe to utilize in healing wounds. They need to changed every 3-6 months when worn in healed piercings to avoid the negative affects of the material shedding into the body
Please feel free to utilize the following documentation to assist in discussing these materials with your health care provider.
ASTM F-138 Surgical Stainless Steel