Wondering if can you be allergic to titanium earrings?
Firstly, you have to know there are many titanium types. The ASTM International standard on titanium and titanium alloy rated the 38 titanium grades as follows:
• Grades 1 to 4: commercially pure titanium, also known as “pure titanium” is alloy-free, with a low quantity of interstitial elements (impurities). The difference between pure titanium grades consists in its hardness, which is given by the quantity of the interstitial element: Grade 1 Titanium has the lowest quantity of impurities, and Grade 4 Titanium has the highest quantity of impurities.
• Grades 5 to 38: titanium is combined with various alloys, usually in number two, the most common being aluminum. They have various applications, from orthopedic implants and jewelry to airplanes and yachts. You can read more about each titanium grade here.
Although the titanium grade is very important, most sellers do not specify what kind of titanium their products are made of. That’s why there are cases of people who are allergic to titanium: most likely they bought a product that contains alloys that cause allergic reactions.
Titanium jewelry that has not specified the grade can be made of the following titanium grades:
• Grade 5 (Ti6Al4V): 89.55% titanium, 6% aluminum, 4% vanadium, maximum 0.25% steel, maximum 0.2% oxygen;
• Grade 23 (Ti-6Al-4V-ELI): 89.87% titanium, 6% aluminum, 4% vanadium, maximum 0.13% oxygen. ELI is short for “extra low interstitial” (very few interstitial elements)
You can read more about each titanium grade here.
Both titanium grades are hypoallergenic, but if you are allergic to aluminum or vanadium, chances are quite high that these titanium alloys are not the best choice for you.
How can titanium allergy be identified?
There are three methods by which titanium allergy can be tested:
• patch test
• MELISA test
• blood test
Can you be allergic to titanium earrings?
According to the studies carried out on titanium implants, only 0.6% of the participants developed an allergic reaction. The percentage of people allergic to titanium is much lower than those who are allergic to gold (8.9%) and silver (10-15%).
Before buying any titanium earrings or piercings, it is recommended to find out which titanium was used to make the product. Finding out the grade means knowing which alloys are present in the product. By knowing exactly what you are buying, you will reduce the possibility of suffering an allergy and being disappointed by a highly recommended metal.
Which titanium grade should I choose?
At Migati we use the purest titanium to manufacture titanium jewelry. We appreciate quality and we know from our own experience what it’s like to suffer from contact dermatitis. Therefore, we use only Grade 1 titanium to handcraft our jewelry. It’s the best choice for us and our customers: pretty easy to shape, corrosion resistant, it doesn’t oxidize, very easy to clean, and the absence of alloys. Therefore, the chances for allergies are almost 0.
