What is PTFE?
How safe are pregnancy belly rings?
What about infections?
Do I need to sanitize my belly ring?
How do I care for Sterling Silver?

What is PTFE?
PTFE is a non stick material used for surface piercings, in surgical applications.  It is super flexible, which makes it ultra comfortable as belly rings, as you can see in the picture below.  It can be found in many colors now.  It is much safer and more flexible and comfortable than acrylic.  Click here to go to the Wikipedia definition.

How safe are pregnancy belly rings?
They are as safe as your doctor says they are.  Period.
If he/she suggests removing them, then that's what you need to do.  The PTFE material itself  is safe, and does not cause allergic reactions, and is invisible to Xrays.  Some women can go right up to and through labor with their belly ring in.  Some doctors don't mind them, and some will tell you to take them out right away.  

Infections and Belly Rings
To the body, belly piercings are wounds.  Because of this, wearing any type of belly ring during pregnancy must be closely watched.  Many women never know it, but they have belly piercings that never quite healed.   If there is any problem with your piercing, consult your doctor.  As the belly expands, the skin stretches and becomes thinner.  That can cause tiny little tears in the scar tissue, which you can't feel or see.  But that can be enough of an environment to cause an infection.  It is very important to keep the area clean, as you would when you first got pierced.   With pregnancy jewelry, some women wear the bar longer than needed so they have room to grow.  This means the bar is exposed to dust, dander, lint, stretch mark creams, etc.  and because there is room for it to slide around, it can carry these contaminants into the piercing, and into those little tears.  We strongly recommend getting two belly rings, so you have one for now, and one for later.  This way you don't have the bar exposed to contaminants.

Also, if you have a steel belly ring now and you feel you are getting irritated, our product will not help!  If you sanitize your steel belly ring, and still don't have relief by morning, see your doctor.  If you have any kind of leakage, do not reinsert any body jewelry.  Call your doctor.

If you are using alcohol sanitizers (again, never on acrylic pieces), make sure they are made for body jewelry.  Do not use "hand sanitizers" or other alcohol based products that can contain lotions or other ingredients which can cause irritation or infection.

Sanitizing Belly Rings
PTFE is a great material, it can even withstand autoclaving.  However, the threaded ends on the belly rings are not always made of such materials.  Acrylic for example cannot be alcohol sanitized, as it will crack the balls or ends on the belly rings.

You should ALWAYS sanitize body jewelry.  Not only what you buy from us, but anything you buy at the mall or online should be sanitized by you personally before you wear it.  If it is all steel, you can use alcohol.  But if it plastic or acrylic, or you're not sure what it is, use a very warm soapy water rinse.  Rinse well with clean water.  Clean your piercing too.  Then insert.

If you are using alcohol sanitizers (again, never on acrylic pieces), make sure they are made for body jewelry.  Do not use "hand sanitizers" or other alcohol based products that can contain lotions or other ingredients which can cause irritation or infection.

My sterling silver charm is starting to tarnish.  What do I do?
See our Sterling Care page.

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