All jewelry placed in a new or healing piercing should meet the following standards.
All jewelry should be made of implant grade material and follow the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) guidelines. More information can be found at www.astm.org
Only one of the following materials should be used in a new or healing piercing.
All jewelry should be free of nicks, scratches, burrs, polishing compounds. All jewelry should have a high polish and mirror finish.
All jewelry should be internally threaded - meaning no threads are on the post of the jewelry. Picture a tiny screw being pulled through your piercing. It will rip the tissue causing more damage, longer healing, increased swelling/bruising as well as collecting body fluid/tissue which will fester and rot in the bead.
Sadly a lot of studios purchase sub-par jewelry that doesn't follow these standards because it's cheaper for them to purchase. A lot of acrylics you find in studios aren't implant grade dental acrylic, which your body will break down very easily, releasing the toxins in the acrylic into your body while providing a porous surface for bacteria to accumulate. This is true even for a healed piercing.
We here at True Grit Tattoos believe that when putting your health and beauty into someone else's hands that you should get ONLY the best quality, in service and jewelry. Which is exactly what you'll receive at True Grit Tattoos.