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Who has experience with metal... and specifically stainless steel?
I've set a task that I suddenly realize might have unintended consequences...
I know stainless is used in medical instruments, including instruments such as vaginal speculums.
Any concerns if a stainless steel item (not a speculum,) were left in place for a "lengthy" period of time?
My experience is very limited and pertains to piercings. I had my navel pierced 3 years ago. They used a curved titanium barbell as "training" jewelry. When I was given permission to change it, I was told I could use surgical stainless steel. I got an infection. After that cleared up, I only tried to wear stainless a couple more times, thinking I might have scratched myself the first time or something. Each time I inserted the stainless jewelry, I had redness and irritation. Now, I only wear titantium in my navel.
The term surgical stainless is misleading. Surgeons use stainless steel equipment because it can be sterilized. They don't use it for prostheses, probably because of the nickel content which some people have reactions to.
Yeah... I'm thinking I'll cancel the task. Replace it with something similarly captivating.
Stainless and surgical stainless are two different things...
Stainless is a broad category of steel alloy that's primary property is resilience to oxidation (rusting). Mind this does NOT mean rust PROOF, just Resistant.
Surgical Stainless is a specific grade of stainless steel, otherwise known as 440 J2 Carbon Stainless. It is a relatively high grade of stainless, meaning it is higher on the spectrum of being resistant to oxidation, but also has a high carbon content, meaning it is hard, thus holding an edge for longer periods of wear than other grades of steel. This type of steel is what you will find in very expensive higher end kitchen utensils and such.
The reactions common to stainless steel, such as in piercings often stem from the skin being irritated, broken or otherwise "weeping" fluids, which then chaffe and wear against the metal, eroding some of the nickel from it and allowing it to be absorbed into the skin and causing irritation. Often even an old piercing that is fully healed, will be irritated to some degree by the action of removing and re-inserting a new piercing, thus causing this condition.
So basically, depending on the task you are considering, it's duration, and most importantly the individual performing it's own sensitivity to such metals, it could be okay or not okay. 7/10 times there wouldn't be a reaction at all, 2.9/10 times there might be some minor irritation that will clear up upon it's removal, and once in a very rare while, the reaction could be strong enough to require some sort of medication like cortizone to reduce irritation.
So yeah, I don't know how informative that is, but in the end, it's mostly something you would have to be able to judge on an individual basis.
K
Also you're right Redhead about the reasons for surgeons not using stainless in prostesis, but there's another reason... they use plastic when possible because it's lower impact, and titanium vs stainless because it has an even lower oxidation/corrosion rate than any steel aswell as being either almost or completely (I'm not sure off the top of my head which) non-magnetic, which means it causes much less of a problem with things like airports *smiles*