MRI Safety Checker: Body Jewelry
What to know, prepare, and ask about body jewellery before an MRI scan. The MRI safety staff at your scan site makes the decision.
Why "My Titanium Is Fine" Is Not Enough
Implant-grade titanium is non-ferromagnetic, but that does not automatically mean you can wear it in the scanner.
Magnetic pull is only the first hazard. During active scanning, the MRI radiofrequency (RF) coils induce electrical currents in conductive metal loops. If titanium jewellery sits in or near the imaging volume, it can heat up and cause localized tissue burns.
Furthermore, even non-magnetic metal distorts the local magnetic field, producing dark signal voids called susceptibility artifacts that can make your diagnostic scan unreadable.
Steel is a completely different case: some stainless steel grades are weakly magnetic or contain cold-worked ferritic phases. Never group steel with titanium.
Body Piercing Checklist
Check every site where you have or have had piercings so nothing is forgotten on scan day:
| Location | Qty | Material | Removable? | Retainer? | Notes |
|---|
Radiographer Disclosure Card
Fill in your scan details below. You can print this card in English or in the language of the hospital/scan site.
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What Each Material Is Made Of
Stated as composition and physical behavior only. ASTM F2503 markings belong exclusively to specific tested manufactured products, not to generic material categories.
Before Your Appointment: Plan Ahead
Phone Script for Calling the Scan Site
Call your imaging centre several days before your appointment. You can read these lines word for word:
1. "Hello, I have an MRI scan scheduled on [Date] for my [Body Part]."
2. "I have [Number] body piercings. Some are [Materials, e.g. implant-grade titanium / BioFlex / dermal anchors]."
3. "Could you please check with the MRI safety officer or radiographer what your site policy is for jewellery?"
4. "Are non-metallic retainers permitted in place of metal jewellery during this scan?"
5. "Do any specific piercings need to be removed by my piercer before I arrive on the day?"
Jewellery That Will Not Come Out
The honest path: See a piercer before the appointment, never force it, and tell the radiographer immediately.
Never use pliers, wire cutters, or home tools to wrench jewellery out. You risk tearing tissue, stripping threads, and causing bleeding or infection.
Professional piercers have ring-opening pliers, insertion tapers, and sterile technique to remove tight or threadless pieces safely.
If jewellery remains in place on the day of your scan, inform the radiographer immediately during pre-scan screening. Concealing jewellery is dangerous.
Tattoos and Permanent Makeup
Some tattoo and cosmetic permanent makeup inks contain iron oxides or trace metallic pigments that can react in strong magnetic fields.
Patients have occasionally reported mild warming, tingling, or pulling sensations over tattooed skin during active scanning sequences.
Always inform your radiographer of all tattoos and permanent makeup so they can monitor you and apply appropriate scan protocols.
Dermals and Surface Anchors
Surface anchors cannot be taken out by the wearer. They are the single most important item to raise with the scan site in advance.
A dermal anchor has an implanted base plate resting underneath the skin. While the decorative top can be unscrewed, the base plate remains anchored under your tissue unless surgically excised.
Never attempt to pull, lever, or cut an anchor base out at home. Doing so causes severe tissue tearing, bleeding, and permanent scarring.
Ask the scan site if unscrewing the decorative top is sufficient, or if the base plate position relative to the scan coil poses an issue for your specific procedure.
Non-Metal Retainers, Explained
A non-metal retainer is a smooth, non-conductive item (such as BioFlex® PP-R polymer or borosilicate glass) used to hold a piercing channel open while metal jewellery is removed.
A professional piercer should fit the retainer using sterilized tools to prevent channel trauma or premature closure.
The scan site still makes the final decision on whether any non-metal retainer may remain in the scanning zone.
Learn more about retainer sizing and styles at Poli International (opens in top window)