In this video, I go through all the potential issues when going through airport security or in other situations where people who wear permanent jewelry might need to remove it.
TSA or Airports
Let’s start with airports. Speaking from experience, I travel frequently for both work and leisure, and I’ve been wearing permanent jewelry for over two years now. In that time, I’ve passed through at least 10 different airports across North America, the Caribbean, and beyond. I can confidently say that I’ve never had any issues with airport metal detectors or full-body scanners.
Why is this the case? Most metal detectors are designed to detect ferrous metals—those containing iron. Permanent jewelry made from gold or sterling silver, which are non-ferrous and non-magnetic, typically won’t set off these detectors. However, jewelry made from stainless steel might, due to its magnetic properties. But don’t worry, if your jewelry does trigger a detector, you can easily show it to the security staff, and they’ll understand.
X-rays
X-rays are not an issue at all; your permanent jewelry will show up on the scan, but it won’t interfere with the procedure. It’s always a good idea to check with your specific test center, as some may have their own policies and might ask you to remove your jewelry.
MRI
For MRIs, you can’t wear your permanent jewelry, most centers will require you to remove all jewelry. This is because MRI machines use strong magnets, and even if your jewelry is made from non-magnetic materials like gold, the safety protocols usually dictate removing all metal items to prevent any risk to the machinery or the patient. In cases like this, if you’ve had to remove your jewelry for a medical procedure, many permanent jewelry artists will offer to re-weld it for free, especially if you provide proof that it was for medical reasons.
Surgery and Sports
Surgery is another situation where removal might be necessary. Whether or not you’ll need to take off your jewelry depends on the type of procedure and the location of your jewelry. If the surgery is on an area where you’re wearing jewelry, like your wrist for a bracelet, you’ll likely have to remove it. Again, you can usually get it re-welded afterward with no trouble.
For those involved in sports, it really depends on the type of sport. For example, in college basketball, players are required to remove all jewelry for safety reason, imagine someone reaching for the ball and getting their hand caught in a bracelet at high speed! In contrast, many baseball players wear jewelry without any issues. It’s always best to check the rules of your specific sport or team.
Healthcare Professionals and Other Situations
For healthcare professionals, the rules vary. Surgeons and those who need to maintain strict hygiene standards will likely need to remove jewelry, especially bracelets. However, anklets might be allowed since they don’t interfere with hand hygiene. Nurses, for instance, might need to wear compression socks, and it’s essential to ensure any anklets are comfortable and don’t cause any issues when you wear permanent jewelry underneath these socks.
And yes, if you’re ever in a situation where you’re being taken into custody, like jail, they will ask you to remove all jewelry, including permanent pieces. So, it might be wise to avoid getting arrested with your permanent jewelry on!
Pregnancy and Other Life Events
Pregnancy is another special situation. As your body changes, everything can swell, including your hands and feet. If you’re planning to get pregnant, consider having a looser bracelet welded on early in your pregnancy. Some people even use this as an opportunity to commemorate their journey, adding charms for each baby milestone. If it gets too tight, you can always cut it off and have it re-welded after the baby is born, perhaps repurposing it into a keepsake or a new piece.
Conclusion
Permanent jewelry is largely carefree and versatile, you can wear it almost anywhere without issue. However, in the rare instances where you do need to remove it, remember that it’s usually easy to reattach, and many artists offer this service for free or at a minimal cost if done for medical or other unavoidable reasons.
If you’ve encountered a situation where you had to remove your permanent jewelry that we haven’t mentioned, we’d love to hear about it in the comments! And if you have any questions about a particular scenario, feel free to ask. We hope you found this information helpful!
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