Piercing and MRI

MRI is becoming an increasingly common technique for radiological examinations, and it may be helpful to clear up some misunderstandings about piercing jewelry and MRI.

MRI stands for magnetic resonance imaging, and the machine uses a powerful magnetic field and radio waves to produce detailed images of the inside of the body. This makes metal objects a bit challenging to examine.

Firstly, it is obviously important that the metal you have in your body is not magnetic. Certified implant grade piercing jewelry is not magnetic, and the same applies to gold. However, the jewelry will cause interference (disturbance) in the image, so if the jewelry is in the part of the body that is to be examined, it should be removed anyway. At Pinpoint we have glass jewelry that you can switch to if the piercing is still healing.

Mammography can be done in several ways, and in general, it can be said that during an X-ray, you can keep jewelry in your nipples, but if you are going to have an MRI, they should be removed.

But even with a non-magnetic piece of jewelry, the shape and dimensions themselves can actually play a role, as some shapes can act as an antenna for radio waves. This can cause heat to build up in the piece of jewelry.

Longer and larger jewelry such as industrial barbells and Prince Albert rings may be a good idea to remove even if another part of the body is to be examined.

On microdermals, it may be best to unscrew the top.

Quantity can also affect, so it is recommended to remove as much as possible if you have a lot of piercings. Then you can always try to leave the newest/most vulnerable ones in.

There are a number of different types of MRI scans, and longer scans require that you remove all metal from your body. These are usually done in hospitals. For shorter scans done at radiology centers, you can often keep some of your piercing jewelry in, as long as you are sure of the metal alloy they are made of.

This text was created in consultation with radiographer Jon Christoffer Ballestad Sandstrøm.