Festival Freaks

[Mark Healey]

What is PTFE?

A brand name of it is "Teflon".

Imagine polyethylene with fluorines where the hydrogens would be. It's white and slightly translucent. I have no idea how it would be used in jewelry.

[Mark Healey]

why can't you have a teflon allergy and..

Because it is about as close to inert as a compound could be.

[Chromatix]

Yeah, Teflon is used on cooking pans of all kinds, because it fails to react with food even when hot, and has the additional property of being slippery.

(But it's not very tough, so you should avoid using sharp utensils on those pans.)

[RetailWorkhorse]

(But it's not very tough, so you should avoid using sharp utensils on those pans.)

Ah, that explains how I ruined those pans......

DO NOT SCOUR.

[Yorik]

I woke my roommate when i started laughing because of the yorik quote(in germany where i live nobody knows shakespear , so everyone thinks my name is odd)

we use teflon in a lot of piercings, mostly the cheap ones, but we also use it for people who react to metal, and since it's flexible a 3-4 cm bar is used for navel-piercings in pregnancy, so the hole stays open. it's also possible to cut teflon, so you can use the bars to figure out which size you are most comfortable with in tongue studs, so you don't have to buy a set of expensive metal ones until you figure out the right size.

people who react to steel have a real problem, they can't use steel cuttlery, need to use teflon pans and can't eat out, most people simply react to nickel(or other material used in steel processing) and they think they are allergic to steel.

and nope, we don't sell circlets. I think i'll try forging one, see how it goes.

[SilverOrb]

Thanks. I do know what Teflon is... Just never heard the term "PTFE".
You learn something new every day!

[AriRashkae]

Gold allergies are very rare, but it does happen. I actually know someone who has a gold allergy.

I also know someone who's allergic to stainless steel. My poor mom can't wear it, she gets a really bad rash from it. XD;;

So far I'm allergic to everything except lightweight aluminum. So I can't wear my wedding band, but I can wear a chainmail bikini.

Found out about the silver part the hard way. Twice.

Note: If you have to see a doctor other than your usual one, and you tell him your allergic to something, make sure to check your meds, in case the %^&%$& doesn't believe you. (He gave me generic Silvadene for a burn, and I was covered head to toe in hives the next day. )

[rerant]

In regards to my piercings I've had people ask me, "Aren't you afraid those are going to go black and give you an infection?"
My response used to be, "I... wait, what?" but now it's a blank stare, a blink, and a sigh.
I wear nothing but stainless steel usually, however on the off chance I may wear pyrex plugs. None of which will corrode and give me an infection.

Although now that it's winter the question has become, "Don't those get cold in your face?" You mean these two teeny little studs in my lip? No. Go away. You're not allowed to play anymore.

[Chromatix]

Re: steel allergy (wtf?)

Fortunately cutlery is available in silver (or silver plate), though it does cost more. Silver-plate cutlery is probably the most cost-effective way of dealing with such a problem.

Also, cooking pans are available in aluminum (which has problems of it's own, but oh well), or even cast-iron for the careful. If they don't react to cast-iron, which is in bulk the same stuff as steel, then you know it's probably something from the smelting process.

[Saydrah]

navel-piercings in pregnancy

WHY oh why would someone want to pierce their navel while PREGNANT?!

[Jack Doe]

Re: steel allergy (wtf?)

Fortunately cutlery is available in silver (or silver plate), though it does cost more. Silver-plate cutlery is probably the most cost-effective way of dealing with such a problem.

Also, cooking pans are available in aluminum (which has problems of it's own, but oh well), or even cast-iron for the careful. If they don't react to cast-iron, which is in bulk the same stuff as steel, then you know it's probably something from the smelting process.

Or titanium, which is slightly less expensive than silver-clad and keeps a finer edge, but it's much harder to find outside a high end store like Williams-Sonoma or somesuch.

/loves his titanium multitool

[crazylegs]

WHY oh why would someone want to pierce their navel while PREGNANT?!

They don't, they want to keep the piercing open while they are pregnant.