Let me know if you have any suggestions or comments. That's all . . . The terms do not actually refer to hardness, for example, balsa is a hardwood. The part of the tree normally used is the center heartwood, normally darker and denser than the surrounding sapwood. There are several things to be aware of when selecting wood to be worn next to the body.
Hardwoods are porous and readily absorb and release moisture, oil, bacteria, etc.
Therefore, it may be harder to heal using this material. Hardwood plugs in general work best for the drier piercings, and for healed piercings. Anyone can potentially heal fine with hardwoods, but I recommend that someone be comfortable with their own healing process first. In addition, I would not recommend cleaning them with a chemical solution that is not also safe for the body, as there will be some left in the plug. They should always be handled by clean hands, and only used by one person.