The site may be red, swollen or itchy, even ooze or bleed. It is best to remove jewelry and allow a rejection to heal completely. Re-piercing is an option but may be problematic. Earrings are unsuitable for piercings on other parts of the body. Specially made bar bells or rings are common nipple jewelry.
Many people are allergic to nickel, which is commonly used in jewelry manufacturing.
Titanium, nickel-free gold, platinum, niobium or surgical stainless steel are the metals of choice for body piercing jewelry. Choking is a potential hazard for the baby whose mother does not remove nipple jewelry before breastfeeding. As the baby sucks, the jewelry could become loose and lodge in the throat. The baby's gums and tongue as well as the soft and hard palate could be injured by the jewelry. Several lactation consultants interviewed for this article said that breastfeeding problems were often observed in women who did not remove nipple jewelry before nursing.