Just how bad is uncoated metal inside you?

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10+ years ago I managed to get a bb pellet in my chin (high speed implant?). I’m pretty sure its steel because i can attach a magnet to it. I hadn’t really thought too much about it until recently, I was chatting with some bodymodders online and was a little surprised when a few of them said I should have it taken out ASAP. A few years ago I had asked my doctor about the bb pellet, and they said it was probably fine, and that if it didnt bother me it was probably best to just leave it be. It doesnt bother me at all, most of the time I forget its even there, and its a fun party trick to move my lip up over my teeth so it sticks out under my skin lol. That being said, I’ve seen some gnarly pics of implants removed with failed encapsulation, and the thought of something potentially rusting inside my face isn’t great.

So I guess im looking for second opinions, I’m not insured at the moment so getting a second professional medical opinion isnt an option.

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Well.. BBs used to be made of lead, but yeah most modern BBs are typically made of carbon steel, coated in copper or zinc to prevent rust. So, you might have a bit of extra copper your body would have to clear, but after that it would likely just form a surface petina of iron oxide (rust) and then not do much after that. The fact you can still stick a magnet to it after all this time means it’s not eroded in any meaningful way. The doc is probably right, it’s fine.

Now.. a NdFeB magnet on the other hand, has all kinds of nasty heavy metals in it and they are very prone to complete breakdown. A compromised magnet should definitely be taken out asap.

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Thank you! I saw that compromised magnet post (Compromised Steve Haworth magnet removal - #9 by mminaei) and those pics looked pretty gnarly, that was definitely one of the reasons I decided to ask about it here!

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