Body piercing
Body; piercing; art; youth; safety; pierced; ear; infection; allergy; tattoo; nose; face;
Contents
Many young people of today are discovering body piercing. Getting a piercing can be a statement about who you are, a form of body art that is less permanent than tattooing, yet still daring. Ears, necks, lips, nose, eyebrows, cheeks, tongues (ouch!), nipples, in between fingers and toes, navels and genitals are amongst the areas of the body that people have had pierced.
However body piercing can cause some problems. It's a good idea to find out as much information as you can before making a decision.
History
Body piercing is not a new practice. Here are some examples:
- ear lobes have been pierced for many years in many countries
- in many cultures people adorn their face with nostril piercing
- septum piercing (through the nose) takes place in traditional African and New Guinean societies
- lip and cheek piercing have been common in many tribal societies.
What can go wrong - risks
- If sterile equipment and latex gloves are not used there are risks of passing on infections like hepatitis B and C, HIV/AIDS, and tetanus. Check below on how to avoid these serious diseases.
- There is a risk of infection after piercing. Infections can become severe and may need antibiotics and removal of the piercing.
- The piercing can be rejected, much like the body rejects a splinter.
- You can get an allergic reaction to the metal.
- You will be permanently scarred.
- There is a risk of keloid formation - a large scar even from a small wound.
- Genital piercing increases the risk of sexually transmitted diseases because the jewellery can cause a condom to break and because the piercing can be a point for an infection to enter the body.
- Some women have reported that it is more difficult to breastfeed after getting nipples pierced, possibly due to the milk ducts being blocked by jewellery and by scar tissue. A breastfeeding woman would have to take the jewellery out until after the baby is weaned. It is not practical to take the jewellery out for each feed, every few hours. This would be really difficult at 4 in the morning with a baby screaming for a feed. The jewellery can't be left in the nipple during a feed because it could damage the baby's soft palate (inside the mouth) and because if it comes loose, the baby could choke on the jewellery. For these reasons it may be best to avoid nipple piercing if there's a possibility you'll breastfeed later on.
- Mouth jewellery may damage teeth, especially when tongue jewellery taps on the teeth.
If there is any infection it is important to consult your doctor quickly.
"I have seen several young woman in the clinic who've had their lips pierced and all of them have had a wide ring of ulcers around the piercing on the inside of their mouths." Community Health Nurse
Things to consider before piercing
If you are considering piercing, it's good to have a lot of knowledge first. You've already read about the possible risks. Here are some questions to ask to help you make your decision.
- Ask yourself why you want to get pierced? Is it a rebellion, a way to stand out, or is it more of a personal statement, something you feel strongly about?
- Talk to people that you know have had a piercing. What was it like for them? Would they do it again?
- Where on your body will you have the piercing? Remember that some people can be quite judgemental about piercing and about your looks, and this can lessen your chances of getting a job (especially a conservative job).
- If at a later date you decide to take the jewellery out, there will be some scarring - this will, of course, be more obvious on the more exposed parts of the body such as the face.
"One bloke I met had three rows of barbell piercings on his neck. I saw him again a while ago and he had taken them all out. Instead of jewellery, he now has three rows of scars. I asked him why he took them out. He told me he'd just gotten sick of them. He'll be scarred for the rest of his life." Steve, 19
- What rules does your place of work or your school have about piercing?
- How will your parents feel about it? Is this going to cause conflict at home?
- If you play sport, can you keep the jewellery in while playing, or is there a danger it can get caught and tear? If you take the jewellery out for games, the hole could close.
At what age can you get piercing?
Check the laws where you live about when you can have a body piercing. Most body piercers will not pierce a person under the age of 16 or 18 except with signed parental consent although the law in South Australia does not make this essential.
Although this may seem unfair to younger people who really want a piercing, these rules are in place for a number of reasons. Firstly, your body is still growing and this means that the piercing can grow out or change position. Secondly, a piercing could be seen as child abuse especially if it is in a private part of your body.
Don't get your piercing done by a friend to avoid waiting. Without proper training and equipment, this can be dangerous. Wait until a reputable piercer will do the piercing correctly.
Choosing a reputable piercer
If you do decide to go ahead and get a piercing, there are some important things to find out first so that you can try and avoid the piercing pitfalls already described.
- It's important to go to a reputable piercer. There are many things that have to be carefully considered by the piercer including the right size jewellery, the right type of metal for different body parts, sterilisation of equipment and correct positioning of the piercing using some knowledge of the human anatomy.
- Ask around for names of reputable piercers. There are no legal regulations for the training of body piercers. This means that some piercers may not be well trained. They have varying degrees of formal training, experience, knowledge and skill.
- Don't get just anyone to do it. Although piercers do not have "formal" training, a reputable piercer still has lots more knowledge than one of your friends doing your piercing at home.
Ask the piercer the following questions.
- Is all the equipment sterile? Equipment should be in new sterile packaging and then thrown out immediately after use or properly sterilised in an autoclave. An autoclave kills germs with ultra high temperatures.
- Is a brand new sterile needle used for each customer?
It should then be disposed of in a locked sharps container.
- Are fresh disposable latex gloves used for each customer?
- Does the piercer have knowledge about the human anatomy and the location of various nerves etc that lie beneath the skin and must be avoided?
- Does the piercer give every customer information about proper aftercare of their piercing?
- Is the piercer available to you for any questions you may have after the piercing?
- What is the piercer's knowledge about correct jewellery to be used? The jewellery must be the right gauge or thickness for the particular piercing as well as the right type of metal.
Have a look for yourself and make sure the place is clean.
- The piercer should be clean, sober, helpful, knowledgeable and give you all the information you need to guide you through the experience.
- Remember it is your right to choose a reputable piercer and to be given a quality service. If you are not happy with the attitude of the piercer, or the appearance of the business, don't be afraid to walk out, there are better places to choose from.
What's it like to get a piercing?
It takes about 15 minutes to get a piercing. This time includes marking the area to be pierced, cleaning the area and getting everything ready. The actual piercing itself only takes from seconds to minutes depending on the type of piercing.
Piercing hurts, but the amount of pain that you feel is an individual thing - we all have different levels of tolerance to pain. Piercers don't generally use any anaesthetic. It can be sore for a while afterwards, especially if you bump it.
After care instructions vary depending on the type of piercing. Your piercer should give you detailed instructions to follow to take care of the piercing.
It can be a good idea to ask about the instructions before the piercing as it can be hard to concentrate afterwards, especially if you feel a little dizzy or light headed. Ask the piercer to write down the after care instructions.
Some general rules.
- Never touch your piercing with dirty hands.
- Follow the piercer's instructions carefully.
- Use products suggested by the piercer, as different products should be used for different areas of the body.
- If you have an oral piercing (a piercing in the mouth), avoid smoking or drinking alcohol, at least until it has fully healed.
- Use condoms or dental dams for sex, including oral sex, if you have a genital or oral piercing.
- See a health professional quickly if you have pain or an infection.
Healing time
Healing times vary from weeks to a year. It depends on:
- the part of the body being pierced, eg ear lobes heal quicker than the cartilage at the top of the ear
- your own body's reaction to the piercing, eg you can be sensitive to the metal
- how well you care for the piercing.
Ask the piercer about expected healing times for various body parts.
References
Gunter t, McDowell B, 'Body piercing: issues in adolescent health' Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing. Philadelphia: Apr-Jun 2004;9(2): 67-70
Muldoon, K (1997) "Body Piercing in Adolescents" in Journal of Pediatric Health Care, pp 298 301, November/December, 1997.
Body Piercing Infection and Injury, Research Report. Southern Primary Health – Noarlunga, October 2006.
http://www.hcvadvocate.org/news/reports/BodyArt.pdf
The information on this site should not be used as an alternative to professional care. If you have a particular problem, see a doctor, or ring the Youth Healthline on 1300 13 17 19 (local call cost from anywhere in South Australia).