What is Body Piercing?

Body piercing is the practice of puncturing or cutting a part of the human body, creating an opening in which jewelley may be worn.

Many different cultures have pierced their bodies for centuries. Piercing ears to wear ear hangings are quite common with women in Indian culture. In western culture, people pierced their bodies to show the their importance in a group, or because they thought it protected them from evil.

How piercing is done?

An experienced piercer uses a hollow needle to create a hole by passing the needle through the body part you want pierced. The jewelry is then inserted through the hole. Sometimes there can be a small amount of bleeding.

Medical situations in which i should not consider body piercing?

• If you have a skin irritation or an unusual lesion or a rash, lump, cut, moles, or lots of freckles (where you want to get pierced).
• If you have diabetes, hemophilia, an auto-immune disorder, certain heart conditions, or another medical condition that might interfere with the healing process.
• If you plan to become pregnant, you should NOT get your nipple or navel pierced. In some cases, nipple piercings can damage some of the milk-producing glands in a young woman's breasts. This can cause infections or problems later on if the woman decides to breast-feed her baby.
• If you are pregnant, you should avoid piercing of any kind.

 

Body Piercings & Healing Times Pierced Body Part Healing Time Ear lobe 6 to 8 weeks Ear cartilage 4 months to 1 year Eyebrow 6 to 8 weeks Nostril 2 to 4 months Nasal septum 6 to 8 months Nasal bridge 8 to 10 weeks Tongue 4 weeks Lip 2 to 3 months Nipple 3 to 6 months Navel (belly button) 4 months to 1 year Female genitalia 4 to 10 weeks Male genitalia 4 weeks to 6 months

 

What are the risks of body piercing?

The most serious risks are

• Infections,
• Allergic reactions,
• Bleeding,
• Damage to nerves or teeth.
• Contaminated instruments can transmit a wide range of bacterial or viral infections including Hepatitis B, HIV or tetanus.
  

If the piercer washes his/her hands and uses gloves and sterile equipment and you take good care of your piercing, the risk of infection is lowered (but still exists).

What should I take care of while going for body piercing?

• Be absolutely sure the piercing technique is sterile. This is most important.
• Stainless steel must be used to pierce the skin.
• Use stainless steel/gold/silver/titanium jewellery until the piercing has healed.
• Follow the post-care instructions religiously.
• Don't worry about price. Rather, make sure the piercer is reputable and the shop sanitary.
• The piercer is registered and licensed to perform body piercing.

How can I prevent any infections once I get piercing done?

Precautions are always better than cure. It shouldn't take a lot of your time to keep your piercing clean. The idea is to keep the pierced area neat and clean to avoid any microbial activity. You can take care of following point to smoothen your healing process: