Body Piercings

Body Piercing and the Risk for Infection

Body piercing has been a popular method of self-expression since ancient times. Roman centurions wore nipple rings to show their virility and courage, Amazonian warriors put heavy metal rings through their noses to intimidate their enemies, and ancient Egyptian royals had naval piercing to prove their high status in society. Today, although still associated with tribal people such as the Masai warriors of East Africa, body piercing has become a popular fashion in western society, made widespread in Britain by punk culture in the mid 1970's. Piercing the ears, nose, navel, tongue, and other parts of the body has now become commonplace, particularly among teenagers and young adults. It may be considered cool, but there are things you need to know before you get that piercing done. Piercing are susceptible to infection during the healing period. It is extremely important to take care of your new piercing in order to promote healing and prevent infection.

Body piercing is an invasive procedure (like a surgical operation) and carries with it the same risks and healing periods. Infection is the main risk associated with body piercing. Infection can occur in two ways: Transmittable diseases: if hygiene standards are not adequate, you are at risk of blood-borne diseases such as hepatitis (B and C), and HIV, which can be transmitted from dirty needles. Hepatitis is particularly known for its resilience and some strains can live for up to eight hours on dirty instruments in normal room temperatures. Bacterial infection: this can result in cysts (pockets of tissue filled with fluid, air or pus), which can develop into septicemia or toxic shock syndrome if left untreated. This can be very serious and even fatal. Body piercing also presents a risk of scarring and keloid formation (a type of oversized scar).

Specific piercing each presents its own risks. For example oral (tongue) piercings can result in chipped teeth where the jeweler wears away tooth enamel, or speech impediments when the piercee may have trouble forming some sounds. Areas of the body that have a lot of blood vessels, such as the tongue, can suffer from prolonged bleeding and serious blood loss when pierced. Swelling is also common, and in rare cases can be enough to block the airway or cause permanent nerve damage. Tongue piercings carry a higher than average risk of bacterial infection because of the high number of bacteria already present inside the mouth. In the most serious instances this can result in inflammation of the heart valves or tissues (endocarditic). Genital piercings can impede the functions of the genitals, making sexual intercourse and urination difficult and painful. This risk is particularly associated to piercings on and around the penis. Again, if one piercing is not looked after properly it may lead to infection and long-term complications. Self-piercing is particularly dangerous as it is unlikely that you will have the correct equipment, training or hygiene procedures to minimize the risk of infection or scarring.