Effects of Body Piercings

Piercing is fast becoming a new art form, but what are the effects of body piercings?

Considering a Body Piercing

Piercing is a way to allow a person to express themselves. Years ago it wasn't as popular as it is today, when getting a nose ring was considered rebellious and reserved for so-called freaks or weirdos.

There is a curiosity that exists within all of us when it comes to getting a tattoo or a piercing. There are simple piercings like the ears, in which many people have no issues with. Parents will even get their infant daughters' ears pierced long before they can walk. But what about unique piercings? Tongue piercings, naval rings, snake bites and gauged ears are just a few of the more exotic piercings you may choose to have. For the truly adventurous there are also a myriad of genital piercings.

Before You Get a Piercing

Allowing yourself to get a piercing can be a difficult decision filled with many questions and fears. Before committing to a piercing visit your local piercer and ask to sit in on a procedure. If it's possible, watch the procedure of the same piercing you wish to get. Some piercers won't allow it though, so ask them to explain the piercing you want in detail. Some may even have pictures or a video of it.

You should also use the Internet to your advantage and research the piercing you want before heading out to the piercing studio. Be sure to talk to your friends who have piercings. You can also join forums on the Internet that are dedicated to piercings.

Long Term Effects of Body Piercings

In many piercings the long term effects are less severe than the short term. It is important to know what you may be getting yourself into, so be aware of the risks prior to getting a piercing.

Ears

When you pierce your ear with a normal stud then remove it, the hole will eventually heal. Gauging your ears with anything larger than a standard stud will force your lobes to stretch. If you no longer want the gauge your ear lobes may shrink a little but you will still be left with a gaping hole. In order to get them back to normal you would have to talk to a plastic surgeon about reconstructive surgery.

Oral Piercings: Tongue, Cheek & Lip

Although the pain associated with many oral piercings is minimal, the long term effects are more widespread and reads like a laundry list:

• Disease transmission of herpes simplex and hepatitis B & C
• Numbness as well as loss of sensation and movement (in tongue piercings)
• Gum disease from long stem tongue piercings (barbells) that make prolonged contact with the gums
• Chipped and damaged teeth by the metal stems of piercings hitting them
• Tongue piercings can cause excess saliva production that can lead to permanent drooling
• Speech impairment

Surface and Other Body Piercings

The only long term effects of surface piercing is primarily found in permanent scarring of the area when you remove them. Depending on the placement of the piercing, this may prove an unsightly annoyance. There are many products on the market that help to lessen the depth and visibility of scars, so there is hope.

Genital Piercings

The obvious long term effects of having a genital piercing is the loss of sensitivity and, in some cases, over sensitivity. There will also be leftover scarring.

Short Term Effects of Body Piercings

The short term effects of body piercings tend to be more damaging than the long term and can include:

• Wound site infection caused by bacteria that enters the pierced skin due to unsterilized metal
• Another type of infection, endocarditis, has bacteria entering the bloodstream and traveling to the heart or the valves which can cause inflammation
• Tetanus, TB and chancroid are other forms of bacteria that can be procured at the time of piercing
• A body rash at the location of the piercing could also appear

Tips to Avoid Short and Long Term Effects

If you have not been scared away from having a piercing done, then the following tips may help you prevent some of the effects:

1. Talk to your friends and ask for their recommendations on piercers
2. Only go to a piercer that is board certified and ask to see their licensing (though in some states they aren’t required to be licensed many will still attend courses and achieve certification)
3. Observe their procedures and only consider them if they sterilize their equipment and wear gloves
4. Be sure to follow the aftercare procedures given to you by the piercer
5. Take the recommendation of the piercer to heart, they know best

• Free Chinese Zodiac Tattoos
• Day of the Dead Tattoo Ideas
• Cartilage Piercing Gallery
• How Many Tattoos Are Too Many?
• Celebrity Tattoo Quiz

• Wrist Tattoos
• Design Your Own Tattoos
• Star Tattoos
• Angel Wing Tattoos
• Celebrity Tattoo Pictures

• Piercing Pictures
• Naval Piercing
• Category:Types of Body Art
• Tongue Piercing
• Exotic Piercings