13 Tips And Precautions for Body Piercing to Avoid Health Risks
Body piercing is a puncture or a hole made in your body by a needle. It is seen today as a symbol of modern culture. The following passages elucidate the tips and precautions to be taken for the same.
Yogesh Ambekar
Last Updated: Dec 09, 2017
Body piercing is a body art which has gained a lot of popularity, and teenagers are the ones who practice it a lot. Either on the streets or on tv, you will get to see someone or the other having his/her body pierced. It has almost become like a rage. It's now not an unusual sight to see someone with pierced ears, lips, nose, eyebrows, belly buttons, tongues, or even cheeks. Well, if you are thinking of piecing for first time, you must know few things and for those have done it must be aware of the health risks associated with it. Do you know it can cause infections? Yes, it is done to enhance the beauty of body, to make it more fashionable; however, certain care needs to be taken.
After piercing, a piece of jewelry is inserted into the puncture. The most popular pierced body parts are the ears, nose, and belly button. You need to get it done from a person who provides a safe, clean, and professional environment.
Tips and Precautions
1) Wash your piercing area with an antibacterial soap.
2) See that you are up-to-date with your immunizations, particularly hepatitis and tetanus.
3) The needle to be used should be new and clean.
3) Plans regarding which doctor you will be consulting and how far is he from your place should be considered. If symptoms, like prolonged bleeding, pus, or change in your skin color around the piercing area occur, immediately refer to a doctor.
4) Those going for tongue or mouth piercing, make sure your teeth and gums are healthy and clean.
5) The jewelry you will be using must be rust free and well washed with water.
6) Don't use strong cleaning agents if the area is infection-free. Avoid alcohol or Peroxide to clean the area at any time. They may dry out your skin. Use of Betadine will remove the color of gold jewelry.
8) See that your hands are clean and washed with soap, before touching the pierced part, during the healing process. Ensure that no one will touch the pierced part during the healing period since his/her hands can be unclean and contain lots of bacteria.
9) Keep the pierced part dry. The body fluids (sweat, saliva, etc.) can cause infection.
9) Opt for clean clothing and regular change of bed sheets during healing.
10) Clean your telephone if you have an ear piercing. Wash the part of eye glasses that comes in contact with your ear with soap and water.
11) Be assured to check the threaded jewelry in your mouth (just like barbells) twice a day to ensure that the ends are tight.
12) If you have done ear and cartilage piercing, avoid make-up and powders around your face and neck during the healing process. Wrap the pierced part with a tissue when using hair spray.
13) Those with a tongue or lip piercing choose an antibacterial mouthwash that does not contain alcohol, and rinse your mouth after all meals and snacks.
2) See that you are up-to-date with your immunizations, particularly hepatitis and tetanus.
3) The needle to be used should be new and clean.
3) Plans regarding which doctor you will be consulting and how far is he from your place should be considered. If symptoms, like prolonged bleeding, pus, or change in your skin color around the piercing area occur, immediately refer to a doctor.
4) Those going for tongue or mouth piercing, make sure your teeth and gums are healthy and clean.
5) The jewelry you will be using must be rust free and well washed with water.
6) Don't use strong cleaning agents if the area is infection-free. Avoid alcohol or Peroxide to clean the area at any time. They may dry out your skin. Use of Betadine will remove the color of gold jewelry.
8) See that your hands are clean and washed with soap, before touching the pierced part, during the healing process. Ensure that no one will touch the pierced part during the healing period since his/her hands can be unclean and contain lots of bacteria.
9) Keep the pierced part dry. The body fluids (sweat, saliva, etc.) can cause infection.
9) Opt for clean clothing and regular change of bed sheets during healing.
10) Clean your telephone if you have an ear piercing. Wash the part of eye glasses that comes in contact with your ear with soap and water.
11) Be assured to check the threaded jewelry in your mouth (just like barbells) twice a day to ensure that the ends are tight.
12) If you have done ear and cartilage piercing, avoid make-up and powders around your face and neck during the healing process. Wrap the pierced part with a tissue when using hair spray.
13) Those with a tongue or lip piercing choose an antibacterial mouthwash that does not contain alcohol, and rinse your mouth after all meals and snacks.
Procedure
Earlobe and ear cartilage are the most frequently pierced sites. Other body parts pierced include eyebrow, lip, nose, tongue, nipple, navel, and various other genital sites. Teens generally should prefer to do piercing from an expert. The area to be pierced is cleaned with germicidal soap. Internal body parts, like tongue are not to be cleaned. The professional then uses a hollow clean needle which is passed through the body part. Then the insertion of the body jewelry which is first sterilized in the hole is done. Though the process is short but requires skill. Generally small amount of bleeding does happen after the procedure. Usage of a piercing gun for this purpose should be avoided because it crushes the tissues that are pierced and it cannot be properly sterilized again. The kinds of jewelry that will be inserted depend on the body part. It must accommodate the swelling that follows the procedure. Piercers suggest non-toxic metals, like surgical steel, 14K gold, titanium, or niobium, to avoid infections and allergic reactions. The period of healing may vary according to the body resistance. The healing period can be known from a person who has done the same type of piercing that you are looking for.
Remember it is a way to enhance the beauty of your body. See that you don't achieve this beauty at the cost of your body hygiene.
