PIERCING

Body art has become very popular in the recent years. Generally, people pierce their earlobes, lips, nose, eye brows, belly, tongue, and cheeks.  Maybe you have thought about doing a piercing.  Before you do it you should ask:  are they safe — are they a good idea?  Do you have the information you need before you decide to do a piercing?

What is piercing and what you should expect once you get one?

A body piercing is done by puncturing your skin with a needle and inserting a piece of jewellery.

If the person who is doing the piercing is a professional working in a safe, clean environment, this is what you should expect:

1. The person doing the work will have washed his/her hands with an antibacterial soap and will be using disposable latex gloves.
2. The area where the piercing will be done will have been washed with an antibacterial soap.
3. Your skin will be injected with a clean, disposable needle. You do not want them to use a gun because it cannot be sterilized.  
4. The jewellery piece being inserted must be sterilized. Be sure to find out before hand if you are allergic to any metals.  If you don’t know, use a gold piece.
5. The needle and blood should be disposed of in such a way that nobody else can touch it.
6. After the piercing has been done, the area should be cleaned.
7. The person who did the piercing should explain to you what to do in order for it to heal properly.

Before doing a piercing:

1. Look for a safe place. If you are under 18, you must have your parent’s permission.  If they do not ask for that, you should not use that place.
2. Think about the area of your body where you want to put the piece and research the risks involved and how you can protect yourself from infections and other complications.
3. Infections are more common when you do the piercing in the mouth and nose, because of the millions of bacteria that live in those areas. Symptoms of infection include pain, swelling, reddening of the area, bleeding, and pus.
4. Tongue piercing can affect teeth in time and can hurt the nerves on the tongue.
5. Piercing your tongue, cheek or lip can cause problems with your gums.
6. If you have a medical problem, such as allergies, diabetes, skin problems, immune system problems, any type of infection or you are pregnant, you should consult a doctor before having a piercing done. 

If you decide to do a piercing:

1. Be sure to have all your vaccines up to date, especially hepatitis and tetanus.
2. Look for a safe and hygienic place to do it.
3. Never use hydrogen peroxide to clean the area that you have had pierced.  It can dissolve new scar tissue.
4. If you pierce your mouth use antibacterial mouthwash. 
5. If the piercing does not heal properly, get medical attention right away.
6. Do not try to put the piece of jewellery in yourself and do not ask a friend to do it.  Go to a professional who has a safe, clean environment.