People from many different cultures have pierced their bodies for centuries. If you look in a history book, you will find that Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans decorated their bodies with piercings and tattoos. Many pierced their bodies to show their importance in a group, or because they thought it protected them from evil. Today, we know much more about the risks of body piercing. Body piercing is a serious decision. Before you decide to get a piercing, ask your parents, trusted adults, and friends what they think. Come to this of this:
- You do NOT have to pierce your body to “belong”
- You can ALWAYS change your mind or WAIT if you are not sure
- If you do decide to have your body pierced, NEVER pierce your own body or let a friend do it because you can end up having very serious health problems.
Are there any medical reasons why I should not get a piercing? Yes. There are medical conditions (see the list below) that could interfere with the natural healing process after a piercing, which makes getting a piercing under these circumstances not only a bad.
What are the risks of body piercing? The most serious risks are infections, allergic reactions, bleeding, and damage to nerves or teeth. Infections may be caused by hepatitis, HIV, tetanus, bacteria, and yeast. 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 can still occur).
- You CAN get and/or spread a serious infection (including Hepatitis B or C, HIV), and other infections if the piercing equipment has not been sterilized properly.
- Infections caused by bacteria getting into the puncture of the piercing can happen later, even after the piercing has healed.
- If the studio uses a piercing “gun” to do body piercings, LEAVE! Piercing guns cannot be sterilized and should NOT be used for body piercing.
- Another cause of problems from piercings is using the wrong kind of jewelry for the area pierced. If the jewelry is too large, it can actually cut off the blood supply to the tissue, causing swelling and pain. If the jewelry is either too thin or too heavy, or if you’re allergic to the metal, your body may reject the jewelry.
4 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Get A Piercing according to The Association of Professional Piercers:
1. You have a skin irritation or an unusual lesion or a rash, lump, cut, moles, or lots of freckles and/or abrasions (where you want to get pierced)
2. You have diabetes, hemophilia, an auto-immune disorder, certain heart conditions, or other medical conditions that might interfere with the healing process
3. You have a job or participate in an activity that would make having a piercing risky or a licensed professional piercer feels that it would be a bad idea
4. You’re already pregnant or have plans to become pregnant and want a nipple, navel, or other piercing
Be sure to see a doctor should you notice any signs of infections after getting a piercing. Please visit theboxshowafrica.com more information.
