Piercings: Health Risks And After Care

Piercing is one of the earliest and most popular forms of body modification in human history. This physical adaptation has served as a mirror of representation, reflecting one’s culture, religion and self-identity.

Today, it has transitioned into a fashion trend. Many around the globe are setting new fashion trends with it. People get piercings on their nose, tongues, lips, bellybuttons and even their genitals. As trendy and beautiful piercings are, they can develop injuries which is detrimental to their health without proper care.

People get pierced alterations on their body for different reasons but mostly for pure aesthetic. Getting pierced comes with pain, whether it is a minor or extreme piercing on any part of the body. Although the pain varies according to the type and place of piercing. Every piercing carries the risk of having an infection because of the open wound. As wounds on the body easily develop infection when exposed to germs and mishandling, so as piercing.

Infections to a piercing can easily develop pus, swellings, foul-smell and constant bleeding. Skin conditions like itching can also occur as a result of a reaction to the type of earring or product used to clean the piercing. All these causes great discomfort to the body and could lead to a permanent scar on the pierced body area. To avoid this risks, it is important to be properly informed about the types of piercing before deciding to get any.

There are different types of body piercings. Each has similar health risks and different healing time duration. According to body modification professionals, the healing process of piercing is faster when there is enough blood supply to the pierced area and more flesh than bone. In the first stage of healing, the area would feel tender and appear swollen, discharge is likely to emit but over time, it reduces and dries up. Depending on the type of body and pierced area, the healing process has a varied time frame.

Patience and intense care are required to make a piercing healing process smooth. The following is an average time duration of the healing process of common different body piercings; Ear piercing – healing duration(Tragus – 6 to 12months, Helix – 6 to 12 months), Body piercing – healing duration (Nipple – 9 to 12 months, Navel – 9 to 12months, Genital – 4 to 6months), Facial piercing – healing duration (Tongue – 4 to 6 months, Lip – 4 to 6 months, Nose – 6 to 12 months).

For piercings to stay clean and heal properly, it is recommended that you gently wash your piercing with a mild, fragrance-free soap and water at least once a day. Thoroughly rinse your piercings after washing them. After that, you apply a thin coat of petroleum jelly around each opening. This will help to keep the piercing safe and free from infections.