To prevent scar tissue from forming and/or permanent deformity, tears should be repaired within 12 to 24 hours.
Cuts and tears are common to pierced ears and may occur after falls, motor vehicle crashes, contact sports, person-to-person violence, or accidental pulling of an earring.
Pointed earring posts may cause pressure sores or skin irritation when worn during sleep. Navel piercings can take up to a year to heal completely. This constant irritation can delay healing. Jewelry in the navel can get caught on clothing and linens. Jewelry in the genital area may cause injury and can cause a condom to break or a diaphragm to dislodge-increasing the risk of pregnancy and exposure to sexually transmitted infections. Prolonged wearing of heavy jewelry also may result in an elongated or deformed earlobe. If it's too small, it could cut the skin or break off. If it is too big it could lead to large scars or tissue damage. It should also be the right size for the body part being pierced. Jewelry absolutely must be new and never used by anyone else. And teens are frequently on a tight budget, which means they may buy jewelry that is poor in quality. Poor quality jewelry can also cause the same problems as nickel. Steroid creams can then be used to help stop the reaction. A reaction often requires the jewelry piece to be removed. It is important to know that some gold jewelry contains nickel. Therefore, jewelry containing nickel must be avoided. Nickel allergy is a very common and a potentially serious risk of piercing. Infection of the mouth or lips may cause speech, chewing, or swallowing problems or swelling that can block the throat.Īllergic reactions. Researchers have also found that, in some cases, the jaw bone may be affected requiring oral surgery to preserve the teeth. Lip or tongue jewelry can also cause gum problems and damage to the enamel the jewelry can also become loose and be swallowed. Tooth chipping (or fracture) is the most common dental problem related to tongue piercing. It is important to be up to date on immunizations, especially hepatitis B and tetanus, before having anything pierced.ĭental trauma. These types of infections are commonly caused by contaminated piercing equipment. With any piercing, there is the danger of this type of infection, including the hepatitis B or C viruses and tetanus. This helps prevent the hole from closing and promotes drainage of the infected area.īloodstream infections. With this type of infection, jewelry generally does not have to be taken out. Infections can often be treated with good skin hygiene and antibiotic medications. Of all the body sites commonly pierced, the navel is the most likely to become infected because of its shape. Whenever the skin's protective barrier is broken, local skin infections from staph or strep bacteria are a risk.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) clinical report Adolescent and Young Adult Tattooing, Piercing, and Scarification encourages parents and teens to consider the risks involved and details the adverse outcomes associated with body piercing. The tongue, lips, nose, eyebrows, nipples, navel (belly button), and genitals can all be pierced.Īmong people who get a piercing other than the earlobe, about 1 in 3 end up having a complication. Roughly 1 in 4 teenagers surveyed had a piercing somewhere other than an earlobe. The earlobe is the most universal site for body piercing-but it's definitely not the only option out there.