Home piercing trend proves risky

October 23, 2009  
Filed under Feature, People and Clubs

By Krystal Pence

Piercings — whether someone goes to a professional for the deed, or shoves a needle through their skin themselves, the possibilities are endless for what risks will one take to try to make their appearances up to par with their desired look.

Though some may be smart about their piercings by getting them done professionally and cleaning them as needed, others have not fully grasped the risks of infections following improper piercing technique.  This could include a simple infection, or even a fatal one.

There are several complications that can come with body piercing, which could be the result of an improper style of piercing, or just not cleaning their piercing as directed.  Either way, it is not pleasent for those that bear a infection from a piercing.

“When I got my [lip] piercings, it was a slight sting at first, and then for that day, but when I woke up they stung like when you rip skin off your lip and they dry up and crack,”  Junior Jordan Lass said.

Lass is one of the many students at Fort High to have a piercing of some sort, but he is one of the few to get it done by an amateur instead of a professional.  He has been bearing his lip piercings, since the beginning of his sophomore year.  Lass’s Piercer was also an amateur; Junior Mikaela Golombowski. However, that fact did not seem to unnerve Lass.

“She is very professional about it. She’s had experience piercing, she cleans her tools well and she has the equipment,”  Lass said.

Though some amateurs do piercings to simply mess around, others take it very seriously.  There is still a matter of if their piercing process is really clean enough to prevent infections such as hepatitis B or C virus, tetanus, and other diseases.

Infections are not the only danger of body piercings. Scarring, and tearing of the skin are very common with body piercings if not handled properly.  Both scarring and infections are most likely to occur if the piercing is not healed properly.  A lip piercing generally takes six to eight weeks to heal, a tongue takes three to six weeks, etc.  It all depends on the type of piercing, and where its placement is.

If an amateur piercer, or and type of piercer in general, does get the job done and do it in professional manner, then it is simply up to the bearer to clean their piercings from there on out, which can be done in very simple ways depending on the type of piercing.

For oral piercings, according to aafp.org, rinsing with nonprescription oral cleansers can greatly reduce the risk for infection if done daily.  Earrings and other piercings can be cleaned with peroxide.

To prevent scarring and tears, it is recommended to take out your piercings during rigorous activities or possibly when working out.

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