Body piercing is cool

In the days gone by, body piercing was an art and identified exclusively with royalty that portrayed courage and virility. But modern day body piercing is more about as a way of claiming positive ownership of own bodies, adding oomph, defining sexuality and expression of soul.

WTN draws a checklist of before and after body piercing

When you decide

• Make sure you are immunised- especially hepatitis B and tetanus. If the equipment is contaminated, you may contract various blood-borne diseases — including hepatitis B, hepatitis C, tetanus and HIV
• Check with your medical advisor just in case the piercing becomes infected or leads to irritation, excessive swelling or bleeding
• Visit a dentist once to ensure your teeth and gums are healthy if you are getting a tongue or mouth pierced

Choose a professional

• You need to carefully choose an efficient body piercer. Even though you may have decided a ‘to be pierced spot’ seek you piercer’s advice. They know how people get bored with a pierce on a specific body part.
• A qualified practitioner is excellent in understanding the physiology and anatomy of the body part to be pierced
• It is essential to share your health history with the professional just incase you suffer from allergies, heart ailments, diabetes and the medications you are taking
• Understand the possible side effects such as pain, swelling, and how to handle them
• Pre-visit him/her to check if the environment is clean and get complete information if equipment is properly sterilised
• Ensure the quality of the piercing jewellery is gold, titanium, stainless steel or niobium
• You must not allow an untrained professional or even a friend (which has been seen) must not be allowed to do the piercing.
• Ensure that the professional washes his or her hands and wears fresh disposable gloves for each piercing, uses only fresh, sterile needles, uses heat-sterilisation machine (autoclave) after each piercing

Risks involved

• The pierce can suffer irritation leading to infection and pain if rubbed against clothes
• A wrongly positioned ring can lead to nerve damage
• Tongue piercing jewellery can damage gums, chip and crack teeths and cause swelling thus making chewing and swallowing difficult

After care

• Do not remove or replace the jewellery during the healing period. Most piercings take about six weeks to heal, but certain areas might take months or longer.
• Vitamin B with Zinc helps healing process. Ensure you are not low on them.
• Do not touch a new piercing or twist the jewellery unless it requires cleaning. Your fingers may pass on germs causing infection
• Avoid tight fits or trauma from clothes. Clothes can accidently cause friction, irritate or pull the pierced area and delay healing
• Just stay out of pools, rivers and lakes and water bodies that could be germ struck
• Strenuous exercises and activities must also be skipped especially if the piercing is done on the belly or any place that could get hurt
• Look out for allergies. Swelling, redness, pain or a pus-like discharge is possible after a piercing
• Have a good diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables. Healing may require six months to two years and a healthy diet ensures quick recovery

Safety measures

a)    Postpone piercing if

• You have an infection or an open wound or if the wound doesn’t heal properly
• Have health conditions that weaken the immunity system, such as poorly controlled diabetes etc

b)    Think twice if

• People prone to scarring or easily form keloids must ideally skip the idea of piercing
• Not all skin surfaces are suitable for piercing. For instance,  people with tongue tie must not opt for tongue piercing

Caution

• Getting piercing done under the influence of alcohol or drugs is a complete no-no
• If you feel that the piercing is infected or if it isn’t healing properly refer to you medical advisor to prevent potentially serious complications

Approximate healing time required

• Ear lobes & eyebrow – 6 to 8 weeks
  Naval & ear cartilage – 4 months to 1 year
  Nasal septum & bridge – 6 to 10 weeks
  Nostril & cheeks– 2 to 5 months
  Tongue – 4 weeks
  Lips & nipples – 3 to 6 months
  Female genitalia – 4 to 10 weeks
  Male genitalia – 4 weeks to 6 months