Everything You've Always Wanted To Know About Body Piercing

Posting Date: 01/04/2000

The facts and myths of body piercing are examined in the prestigious British Medical Journal in an article written by the editor of Body Art magazine. This is something you?d never see in a top American medical publication, which is too bad because it?s good to have knowledge about this fashion trend.

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For example, did you know body piercing has been practiced in almost every society, but until recently was confined mostly to the ears, nose and mouth? Now we have nipple piercing, naval piercing and jewelry inserted in penis foreskins.

An interesting survey by Body Art found that 79 percent of 134 responding readers were aged 29 or over and 58 percent were married or in a long-term relationship. Only about half of these body piercers saw themselves as adventurous and less than 20 percent were involved in masochistic, sadistic, fetishist, exhibitionist or narcissistic behavior.

According to this article, the majority of piercings are safe, with the most problems occurring from naval piercings, which have a high infection rate. This is because the skin bends and stretches, and the inserted jewelry irritates the skin.

There is also a danger of nickel allergies from body piercing, according to a study done in Norway that you might want to check out.

The apparent secret to safe piercing is to use high-quality jewelry. You don?t want jewelry that is the wrong shape for the body area or made of thin gauge metal that can cut like a wire.

If you do become infected, you?re better off leaving the jewelry in place while treating the infection with an antiseptic cream or solution. This is because it will help the wound to drain and heal. In most cases, a five-day treatment with flucloxacillin plus regular cleaning with a chlorhexidine solution will do the trick.

If you?re pierced and go to a hospital, you could be in trouble. Sometimes you can cover the studs with insulating tape, but some doctors insist on all body piercing jewelry being removed during physical examinations and x-rays. If you have to remove jewelry, the skin closes up fast so it should be reinserted as soon as possible.