Body piercing is a popular form of body art among both women and men. For the most part, it’s just a fun and creative way to express your personality and get body modification. However, if mishandled, it can create a few issues that may pose serious health risks and be difficult to deal with.
Let’s take a look at some of the common body piercing problems and a few tips that can help you prevent them.
Piercing Infections
Microorganisms can gain access to piercing sites during the process of piercing itself or later when it’s healing. To fight off these germs and bacteria, your body reacts to produce white blood cells. This leads to swelling near the piercing, discharge, redness, soreness, and even fever.
If you notice any of these signs and symptoms, it’s best to visit your doctor. Most infections are treated with common medication.
To prevent infection from occurring in the first place, you should make sure you choose a reliable piercing artist that follows proper hygiene practices. Moreover, you need to carry out proper piercing aftercare later.
Metal Reactions
Many people are sensitive to metals like nickel and lead. Piercing jewelry that contains even small amounts of these metals can trigger allergic reactions in the body. Therefore, you should always invest in good quality piercing jewelry that is made from hypoallergenic metals. The best choices could be niobium, surgical grade stainless steel, titanium, and 18-karat gold.
Stay away from novelty shops that sell cheap jewelry commonly made from sterling silver and other such metals.
Migration
Sometimes, the piercings can travel through the skin and settle at a slightly different location from the original piercing. This is known as migration.
Since your body treats a new piercing and associated jewelry as a foreign body, it can sometimes try to push it away. One reason for this is the wrong choice of metal. Your body might be allergic to the metal and does not accept it.
In other cases, it could be the gauge of the jewelry as well. If the jewelry is too thin, it’s easier to get relocated through the skin.
Abdominal or genital piercings are most prone to getting migrated. You should always choose a hypoallergenic metal and a gauge no thinner than 1.6 millimeters for these piercings.
Boils
Boils may form around the piercing when bacteria tries to infect the piercing and is trapped by white blood cells. You must follow proper hygiene practices after getting the piercing and perform frequent salt water soaks and compresses during the first few weeks. Make sure to keep your piercing clean and dry at all times.
In severe cases of infection, it can also lead to the formation of abscesses. These will have to be removed by your doctor, followed by a course of prescription medicines.
These were some of the common body piercing problems that can be a nuisance for piercing enthusiasts. The best way to avoid them is by choosing a certified piercing artist and following goof piercing aftercare till the piercing is fully healed.
