Face and body piercings have become very popular, especially with teens. Studies have shown that most of these body piercings come from women. Nearly 83 percent of women have their ears pierced and many in this century have multiple piercings, some on the body and the face. Although face and body piercings can be attractive and the “cool thing to do”, they can cause some serious health risks. Always do your research and consider the health possibilities before piercing any part of your face or body.
Types of Needles Used For Face and Body Piercings
There are two main ways to get a piercing. When it comes to piercing the ears, a ear piercing gun is usually used. The ear gun is just a quick shot of a small needle through the ear. This process is usually relatively painless and over within a few seconds. The instrument looks some what like a glue gun and has a trigger that you pull to release the needle.
The second way of piercing is with a needle. Depending on where the body piercing is going to be, the size of the needle will be different. For example, the needle that they use for a tongue piercing is larger then the one for a navel piercing because the barbell that is placed in the tongue must be larger. The needle looks much like a ordinary sewing needle. It is sterilized first and foremost, and then pushed through the area of skin by the piercer. This may take a few additional seconds depending on the thickness of the skin and the experience of the piercer. This type of needle is usually more painful then the piercing gun, but the pain is over in a few seconds.
Choosing a Professional and Experienced Piercer
When you decide that you would like to get a face or body piercing, the most important thing to consider is who will do the piercing. You should never allow anyone that is not licensed to do a piercing. Also, never get a piercing done in someone’s own home, because of obvious safety and health issues. The most experienced the piercer is, the better.
If the piercer has his or her own shop, you may want to look at their portfolio to see the type of work that they do. A professional piercer will explain the procedure to you beforehand, let you watch them take the piercing needle out of a sterilized package, walk you through the procedure and then give you follow up instructions when they are finished.
Health Risks of Getting a Face or Body Piercing
It is important to only use new, sterilized needle for any piercing that you may get. Old or unsterilized needles may be be contaminated with infected blood or may have body fluids from the last person who used the needle. It is entirely possible to transmit viral infections such as Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and Herpes all through a body piercing if the needle is not properly sterilized and new from the package. Bacterial infections such as Streptococcus and Staphylococcus are also concerns.
You are not the only one that can infected by a un-clean needle. The piercer himself also has the chance of getting any of the above infections if they are not using a clean needle. Any bacteria or virus’s that are present on your skin can enter the body and cause infection if not properly treated before the piercing procedure. It is important for the piercer to carefully clean any area that is going to be pierced.
Minimizing the Health Risks
To protect yourself and the piercer from any infections and diseases, it is important to be prepared. Below is a list of things to remember before, during and after your piercing procedure.
-All needles are new and sterilized.
-The work area is clean, sterilized and properly lit.
-The ear piercing gun is working properly and contains a new needle and a disposable sterile cartridge to hold the studs.
-The piercer has good hygiene and washes his hands before and after the procedure, wears gloves during the procedure and uses all clean tools.
-Work surfaces are made from smooth and non-porous materials.
-All work surfaces should be properly cleaned with a solution of bleach and water before and after each procedure.
-The shop should have a sterilizing machine that contains test strips to see if the machine is working properly before using it on your body.
-All waste should be discarded properly and placed into plastic bags.
-All needles should be placed into puncture-resistance containers.
-Choose a good piercer with experience and a good track record.
-Ask the piercer for infection control guidelines before the procedure.
-Never tattoo any area of the body that contains a cut, break, acne, wart or any other abnormality.
-Always let the piercer disinfect the area of the skin before piercing.
-You may want to consider getting a Hepatitis B vaccine before the piercing. Unfortunately, there is no vaccine for Hepatitis C or HIV.
Before getting your first and sixth body piercing, it is always best to consider these health risks. Not all piercers are professional and experienced and you do not want to pay for their lack of knowledge through a disease or infected piercing. It is best to get the opinions of others who have went to that specific piercer and consider all of the above before getting a face or body piercing.
