Live Life Team
Body piercing was a way to express oneself in the ancient days. Nipple rings were used by the Romans to display courage and virility. Naval piercing was used by the royal Egyptian families to display high status in the society.
Definition
Body piercing is the process where a part of the human body is pierced for wearing jewellery.
The most common type in body piercing is ear piercing. The earring is inserted in the whole produced by piercing the fat tissue of earlobe. A specifically designed gun is used for this purpose. This gun can be used only for ear piercing.
The gun used is a disposable one or one where the cartridge can be changed. But while using cartridge, one must ensure that it is sterile. The person must wash his or hands before piercing the ear. The surgical gloves which are used by the person must be disposed after the piercing is completed. Piercing should be done in a clean and smoke free zone.
Other body piercing types are:
Belly button or navel piercing: This is done above the navel. A straight short bar is passed through the pierced hole which will have metal balls with screws on both ends. In some cases, a tiny metal ring that has been fastened using clip on ball may also be used.
Nose piercing: The nose stud is jewellery which exactly looks like the earring. The only difference is that the nose stud has a right angled stem. This is pierced into the nose through its cartilage and skin.
Tongue piercing: This is also known as oral piercing. A small bar is inserted in the hole to which metal balls having screws are attached on both ends.
Nipple piercing: The vascular tissue at the tip if the nipple is pierced and a very thin ring made up of metal is inserted in the hole.
Risks
The piercing of any of the body parts is similar to conducting a surgery. It presents the same level of risks as well as the same long healing periods. The healing periods for the various types of body piercing are:
three to four months in case of ear piercing
one month to one year in case of navel piercing
one to two months in case of tongue or oral piercing
and
two to three months in case of nose piercing.
There are high chances of the body part developing infection in case of body piercing. Infection can develop in one of the following ways;
As transmittable infections
If the environment where the body piercing is done is not clean and hygienic, then there are high chances of the person developing diseases like hepatitis C, hepatitis B as well as HIV due to the usage of non-sterilised needles.
As bacterial infections
This can cause cysts that will cause blood poisoning or toxic shock syndrome, in case of lack of proper medication.
Body piercing can result in oversized scars leaving an ugly look about the person.
