Body Piercing: What You Should Know

by Arin Amerman

Body Piercings are a form of self expressions. Many people feel that certain piercings bring out their personality and show their individuality. Some take body piercings to a religious level stating that body piercings saved their lives.

They say this because when Jesus was hung on the cross, nails pierced through his body and that is what held him on the cross.

No matter what your reasoning is, there is still something you should know and consider before getting any type of body piercing.

Deciding on the type of body piercing you want is the hardest part. Whether it be naval, nose, tongue or genital you need to decide what would be the easiest for you to take care of or which would be the least to notice if you are in a professional field. After you have decided what type of piercing you are going to get, then comes the decision of what piercing studio you are going to get it done at.

When deciding on a piercer and a studio there are certain things you want to look for. One of those above all is cleanliness. Is the area the piercer works in clean and free of any debris or infectious causing materials? You also want to make sure that the utilities used for the piercing are sterile and packaged in the sterilizing materials.

You wouldn't go into a hospital and let a doctor stick you with a needle that he/she just used on the patient before you, would you? So why should it be any different when getting a body piercing? And last but certainly not least, you should see previous work done by the piercer before hand. Find out how many piercings he/she has done. How many have resulted in unsuccessful piercings? Get as much information as you can so that you can make the best decision.

Aftercare of your body piercing is very important. You have to make sure you take extra special care of the piercing so that you do not get an infection. Whether its a simple nose piercing or the more extreme piercings such as industrials or orbital, each has just as much important after care as the other. Be sure to follow the care instructions given to you by the piercer. If care instructions are not given, ASK!!!!!

Like I stated before, I am NOT a doctor or a body piercer. I know what I know from other who have experienced it first hand. Here are a few tips for the aftercare of body piercings.

TONGUE: You will use a lot of mouth wash. You want to rinse your mouth out after every meal. If you are a smoker you will also want to rinse after every cigarette. It is recommended to not change the piercing for 2 weeks after. You will also want to avoid any kind of deep kissing for about 4-6 weeks.

NOSE, NAVAL & EAR: Just wash the area with an antibacterial soap and keep some sort of product like Neosporin on it to keep the area from getting dry and crusty.

Some of your daily or recreational activities may have to be changed. For instance, you will want to avoid swimming in a pool or the ocean because you have an open wound. Sale and chemicals could get into the piercing and cause on infection. Be sure to never touch your piercing without washing your hands before and after. Also avoid wearing clothing or other items which may rub or tug on the piercing and cause irritation.

Any information given in this article is my own opinion. None of this information was given by a physician. Should you have questions please consult your primary care physician before making any decisions about your body.

Bruce MacLaren is the owner of Bodies Expressions a division of Bruces Odds & Ends INC offering body jewelry as distinctive as you are!

Article written by: Arin Amerman