Body Piercing

Aka: Body Piercing, Nose Piercing, Nasal Piercing, Oral Piercing, Navel Piercing, Nipple Piercing, Genital Piercing

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II. Findings: Healing times for Body Piercing

  1. Piercings that heal within 4-6 weeks
    1. Clitoris or labia minora
    2. Male Urethral meatus (Prince Albert)
    3. Tongue
  2. Piercings that heal within 6-8 weeks
    1. Ear lobe or auricle
    2. Eyebrow
    3. Lip
    4. Male coronal ridge or edge of glans (dydoe)
  3. Piercings that heal in 2-4 months
    1. Labia majora
    2. Nipple
    3. Scrotum (hafada)
  4. Piercings with healing delayed up to 9 months
    1. Glans penis (ampallang)
    2. Navel

III. Complications: Concerns applicable to all sites

  1. Risk of infection with piercing
    1. Most piercings are done under non-clean conditions
      1. Skin is not cleaned or prepped prior to piercing
      2. Many piercing guns are not sterilized between uses
    2. General infection risks
      1. Tetanus
      2. Skin Bacteria (e.g. Staphylococcus Aureus)
    3. Blood bourne infection risks
      1. Hepatitis BVirus
      2. Hepatitis CVirus
      3. Human Immunodeficiency Virus
    4. Infection prevention
      1. Avoid contamination risks (hot tubs, lakes, pools)
      2. Irrigate wounds with sterile saline twice daily until healed
  2. Allergic Reaction to nickel
    1. Especially common in Atopic Patients
    2. Nickel may contaminate stainless steel or gold
    3. Even expensive jewelry may have nickel in stud, back
  3. Local Trauma or irritation from jewelry
    1. Consider removing jewelry at bedtime
    2. Remove jewelry before Contact Sports
  4. MRI
    1. Removal jewelry before MRI

IV. Complications: Oral Piercing

  1. Sites: Lips, cheeks, Tongue
  2. Complications (especially from Tongue placement)
    1. Edema or Hematoma from placement
    2. Saliva may be affected (e.g. Drooling)
    3. May affect speech, taste or eating
    4. May chip teeth
  3. Concerns in health care
    1. May interfere with airway control (e.g. Intubation)
    2. Remove oral and nasal jewelry before surgery
    3. Risk of aspiration in emergency
  4. Infection Prevention
    1. Use an Alcohol-free mouthwash after meals and bedtime until healed

V. Complications: Ear Piercing

  1. See Ear Piercing

VI. Complications: Other Piercing Sites

  1. Nasal Piercing
    1. Septal Hematoma and infection if cartilage pierced
    2. Perichondritis and necrosis (poor cosmetic outcome)
      1. Treat infections with Bactroban and fluoroquibolone
  2. Navel Piercing
    1. Local skin irritation
    2. Migration of jewelry to skin surface (scar risk)
    3. Higher complication rate in Obesity and pregnancy
  3. Nipple or Areola Piercing
    1. Risk of infection and abscess formation
    2. May interfere with Breast Feeding
  4. Female Genital Piercing
    1. Interferes with Condom and diaphragm use
    2. Risk of Keloids, infection and bleeding
  5. Male Genital Piercing
    1. Urethral Stricture or blocked urine flow
    2. Priapism
    3. Foreskin may be caught retracted (Paraphimosis)

VII. References

  1. (2023) Presc Lett 30(2):11
  2. Koenig (1999) J Gen Intern Med 14:379-85 [PubMed]
  3. Meltzer (2005) Am Fam Physician 72:2029-36 [PubMed]

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Related Studies

Ontology: Body Piercing (C0848128)

Definition (MSH) The perforation of an anatomical region for the wearing of jewelry.
Concepts Individual Behavior (T055)
MSH D046288
Spanish Perforación Corporal, Perforación del Cuerpo
Swedish Kroppspiercing
Czech piercing
Finnish Lävistys
Russian PIRSING, PIRSING PUPKA, PIRSING GUB, PIRSING SOSKA GRUDNOI ZHELEZY, PIRSING IAZYKA, PIRSING NADBROV'IA, PIRSING USHNOI RAKOVINY, TELA CHASTEI PROKOLY, ПИРСИНГ ГУБ, ПИРСИНГ НАДБРОВЬЯ, ПИРСИНГ ПУПКА, ПИРСИНГ СОСКА ГРУДНОЙ ЖЕЛЕЗЫ, ПИРСИНГ УШНОЙ РАКОВИНЫ, ПИРСИНГ ЯЗЫКА, ПИРСИНГ, ТЕЛА ЧАСТЕЙ ПРОКОЛЫ
Japanese ピアス-身体, ピアス-唇, ボディー･ピアッシング, 舌ピアス, ピアシング-ボディー, ボディピアス, 眉ピアス, 身体ピアス, ピアス-乳頭, ピアス-耳, 乳頭ピアス, 耳ピアス, 臍ピアス, ボディーピアッシング, ピアス-臍, ピアス-眉, ボディーピアシング, 唇ピアス
French Piercing corporel, Piercing, Perçage corporel
English Piercing;body, body piercings, piercing body, body piercing, Body piercing, Body Piercings, Body Piercing, Piercing, Body, Piercings, Body
Polish Kolczykowanie ciała
Italian Piercing del corpo, Body Piercing
Norwegian Piercing, Kroppspiercing
German Bodypiercing, Körperpiercing, Piercing, Körper-
Dutch Body piercing, Lichaamspiercing, Piercing, body, Piercing, lichaams-
Portuguese Piercing Corporal
Derived from the NIH UMLS (Unified Medical Language System)

Ontology: Nipple Piercing (C1449587)

Concepts Finding (T033)
MSH D046288
Czech prsní bradavka - piercing
Portuguese Piercing de Mamilo
Spanish Perforación del Pezón
German Brustwarzenpiercing
French Perçage mamelonnaire, Piercing mamelonnaire, Piercing au mamelon, Perçage au mamelon
Italian Piercing al capezzolo
Norwegian Piercing i brystvortene
English Nipple Piercings, Piercing, Nipple, Piercings, Nipple, Nipple Piercing
Dutch Tepelpiercing
Derived from the NIH UMLS (Unified Medical Language System)

Ontology: Navel Piercing (C1449589)

Concepts Finding (T033)
MSH D046288
Czech pupek - piercing
Portuguese Piercing de Umbigo
Spanish Perforación del Ombligo
German Nabelpiercing
French Perçage au nombril, Piercing du nombril, Perçage du nombril, Piercing au nombril
Italian Piercing all'ombelico
Norwegian Piercing i navlen
English Navel Piercings, Piercing, Navel, Piercings, Navel, Navel Piercing
Dutch Navelpiercing
Derived from the NIH UMLS (Unified Medical Language System)

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