II. Healing times for Body Piercing
- Piercings healing within 4-6 weeks
- Piercings healing within 6-8 weeks
- Ear lobe or auricle
- Eyebrow
- Lip
- Male coronal ridge or edge of glans (dydoe)
- Piercings healing in 2-4 months
- Labia majora
- Nipple
- Scrotum (hafada)
- Piercings with healing delayed up to 9 months
- Glans penis (ampallang)
- Navel
III. Concerns applicable to all sites
- Risk of infection with piercing
- Most piercings are done under non-clean conditions
- Skin is not cleaned or prepped prior to piercing
- Many piercing guns are not sterilized between uses
- General infection risks
- Tetanus
- Skin Bacteria (e.g. Staphylococcus aureus)
- Blood bourne infection risks
- Most piercings are done under non-clean conditions
-
Allergic Reaction to nickel
- Especially common in Atopic Patients
- Nickel may contaminate stainless steel or gold
- Even expensive jewelry may have nickel in stud, back
- Local Trauma or irritation from jewelry
- Consider removing jewelry at bedtime
- Remove jewelry before Contact Sports
IV. Oral Piercing
V. Ear Piercing
- See Ear Piercing
VI. Complications from other piercing sites
- Nasal Piercing
- Septal Hematoma and infection if cartilage pierced
- Perichondritis and necrosis (poor cosmetic outcome)
- Treat infections with Bactroban and fluoroquibolone
- Navel Piercing
- Local skin irritation
- Migration of jewelry to skin surface (scar risk)
- Higher complication rate in Obesity and pregnancy
- Nipple or Areola Piercing
- Risk of infection and abscess formation
- May interfere with Breast Feeding
- Female Genital Piercing
- Male Genital Piercing
- Urethral Stricture or blocked urine flow
- Priapism
- Foreskin may be caught retracted (Paraphimosis)