Body Piercing Problems – Health Information Library | PeaceHealth

Overview

Body piercing is very popular. Many areas of the body are used for piercing.

The ears are the most common piercing site. Most of the time, an earlobe piercing heals without any problems. Piercing other areas of the ear usually involves piercing the cartilage that gives the ear shape. Piercing ear cartilage creates a wound that is harder to clean, takes longer to heal, and is more likely to become infected than earlobe piercing.

Other popular sites include the lips, tongue, nose, eyebrow, navel, nipples, and genital area. Each body piercing site has its own normal healing time and its own set of possible problems. Careful aftercare at home can help speed healing of the wound and prevent problems. At first, a body piercing site may be slightly swollen. A small amount of blood or fluid may drain from the site.

Common problems that develop from body piercing include:

• Infection of the site.
  • Infection of the lips or tongue may cause speech, chewing, or swallowing problems or swelling that can block the throat.
  • Infection of a nipple can cause an abscess and scar the breast tissue.
  • The infection could be serious or life-threatening and involve the entire body (systemic).
• Splitting or tearing of the skin, which may cause scar tissue to form.
• Problems with the type of jewelry used, including allergies to a metal. Make sure to use the type of jewelry designed for your piercing site. Use only nonallergenic jewelry.
• Other problems caused by the jewelry.
  • Jewelry in the lips or tongue can cause chipping or cracking of the teeth, gum problems, and trouble chewing or swallowing. Jewelry can also become loose and be swallowed.
  • Jewelry in the navel can get caught on clothing and linens. This constant irritation can delay healing. Navel piercings can take up to a year to heal completely.
  • Jewelry in the genital area may cause injury to you or your sex partner. It also can cause condom breakage. Piercings in the penis can change the urine flow, cause recurring genital warts, and result in erection problems.
• Damage to blood vessels or nerves under the skin.
• Scarring of the piercing site.

If a sterile technique isn't used, there's a chance of spreading diseases, such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, or tetanus. Blood infections (sepsis) can occur if a sterile technique isn't used.

You can reverse a body piercing fairly easily by removing the jewelry. This allows the hole to close.