Ouch! - Body Piercing – Is It Mainstream Now?

The Association of Professional Piercers (APP) estimates that 7,000 to 10,000 shops in the US perform body piercings. While tattoo parlors and body piercing shops were once confined to the more offbeat metro locations, these days they’re a common sight in the nation’s villages, towns, and suburbs as well as the main streets and malls of urban areas.

Body Piercing Is Not a “New Fad”

Body piercing has been an accepted part of many cultures since the beginning of history. Egyptian Pharaohs pierced their navels as a rite of passage. Roman soldiers pierced their nipples to show their courage. Aztecs pierced their tongues as a spiritual ritual and both Lords and Ladies in Victorian England practiced both nipple and genital piercing.

The Right Spot

Piercing some areas of the body are more painful than others and although different individuals experience different intensities of pain, those who have multiple piercings agree that the least painful area to have pierced is the eyebrow and the most painful piercings are those in the genital area.

Healing times also vary from individual to individual. The list below is sorted from least to most painful and includes the approximate healing time.

1. Eyebrow: six to eight weeks
2. Earlobe: six to eight weeks
3. Tongue: four to six weeks
4. Navel: six months to over one year
5. Nostril: two months to a year
6. Lip: six to eight weeks
7. Cheek: two to three months
8. Nipple: two to six months
9. Cartilage: two months to a year
10. Genitals: four weeks to six months

Safety First

Body piercing is not without risks. Both medical experts and piercing professionals agree that it should only be done in a sterile environment to minimize the risks of infection. In addition, only certain types of body jewelry, often called “starter jewelry” are suitable for new body piercings.

Of course, first it is essential to locate a reputable piercing professional. The APP is an organization of committed professionals who believe that maintaining both a safe and hygienic business is essential to body piercing.

Body piercing is invasive procedure, wherein a foreign object is placed into an open wound, Even though both the wound and the jewelry may be small, the natural physical reaction is for your body to refuse or reject the intrusion.

To minimize the risk of both infection from bacteria and other external pathogens as well as to avoid allergic reactions, reputable body piercers recommend using only jewelry that is made from 14 karat (or better) gold, titanium, and implant grade stainless steel until the wound is completely healed.

Notice the stress on implant grade stainless steel. While some merchants claim to sell “surgical steel”, unless it’s clearly marked “implant grade” it shouldn’t be used in new body piercings or those that aren’t completely healed.

After the Fact

In addition to choosing a professional piercer and using only the best starter jewelry, the new “piercee” should religiously adhere to after-care advice.

Professional body piercers not only provide advice on caring for the piercing, they also provide recommendations on the proper care of your body jewelry and suggestions on what type of jewelry is appropriate for your piercing. Precious metal styling and gemstone settings are as varied as those found in traditional jewelry.