Most people with body piercings don’t have any serious problems afterwards. How well you care for your piercing will make a big difference in how fast and how well you heal! Here are some things you may want to know about potential body piercing problems.
Initially, your piercing site may be swollen or sore. This is normal! It’s also normal to see a little blood or fluid draining from the site.
Infection can be a serious body piercing issue. If you have other health risks or chronic health problems, it may not be advisable for you to get a body piercing. Here are some things you should know about body piercings and infections:
- An ear cartilage piercing is more likely to become infected than an earlobe piercing. It also can be more difficult to clean the wound.
- An infection in the mouth or lip may cause difficulty speaking, chewing, or swallowing. A serious infection in the mouth can cause swelling that can block the throat, making it difficult to breathe.
- An infection in a pierced nipple can scar the breast tissue and make it difficult to breast feed in the future.
- A systemic infection can be a potentially life-threatening problem.
Other problems that can develop after a body piercing:
- The skin may split or tear, leading to scar tissue.
- If you have metal allergies, you may have difficulty with the jewelry. Always get pierced with non-allergenic jewelry, like surgical stainless steel, gold, platinum, or titanium. Always use the appropriate jewelry for your piercing site.
- Jewelry in the mouth or lips can cause difficulty chewing, swallowing, or speaking.
- Jewelry in the mouth or lips can chip or crack teeth, or increase the number of cavities and other dental problems.
- Jewelry in the mouth can become loose and be swallowed. A piece of jewelry can damage your lungs or digestive tract.
- Any jewelry can get caught on clothes or linens; this is most often a problem with belly button jewelry.
- Navel piercings can be very slow to heal, thanks to constant irritation from clothes. In some cases, it can take a year for your belly button piercing to heal.
If you experience ANY of these problems with a body piercing, you should talk to your piercer or doctor as soon as possible.