Piercings

Emily Fracisco

What kind of piercings can you get

Does it hurt?

• Not nearly as much as you may think! The piercing process is so brief that the worst part is the preceding mental anxiety and fear. The pain is completely relative to the individual and their pain threshold, however, the pain incurred during a piercing is nothing that the average person can't handle.

Why should I get it done

• Some find body jewelry particularly attractive in its own right.

• Body piercings are used to celebrate or mark a special moment in their lives, such as a birthday, the birth or death of someone important to them, or the beginning or end of a stage of life.

• Piercings are used in the rituals of some religions, particularly to mark the passage into adulthood.

How much does it cost?

• A body piercing typically costs $20 to $55 for earlobes, ear cartilage or cheek.

• A body piecing typically costs $30 to $65 for the eyebrow, nose, navel or nipple.

• A body piercing typically costs $40 to $85 or more for a medusa (a piercing above the lip), the tongue web or the surface of the body, such as at the nape of the neck.

Prevent infection • Do NOT use alcohol or Peroxide to clean the area. (Both products will dry out your skin.) Other strong solutions such as

Betadine will discolor gold jewelry. • Rinse the pierced skin after exercising since sweat may irritate the piercing. • Keep the pierced area from coming in contact with other people's body fluids, such as saliva and sweat. (Do not have oral

sexual contact for 4-6 weeks if you have a tongue, lip, or genital piercing). • Keep things clean that come in contact with the body part that has been pierced. For example, keep your phone clean if

you have an ear piercing, keep your glasses clean for ear and eyebrow piercings, cover your ear lobe with a tissue if you use hair spray, and try not to apply makeup close to piercing sites.

• Wear clean clothing with soft fabric for navel piercings. Avoid wearing jeans because the material can be irritating. • Don't wear pantyhose, leotards, belts, or tight clothing while a navel piercing is healing. • Wear loose fitting clothing with a navel piercing, to let the air help with healing. • Check your jewelry many times during the day to see if any parts have become loose, especially if you have a tongue

piercing. If a bar becomes loose, you can accidentally swallow it or damage a permanent tooth. • Do NOT use a hot tub or swim in public pools until your piercing has healed. • Rinse tongue or lip piercings after every meal or snack. Rinse for 30 to 60 seconds after eating with an antibacterial,

alcohol-free mouthwash, or a warm salt water rinse. Or, alternately, make a mix with one part water, and one part hydrogen-peroxide, and apply it directly to the piercing site with a cotton swab. The bubbling peroxide can help remove food stuck in the site.

• Throw out your old toothbrush and get a new, soft-bristled toothbrush if you have a tongue or lip piercing. This is to avoid exposure to bacteria from your old toothbrush.

• See your dentist for regular checkups and if you think you have a problem. Studies have shown that people who have piercings in their mouth are much more likely to have injuries to their teeth and gums.

• Eat healthy foods. Foods rich in vitamins and minerals help your body heal.

Time to Heal

• Ear lobe 6 to 8 weeks• Ear cartilage 4 months to 1 year • Eyebrow 6 to 8 weeks • Nostril 2 to 4 months• Nasal septum 6 to 8 months• Nasal bridge 8 to 10 weeks• Tongue 4 weeks• Lip 2 to 3 months • Navel 4 months to 1 year

Cleaning• Wash your hands first with soap and water before touching or cleaning

the pierced area. (Don't let anyone else touch the pierced area until it is healed.)

• Remove any crusty material from the site and from the jewelry with warm water.

• Gently wash the area around the piercing with antibacterial soap (liquid soap works the best).

• Gently rinse off all of the soap and crusty discharge. • Gently dry the area with a paper towel or plain white napkin. (Bacteria

can stay in cloth towels.) • Do steps 1-5 twice a day until the skin heals. (Over-washing or over-

scrubbing can irritate the area.) • Do NOT use antibacterial ointments because they don't allow air to get to

the area and they trap bacteria.

Sources

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_piercing• http://www.livestrong.com/article/12448-pier

cing/

• http://www.youngwomenshealth.org/body-piercing.html

• http://www.costhelper.com/cost/health/body-piercing.html