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| Body Piercing |
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Body
piercing refers to the piercing of
a part of the human body for the purpose
of wearing jewellery. Body piercing
is a form of body modification. The
word "piercing" can refer
to the act or practice of body piercing,
or to a specific pierced opening in
the body. Some people practice piercing
for religious or other cultural reasons,
while many individuals, particularly
in the modern West, choose to be pierced
for spiritual, ornamental, or sexual
reasons.
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| Body art has become so popular
in the past few years that it's hard to walk
down the street, go to the mall, or watch
TV without seeing someone with a piercing.
Whether it's ears, lips, nostrils, eyebrows,
belly buttons, tongues, or even cheeks, you've
probably seen piercing, maybe multiple piercing,
on lots of people. Perhaps you think body
piercing look cool and you've thought about
getting one. But are they safe? Are they a
good idea? And what should you be aware of
if you do decide to get one? |
| How are piercing done?
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A piercer
uses a hollow needle to create a hole by
pushing a needle through the body part you
want pierced . After that, a piece of jewellery
is inserted into the hole.
Sometimes there can be a small amount
of bleeding. You should not take aspirin
or any pain medication that contains aspirin
the week before any piercing is done, since
these medicines may cause you to bleed a
little bit more than usual. The most popular
pierced body parts are the ears, the nostrils,the
tongue and the belly button. |
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| Does it matter where
on my body I get pierced? |
Healing
time is different depending on where
on your body you get pierced. Some
places are more likely to get infected
or have problems. Piercings on your
ear lobes usually take about 6-8 weeks
to heal. But piercings on the side
of your ear, which is cartilage, can
take anywhere from 4 months to 1 year
to heal. The reason for this is that
the type of tissue in each area is
different and the amount of pressure
on the pierced area while you are
sleeping is different.
Tongue piercings swell a lot at first
but heal fairly quickly. However,
metal jewellery in the tongue piercing
may damage gums and chip the enamel
surface on your teeth. In some cases,
nipple piercing can damage some of
the milk-producing glands in a young
woman's breasts. This can cause infections
or problems later if the woman decides
to breast-feed her baby. Some pierced
areas, like, navel (belly button)
piercing, are more likely to become
infected because of irritation from
tight clothing. A pierced site needs
air to help the healing process. |
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| The risks before you
have your body pierced… |
| The most serious risks are
infections, allergic reactions, bleeding,
and damage to nerves or teeth. Infections
may be caused by hepatitis, HIV, tetanus,
bacteria, and yeast. If the piercer washes
his/her hands and uses gloves and sterile
equipment and you take good care of your piercing,
the risk of infection is lowered (but still
exists).Another cause of problems from piercing
is the wrong kind of jewelery for the area
pierced. If the jewelery is too small, it
can actually cut off the blood supply to the
tissue, causing swelling and pain. If the
jewelery is either too thin or too heavy or
if you are allergic to the metal, your body
can sometimes reject the jewelery (your body
reacts against the jewelery because it is
a "foreign object"). |
| How can I prevent infections
after I get pierced? |
| Preventing infections is
really not hard. It shouldn't take a lot of
your time to keep your piercing clean and
the good news is, you won't have to worry
about complications if you keep it clean.
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- 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 jewellery.
- 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).
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- 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.
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- Wear clean clothing
with soft fabric for navel piercings.
Avoid wearing jeans because the material
can be irritating.
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- Don't wear pantyhose,
leotards, belts, or tight clothing while
a navel piercing is healing.
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- Wear loose fitting clothing
with a navel piercing, to let the air
help with healing.
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- Check your jewellery
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 permanently damage a tooth.
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- Do NOT use a hot tub
or swim in public pools until your piercing
has healed.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- Eat healthy foods. Foods
rich in vitamins and minerals help your
body heal.
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