Body piercing: keeping it safe
Publication Date:16/06/2008
Body piercing is popular, especially with young women. But is it safe? A recent study suggests problems are common.
What do we know already?
Body piercing means having a piercing anywhere apart from your earlobe. It is becoming more and more popular, but we know that some people have problems with their piercing, such as getting an infection. The new study aimed to find out how many people have piercings, and how common it is to get problems.
What does the new study say?
The study found that about 1 in 10 adults in England have a body piercing. It's most common in women aged 16 to 24. About half of this group say they have at least one piercing somewhere other than their earlobe.
For women, the most common places to have pierced were the navel (tummy button), nose and ear. The most common places for men were the nipple, eyebrow and ear.
More than a quarter of all people who have body piercings said they'd had a problem. Most commonly, these were infections, swelling or bleeding. About 1 in 10 people who'd had a problem with their piercing had needed professional help.
Piercings were much more likely to lead to problems in these parts of the body:
- Tongue (about half had problems)
- Genitals (about half had problems)
- Nipple (about a quarter had problems).
Serious problems (needing hospital treatment) were rare, but were more likely to happen when people had piercings by non-professionals. 3 in 100 people who'd had a piercing by a non-professional needed hospital treatment, compared with less than 1 in 100 people who had professional piercings.
Where does the study come from?
The study was carried out by researchers at the Health Protection Agency and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. They were helped by a market research company, which questioned more than 10,500 adults in England. The study was published in the BMJ (British Medical Journal), which is owned by the British Medical Association.
What does this mean for me?
If you're thinking about having a piercing, this study tells you that you have a more than 1 in 4 chance of having some problems with it. The chances of a problem are highest with tongue, genital or nipple piercings.
The most likely problems are infections, bleeding or swelling. You should weigh up the chances of having a problem against how much you want to have the piercing.
What can I do?
The Health Protection Agency says there are some common-sense precautions you can take, to make it less likely that you'll get a problem.
- Don't do the piercing yourself, or let a friend do it. Get it done by a professional.
- Check the piercing or tattoo studio is clean and hygienic, and the person doing your piercing has been trained to use the equipment.
- Body piercers should be registered with the local council and checked regularly by the council's environmental health department. Ask to see proof that the studio you choose is registered.
From:
Bone A, Ncube F, Nichols T, et al. Body piercing in England: a survey of piercing at sites other than earlobe. BMJ. Published online 13 June 2008.
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© BMJ Publishing Group Limited ("BMJ Group") 2007. All rights reserved
This information does not replace medical advice. If you are concerned you might have a medical problem please ask your Boots pharmacy team in your local Boots store, or see your doctor.
