Body Piercing | Longwood Pediatrics

Fast Facts About Piercings

A body piercing is a puncture made into a specific part of the body by a needle, which is then occupied by a piece of jewelry.
Common piercing sites include: any part of the ears, belly button, nostrils/nose, eyebrow, and tongue.
It is important to have a trained professional perform the piercing. DO NOT do it by yourself or let a friend do it. Body piercings are usually performed at jewelry shops, specialty piercing parlors, and some doctor’s offices (Longwood Pediatrics offers simple ear lobe piercing…contact us for further information)

Are you 18 years or older? Some places require you to be 18 or older to have a piercing done without consent of a parent.
Do your research… certain piercing sites like the mouth or nose area can be at a greater risk for infection. Make sure you are aware of care requirements for your piercing first. Are you ready to take on these responsibilities?
Check with your doctor about possible complications personal to you.
Make sure you are up to date on immunizations…ESPECIALLY tetanus and hepatitis.
Find a clean and trusted place to get your piercing.

The area to be pierced is cleaned well with a germ and bacteria killing soap (all areas except for the tongue).
A puncture/hole in the skin is created with a sterilized needle and the jewelry is placed in the puncture.
All equipment and needles are disposed of safely (in a sharps container).
The newly pierced area is cleaned and the jewelry is adjusted as needed.
Instructions about care of your piercing are given to you by the piercing artist.

Only certain types of metals should be used in the jewelry you are using for your piercing. These include surgical steel, solid 14k or 18k gold, niobium, titanium, platinum.
Even if a piercing is done in the safest and cleanest of instances there are still some risks that are posed with any piercing. Some include risk for chronic infection, swelling, scarring, hepatitis B/C, tetanus, abscess formation, nerve damage.

Call us right away if you think your piercing might be infected…even if it is in a spot that we would not have recommended!