Dangers of piercings

Getting a piercing also means living with the consequence that the piercing canal could become infected or major problems could occur. Although this is rarely the case and good care is the be-all and end-all for a healthy and beautiful piercing, there is always a small residual risk. This text is intended to inform you about possible risks and not to discourage you from getting a piercing.
A UK study looked at the issue of complications after piercing and found that around one in three out of 10,000 people felt it was necessary to get a second opinion on a change to their piercing and so went to their piercer or a doctor. The most common changes or minor complications are: Bleeding, infection or swelling. This is due to the fact that piercings are open wounds, which are kept open by the piercing itself. This means that dust, dirt and grime can get to the open wound more quickly and it can become infected.

To check whether your piercing has become infected, you can use the following list as a guide:
Your piercing is infected if...
... it hurts a lot (over a long period of time, pain one to two days after piercing is normal)
... you can recognize a clear reddening that lasts for a long period of time ... the canal around the piercing swells up
... the skin around the puncture channel feels warm and throbs
... your skin feels hypersensitive
... pus may even form

If one or more of these points apply to you, it is absolutely advisable to see your piercer or a doctor. If you do not do this, the inflammation can spread further, which can lead to the loss of your new piercing or, in the worst case, to blood poisoning.
Other dangers lurking around a fresh piercing are the risk of it being ripped out and the risk of an allergic reaction. If you already know that you are allergic to substances such as nickel, you should definitely tell your piercer. Fortunately, surgical steel is now almost exclusively used as the material for the first piercing anyway. Surgical steel is a type of stainless steel that can neither rust nor tarnish and contains virtually no nickel. The other danger is that you could get your fresh piercing caught on your clothing or similar, which could lead to the piercing being torn out and the tissue being damaged. Even in such a case, it makes sense to see a doctor or your piercer to repair as much of the damage as possible.
Another problem that can occur with a fresh piercing is that the wound does not want to heal. This increases the risk of inflammation on the one hand and, in some cases, leads to the growth of wild flesh. Particularly in areas with a lot of cartilage, the skin resists after a while and forms unsightly bulges, which are otherwise not harmful to health. Piercings in the mouth area can also cause damage, namely to the teeth. The enamel can be damaged by playing around with the piercing and by the friction of the metal against the teeth.
Finally, before getting a piercing, you should carefully consider what you need to do to protect and care for the piercing so that it heals quickly and without complications. Just take a look at our piercing categories and find the piercing you want. Here you will find initial information on the healing time and possible complications. Of course, we don't want to discourage you from getting a piercing, but it's always better to be informed than to look for information when it's too late.