Dear L.S.C.: "People have pierced and worn charms in their ears for over 4,000 years. One hundred thousand years ago, our Neanderthal forbears used ochre and manganese 'crayons' to decorate their bodies, and I think it's fair to point out that a great many Bowdoin belly buttons sport rings!"
The current popularity of body art has raised some public health concerns over the danger of contracting Hepatitis B or C or HIV from infected piercing and tattooing needles. People with tattoos, for instance, are nine times more likely to be infected with Hepatitis C, a virus which can survive outside the body for months on an improperly cleaned countertop, chair, or piece of equipment.
Very few of the many thousands of piercing and tattooing studios nationwide are licensed and regulated by health departments.
We are indeed fortunate, here in Maine, that all piercing and tattoo artists are licensed, and their studios inspected, by the Health Engineering Division of the State Bureau of Health.
However, even licensed studios and artists carry potential risks, and need to be chosen carefully. Make sure they are in fact licensed, and that they appear clean and well-maintained. Take a look at their autoclave ("sterilizer"). It should be FDA-approved and spore-tested monthly. Ask to see their log books. Make sure the artists wear latex gloves during procedures, and use single-service materials and equipment, especially sterile, disposable needles. They should be comfortable answering all of your questions and considerate of your concerns.
Body piercing should be done with needles, not with a gun. Piercing guns cannot be properly sterilized and cause more tissue trauma than needles. Choose jewelry of the proper metal, design, size, and thickness. It should be made of 316L or LVM surgical stainless steel, 14- or 18-karat solid gold, titanium, or niobium. Jewelry that's too thin can tear out, and if too thick, can cause an abscess or excessive scarring.
For a piercing to heal well, it must be cleaned and cared for properly and consistently. Professional piercers will supply detailed instructions. At the Health Center, we also have informational handouts on caring for body piercings and tattoos. During the normal healing period, piercings will be irritated and may bleed at times. Redness or swelling that extends out more than a quarter-inch, red streaks, yellow or green discharge, excessive pain or heat at the piercing site, are all signs of a more significant infection that should be promptly evaluated by a health care provider. Bellybuttons and upper ears are the piercing sites that most frequently become infected.
Both piercing and tattoos ought to be considered permanent, in the sense that both can cause scarring upon removal. Tattoos are removed using lasers, which vaporize pigment colors. Although effective and low risk, laser treatment is painful, expensive, and drawn out. Though unlikely, side effects of treatment include possibly permanent loss or excess of skin color, infection, and scarring.
For what it's worth, in a recent survey of tattooed military men, half saw their body art as a handicap and wished they could erase their tattoos. It is likely that 20 years from now, your tattoo or piercing will look quite different on your more mature body. Henna tattoos might be an appealing alternative. They usually last about six weeks, don't involve piercing the skin with needles, and carry no significant health risks.
For more information (and some great photos), contact the Association of Professional Piercers (www.safepiercing.org), the Alliance of Professional Tattooists (www.safetattoos.com), Ambient, Inc (www.ambient.on.ca/bodmod/), or the Henna Page (www.hennapage.com).
Be well!
Jeff Benson, M.D.
Dudley Coe Health Center