Teenage is one of the most crucial stages of human development. It is the teenage that marks the beginning of identity formation, sexual orientation and helps a person define her/his opinions about life. Therefore, teenage population is swiftly turning toward body piercing as a method of expressing themselves. Whether it is done for the gothic look, for indicating rebellious nature or because of coercion from friends, body piercing is slowly carving a niche for itself in teenagers’ life.
And if you are a concerned parent who is bickered by his teen to get a body piercing, then check out this list of precautionary measures.
1. Adult consent
In most of the countries, getting a body piercing (except ear and earlobes) under the age of 18 years is prohibited unless parental consent is provided. Therefore, you ought to research a little before you decide to agree to your child’s wish of getting her/his body part(s) pierced.
2. Observing the piercing shop
Since, body piercing is such a wide phenomenon and followed everywhere; therefore, it cannot be regulated by the government or local administration. So, you must take the responsibility of observing and investigating the piercing shop before you give your approval.
Make sure that the shop is clean and has basic hygiene maintained. Instruments must be disposable items that shall be used once and thrown away. If there aren’t any disposable items then the instruments must have autoclave for sterilization.
The person who shall be piercing must wash her/his hands using germicidal soap. Even after washing hands, s/he must wear disposable gloves to avoid any risk of transfer of allergens. The person piercing must have clean hands and shall not pierce if s/he is suffering from any allergy to skin disease.
The needle used for piercing shall be one time disposable needle to avoid contamination and reduce risks of blood borne diseases, particularly HIV/AIDS. See that if your teen is getting piercing through a piercing gun then the gun must be using sterile jewelry for the hole making procedure. The jewelry should be discarded later.
3. Following the piercing process
The body part is firstly cleaned with a germicidal soap to avoid bacterial infections. Then the skin is punctured with a disposable, sharp needle. Once this is done, a sterile piece of jewelry is carefully inserted into the piercing. The needle shall then be disposed off. An antibacterial ointment must be used over the piercing since the pierced part is susceptible to infections. In the end, the jewelry must be properly fitted. Make sure that you observe and see if the person piercing your teen is following these steps or not. You can point out the required step if the person piercing fails to perform it adequately.
4. Potential health risks
a. Body piercing can be troublesome for your teenagers if adequate precautions aren’t undertaken. At the same time, this art of expression can result in a variety of health risks such as scarring, hepatitis B and C, abscesses, prolonged bleeding of the body part, etc.
b. Piercings are susceptible to infections. Body parts particularly mouth/nose are prone to infections wherein the pierced body part may appear reddish and have thick pus. In such cases, your teen can also be feverish and need medication. Make sure that you consult a doctor even the slightest hint of piercing related infection as these infections can spread rapidly and cause distress.
c. Piercing in the mouth is a common cause of tooth damages and general gum problems. Tongue piercings often result in high secretion of saliva.
d. If your teen suffers from keloids wherein the scar tissue tends to overgrow then you must avoid her/his body piercing.
e. People prone to skin rashes, allergies, sinus, and asthma must not get body piercings. Those with heart disease or diabetes should also think twice before getting their body pierced. Hepatitis B and tetanus vaccinations shall be given prior to body piercing. Safety measures and hygiene methods must be followed once the body is pierced.
5. Jewelry
Teenagers having allergic reactions to metals like silver or bronze shall not use the jewelry made of these metals. Such allergies must be diagnosed in a prior health check before piercing. Even if your teen wants to change the jewelry, make sure that the jewelry is sterilized.
6. Healing and care
Tongue piercings shall be regularly taken care of by using alcohol free, antibacterial mouthwashes. Never let the child touch piercings without washing their hands. Also, remind your teen not to tug or fiddle with the new piercing. Never use chemicals on your piercings. And don’t forget to seek medical attention in case of any allergies or reactions.
If the parents remain cautious and are responsible about their child’s health, then teen body piercings wouldn’t have any negative after effects on the child’s physical health.
