tattoos, earrings and other piercings. Are they harmful?

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What do you think about them? I think they are bad and harmful to people's skin.

A piercing is potentially harmful because:

> An abscess may form around the piercing site. This may develop into blood poisoning or, in rare cases, toxic shock syndrome.
>You can reduce your risk of developing an infection by keeping the piercing dry. Before touching the piercing, make sure you wash your hands with soap and water and dry them with a disposable towel first.
>> Source: NHS website

A tattoo is potentially harmful because:

> Your skin may have an allergic reaction.
> You may get a skin infection.
> You may contract the following bloodborne diseases: Tetanus, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
>> Source: mayoclinic website

Neither of these are exhaustive lists of the risks involved.

Many of these risks are both small and preventable.

It is advised that you seek qualified people with a clean reputation and a lot of experience if you wish to do either of these.

(I cannot post URLs, yet.)

What BragiBird said. Nobody should get a body mod thinking there's no risk involved.

I don't desire to get tattoos, earrings, or any other piercings. Why cover up my natural beauty with a tattoo?

Certainly nothing wrong with that. Everyone views tattoos differently. For me, they're more a way of expressing myself in my own way. I won't get ones that have no personal meaning for me. I also don't plan on covering myself in them. A few here and there that can be covered by clothing is about all.

I don't have a problem with them, given that I have two tattoos and a piercing.

They've become quite ubiquitous now, and practically a rite of passage. I noticed that whenever people turned 18 or graduated from high school, they were in a mad rush to get a tattoo.

I have no plans on getting another tattoo in the near future. I have, however, been considering getting an eyebrow piercing.

I have 8 tattoos and love them all. I am glad I got them, and they mark certain points in my life. I know they are not for everyone, but they were right for me. A body modification is definitely an individual preference that an individual must seriously consider before committing to.

those people who get those huge hollow rings placed flat inside their earlobes, how can that not leave a big hole when removed?

It does. It's called stretching or gauging.

Skin is a protective barrier and should be left whole as much as possible. But I do have pierced ears and when I was a kid I wanted a pierced nose because I had a thing for India and saw lots of photos of beautiful, exotic people with nose studs.

Speaking from experience, I think tattoos and piercings are perfectly safe, unless you already have underlying health risks (diabetes, HIV, hepatitis, etc), which would put you at a bigger risk for infections. I have many piercings, and three tattoos, and never had any infections or reactions in any of them. Some piercings can be a hazard for getting hooked or caught on things, which of course can cause a painful injury, but forethought and common sense should help that not be a problem.

My piercings: Ears have 24mm tunnels (had them for over 10 years), Nipples have 0-ga rings (had them for over 25 years), Other one will not be disclosed .

My tattoos: Wedding band tattoo on left ring finger (6 years), Left shoulder (5 years), and left pec (2 years).

Just remember: Common sense, cleanliness, forethought!! !

Yes. As soon as you stretch bigger than about 8 ga, you will see the holes. But it's easy to have a doctor (or even a piercer) close them up if you ever decided to stop having them. It's not a big deal.

Charles

I've got 4 tats, want more. Right now, I'm down to just my ears and one other piercing, but have had my eyebrow, nose, tongue, lip, and a nipple pierced.

They are unnecessary and ugly. So even if there's no proven risk, there's no compelling reason to have them. That's just my point of view.

I heard someone complaining once that they didn't realise that after they had a stud put through underneath their bottom lip that they would dribble every time they took a drink. They thought the stud would make them look cool but the result was quite the opposite.

From experiences about my punk years. Piercing yourself the ears is ok, so they tolerate much, but all the other stuff like belly-, eyebrwow-, lippiercings... should be done by a professional. Four of five times it works well and the fifth gets a major infection. Not worth it.

I had some friends with piercings through or below the underlip into the mouth area, but never had I experiences, that they drooled? Maybe the piercer did something wrong, or did your friend maybe play with his piercing all the time and so accidentally widened the hole a bit? O_o

It's definitely a personal taste thing. I have several tattoos, and just about everyone who's seen them views them as artwork, not defacing of the skin. All of them mark milestones in my life and have deep personal meaning. There's a pretty good chance I will have more before it's all over with.

As far as piercings, I've stuck with just my earlobes - anywhere else strikes me as too painful. Getting the tattoos was more of a feeling of irritation than of pain, although there were a few ouchy bits on each one.

ETA: I asked around A LOT as to who the reputable artists in the area are before I committed to getting my first tat. If you're so inclined, ask anyone you see about their ink - it's the one thing I absolutely don't mind total strangers approaching me about, and I love showing them off. You can get an idea of what you like and who does good work by what you see on other people. Artists will also have portfolios of their work, so you can look at it ahead of time and judge if their style is to your personal taste.