June 18, 2011. Paul Hixon
So you’ve decided to get a piercing, and you’re going to your licensed, professional piercer soon. That’s an exciting moment to be in! However, you also should make sure that you are aware of the risks involved with a piercing.
You always risk infection with any kind of piercing, and so you’ll need to watch for signs of that in the upcoming days. Piercings tend to bleed, and if you mess with them they can easily bleed again, so don’t bother your earrings or plastic tongue rings any more than you have to. Finally, be aware that especially with tongue rings there are rare but serious potential for illnesses, including endocarditis. It’s your right to know that you may be exposing yourself to them.
The biggest risk you have to worry about with piercings is infection, and this is a concern regardless of where you got the piercing. Any professional piercer will give you advice on what to watch for after your piercing, and if you see any sign of infection you’ll want to talk to a doctor right away. Don’t blow this off. Infections are always serious, and should be treated.
Piercings tend to bleed, and so you need to be careful while letting it heal, to avoid breaking it open and having to let it heal all over again. Tongue rings tend to bleed more than earrings or belly button rings, due to the tongue being a soft muscle and therefore having more blood in it than cartilage. This can be difficult to heal.
Finally, tongue rings have risks of more serious infection, particularly endocarditis, which is an infection of the membrane around the heart. It’s rare, but has happened, and needs to be watched out for.
These are the major risks involved with body piercings, and your piercer should talk to you about them before your procedure. You have a right to know exactly what you are getting yourself into.
Updated June 18, 2011. Published February 19, 2011. Paul Hixon
