Vanishing earrings

Body piercing medical concerns with cutting-edge fashion

OBJECTIVE

To review the current information on medical complications, psychological implications, and legislative issues related to body piercing, a largely unregulated industry in the United States.

METHODS

We conducted a MEDLINE search of English language articles from 1966 until May 1998 using the search terms "body piercing" and "ear piercing." Bibliographies of these references were reviewed for additional citations. We also conducted an Internet search for "body piercing" on the World Wide Web.

MAIN RESULTS

In this manuscript, we review the available body piercing literature. We conclude that body piercing is an increasingly common practice in the United States, that this practice carries substantial risk of morbidity, and that most body piercing in the United States is being performed by unlicensed, unregulated individuals. Primary care physicians are seeing growing numbers of patients with body pierces. Practitioners must be able to recognize, treat, and counsel patients on body piercing complications and be alert to associated psychological conditions in patients who undergo body piercing.

Embedded earrings: a complication of the ear-piercing gun

Ear-piercing techniques include needles, safety pins, sharpened studs, and self-piercing kits. Complications from ear piercing are well documented and may involve local infection, sepsis, keloid scar formation, sarcoid granulomas, cyst formation, bifid ear lobe deformity, and organizing hematoma. The use of the spring-loaded ear-piercing instrument has resulted in an increased frequency of the complication of the earring backing becoming embedded in the ear lobe and helix. The embedded earring complication may result from improper aseptic technique, insufficient training of personnel at ear-piercing centers, or piercing the ears of young. To diminish the risk of embedded earrings we recommend aseptic technique, proper training, limiting ear piercing to the lobe, frequent cleansing of the lobe, and removal of the earring if signs of infection develop.

Long term effect of oestrogen replacement therapy on bone mass as measured by dual photon absorptiometry

Images

Complications of nose piercing

Images