The person who holds the title of the man with the most piercings and body modifications in the Guinness Book of Records is Rold Buchholz , a 61-year-old German.
We call piercing a practice that consists of perforating the soft tissues with the intention of inserting an object into the hole. It is quite popular among teenagers and young adults.
Currently, these ” adornments ” are applied to various areas of the body such as ears, eyebrows, mouth, chin, cheeks, nipples, navels, etc. And sometimes, without knowing the health risks that this type of practice entails.
Did you know that body piercing practices have been used for about 60,000 years?
This practice is used in different cultures to differentiate between them, both between ethnic groups and between individuals of the same population such as hunters, warriors, etc. They defined a social status and highlighted personal qualities such as royalty and virility.
Although we may think that the placement of the piercing serves to beautify people, we must know that there is an inherent risk to its placement , such as infections that can slow down the healing process and even cause its removal.
We can distinguish two circumstances by which complications mostly occur: the first is related to the material used and the second, to the anatomical area where they are placed.
Even so, we cannot forget that there are other complications related to hygienic conditions after having the piercing done. The most frequent are those of the infectious type and those of allergic reactions .
The word piercing derives from an English expression of the verb to pierce , which means “to pierce “.
In this article we are going to talk about infectious-type complications that are subdivided into local and systemic infections and also allergic-type complications.
Local infections are the most common and are usually caused by bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus , Streptococcus pyogenes or Pseudomonas . Redness , pain , swelling , or discharge (pus) may be seen on the skin.
Systemic infections refer to those that affect the entire body, it is present in the bloodstream and therefore its complications are more serious.
Mainly, when we talk about systemic infections related to piercing, we are referring to a risk of sexually transmitted diseases and complications derived from hygienic measures.
Cases of transmission of hepatitis B, C, D and G and even transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have been described.
There are other less frequent systemic complications such as tuberculosis, sepsis, pneumonia, nephritis and endocarditis. An important fact is that people with heart disease increase the risk of endocarditis , so it is not recommended to perform a piercing on people with heart problems.
Nickel sulfate is the most common contact allergen in industrialized countries
Allergic reactions are another of the most frequent complications of piercings that can even cause them to be removed due to lack of healing or reactions that can become very annoying.
Piercings are especially sensitive to metals and mainly cause allergic contact dermatitis , but there are also piercings with natural materials such as wood that can also cause eczema on the skin.
We cannot forget that there are other possible allergic reactions such as local anesthetics or latex gloves used during the technique.
When should we remove a piercing?
Although complications can be specified depending on the place where we have the piercing, the most common and that are independent of the location would be:
- Persistent swelling in the area.
- Abscess formation (accumulation of pus)
- allergic reactions
- Foreign body granuloma (is a roughly spherical mass of immune cells that forms when the immune system attempts to isolate foreign substances)
- Keloid scar (it is a thickened and raised scar)
- Prior to any surgical intervention.
For all the aforementioned, the adverse effects of piercing range from crazy damage due to infection, tearing, bleeding, allergic reactions and scars. For this reason, the fundamental measures in the prevention of possible complications will favor the healing of perforations, such as always going to a professional, caring for and curing according to the instructions and, of course, thinking carefully about the impact it will have on your body. and image because the brand will stay for life.
Bibliographic references
LÓPEZ, BA, & SANTACANA, RG 2020. Dermatological complications of tattoos and piercings. ALLERGY SECTION. JOAN XXIII UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL. TARRAGONA , 13.
Padrón-Arredondo, G., & Fernández-Amador, JA 2022. Atrial dermatofibroma secondary to piercing placement. Health Quintana Roo , 8 (32), 18-21.
Pujalte, BF, Fornes, PD, & Talamantes, CS 2012. Complications and care of piercings and tattoos (2nd part). Dermatology Nursing , 6 (15), 8-14.
