Body piercing has been around for centuries. It is used by all cultures to call attention to the individual. In most cultures, it is women that are more likely to have piercings than men. The most common form of piercing is the ear pierce. This has been used by cultures throughout the world and through many centuries to accentuate and call attention to a person's face and wealth.

Piercing, though, has changed. Now people are piercing not only the ear lobe but many other parts of the ear. This can be dangerous especially if a person pierces the cartilage of the ear. These piercings are usually done by non-doctors and can pose a health problem. The main problem with piercing the ear cartilage can be infection. Ear cartilage will take a much longer time to heal than piercing the earlobe.

Other sites that are being pierced are the tongue, mouth, nose, eyebrow, navel, nipple, and genital area. These piercings are usually done by non-doctors. This can be the beginning of a problem.

The most common problem with body piercing is infection. Infection increases if a person has an ongoing illness. This is particularly a problem for diabetics, persons with poor circulation, areas of the body jewelry that traditionally harbor germs, aged persons, persons with poor immune systems, persons that go in with an infection the day of the piercing such as a person with a cold or cough or urinary tract infection, or genital infection. A person that pierces their tongue are particularly prone to bleeding during the procedure, or thereafter.

Persons that use jewelry in their navel can find that the jewelry will get caught in their clothes and even in their bed linens. This can cause a tearing which can result in infection.

It is known that a person that does pierce can suffer irreversible damage to nerves in the area and blood vessels.

In some people that form excessive scarring from the injury, when that person becomes pierced, can have severe scarring at the piercing site. This is known as keloid formation. This condition is very common in many dark skinned people. If a person is prone to exaggerated scarring with any injury, they should never undergo body piercing.

If a person is considering body piercing, they should talk it over with their family doctor.

Dr. Gordon J. Rafool is a specialist in Family Practice and Geriatrics at Gessler Clinic, Winter Haven.

In such case, you need the realy surgical steel body jewelry such as straight barbells, navel rings, nose studs and flesh tunnels, etc.