PIERCED to Death

Ebony, April, 2000 by Joy Bennett Kinnon

The following are some of the more troublesome piercing locations:

* Tongue and lips. Dentists say that because the mouth contains so much bacteria, oral piercings present a high risk of infection. This is one of the most common sites for piercing. Dentists say a pierced tongue can cause problems with chewing and speech, jewelry can break teeth or be swallowed, increased saliva flow, permanent numbness and loss of taste. Swelling is very common and the site can take up to six months to completely heal.

* Nipple. Medical personnel report that piercing in this area for women may create scar tissue that could inhibit successful breastfeeding. This area can take 4-6 months to heal.

* Navel. For those with protruding navels (outies), this is a problematic area to pierce. The best candidates are those with internal navels (innies). Because clothing often causes irritations by rubbing against the pierced area, this site often takes longest to heal--up to nine months.

* Nose. Another very common piercing site, nose-piercing doesn't have an unusually high degree of complications and usually heals in three to six months. APP representatives don't recommend that noses be pierced with piercing guns because the nose area bruises easily.

* Eyebrow. Growing in popularity, this site poses a problem because of its close proximity to the eye, medical officials say. If an infection develops, it could spread to the eye. Also the skin around the eyes can stretch or droop, causing eyebrow rings to shift. People also tend to fidget and play with the eyebrow ring, introducing more bacteria to the area.

After a piercing, experts say, complete healing of the site can take as long as two years. The wearer shouldn't handle or touch the pierced site unnecessarily. As a public health precaution, someone with a recent piercing should avoid pools, Jacuzzis and hot tubs because of the risk of bacteria, infections and should clean the site twice daily with a mild antibacterial soap.

So when considering the penetrating issue of body-piercing, African-American health professionals advise moderation for Blacks. "What we need to have in mind is what works for White people doesn't always work for Black people," Dr. Shervington says. "There's a psycho-social context in which this becomes significant as well. I don't know if you're going to want to go for the secretary's job or corporate job with everything jangling and when you open your mouth, out pops this big old ball." Entertainers and athletes are a different issue, he adds. But in the mainstream, body-piercing may just get under the boss' skin.