Piercing is a cultural phenomenon that has been in existence for thousands of years. It is not just about the act of getting pierced, but also about adapting to your new look and getting over the initial pain. In this article, we will be exploring some myths about piercing that are absolutely false and could potentially lead you to the bad path. If you have always been interested in body piercings, you should stick around as we will be pointing out some important information that could improve your experience and clarify your queries.
- Piercing guns are safe to use
It is wrong to say that piercing guns are safe. They are not entirely safe because they cannot be adequately sterilized, which makes them risky to use for any piercing. The piercing done with a piercing gun does not heal faster; instead can cause infection and irritation in the area. In addition, the piercing gun blunts a force to push the sharp earring into your piercing. A professional piercer will never use piercing guns; instead, they prefer needles.
- To remove dermal piercing, you need to get it done surgically.
It’s a false myth; when you go for a piercing, your piercer will create a pocket in the skin with no exit point, and the dermal jewellery will be screwed onto it. So, when you want to remove it, you can’t do it yourself; instead, you go a professional and qualified piercer who will remove the base with the same procedure as they do to insert it in. Thus, you don’t have to go to a medical professional with no piercing experience or get it removed surgically.
- Piercing leaves no mark.
This is another wrong myth. Remember, if you stop wearing jewellery on your old piercing, that piercing mark will always be there. For example, if your skin loosens after wearing tunnels, and you want to remove it will require surgical intervention. It will be restructured again, so when you decide to get a piercing in a particular area, carefully think about it a thousand times, as you will be unable to remove the mark of the previous piercing.
- Infection is about to come as soon as you get the piercing
Many people think it’s common to get an infection after getting the piercing. Even though people consider a typical irritation an infection because sometimes irritating piercings might get swollen, red or produce a clear, yellow or green discharge, let me tell you, this is just a misconception. If you take care of your piercing, it will unlikely catch any infection. But if you feel pain in the piercing area, we recommend you go to your piercer.
- Piercing is too painful.
Piercing is not as painful as it seems, although you might feel slight discomfort in any piercing method. Moreover, that discomfort can be easily handled. Will piercing hurt? This is the most commonly asked question, and the answer to this is the pain level of any piercing depends on the person’s tolerance level. It is best to go to a professional piercer to get a clear understanding of the procedures.
- Silver and gold are best for a freshly done piercing.
Yes, true, but only if it is in pure form because if you use silver or gold with lower purity or contain nickel or copper, then it is not recommended. If you are looking for gold jewellery, go for a 24-carat alloy. That’s a bit expensive. Moreover, the recommended jewellery for your initial piercing is titanium or bioplast jewellery; they are less costly and hypoallergenic.
- You can twist a new piercing to heal it faster.
Twisting a new piercing is one of the common myths followed by most people as they believe it makes it heal faster. But according to professional piercers, if you twist your piercing with fingers, your piercing area will be more prone to infection, so instead of healing fast, the process will slow down. The reason is that moving or twisting your piercing will disturb the skin from healing. The best aftercare to make it heal faster is to clean the piercing area with a Q tip to remove the build-up. Only touch the piercing with clean hands.
- Clean your piercing with alcohol and peroxide.
Alcohol and hydrogen peroxide are not an excellent solution to clean your piercing area as they damage the delicate tissues and make the healing process slower. So, it is recommended to clean with any solution suggested by your piercer. Mostly piercers recommend warm water
or saline solution to clean the piercing
- Avoid cleaning the piercing area
People often think one should not clean the area until it heals properly. But that’s not true; every professional piercer will suggest cleaning the piercing area with warm water or a saline solution twice a day to prevent bacteria from growing.
Concluding to this, just like in any other aspect of life, you have to know what to say and what not to say while asking piercing related questions. Dealing with a reputable piercer is always the best option to avoid complications. Always make sure that they are qualified and licensed. Don’t forget to ask questions and take genuine advises from him/her. Don’t rush up, take care of your skin hygiene, watch out for signs of infection and heal well after getting your piercing done.