Body Piercing

This passage discusses body piercing and how to avoid getting an infection from having a body piercing done.

Lexile Level: 1120L

Categories: Sports & Health Art & Music

Body piercing, in which an opening is made into the skin and jewelry is inserted, may be more popular today than ever before. In past years, ear piercing was considered normal, but in our current culture, it has become common to pierce other parts of the body. People may decide to have their eyebrows, nostrils, cheeks, lips, tongues, or navels pierced. Before deciding to get a body piercing, one should know that it can cause serious and debilitating health problems. If the person doing the piercing maintains clean and healthy standards, problems are less likely to develop, but even under the best circumstances, problems may arise. Chronic infection is a possibility, as well as prolonged bleeding, scarring, and allergic reaction. Some areas of the body are more prone to infection. Mouth and nose piercings are exposed to more bacteria. A tongue piercing may cause long-term dental problems. Body piercing may be popular, but one should consider health issues before deciding to be pierced.