Body Piercing Hazards

Over the past decade, there has been a decided trend towards individuals expressing their individuality through the use of piercings on various parts of the body. No longer are the ears the only things pierced. Now, the eyebrows, nose, tongue, lip, ears, back, navel, and general areas on the body are all fair game for an individual to have pierced. While this version of self expression is embraced by many, there are few who truly understand all of the risks involved.

One of the first risks is merely a cosmetic one. Piercing an ear or eyebrow or any other part of the body could lead to the development of keloid scars. These are scars that are not just flat like the rest of the skin but sort of bubble up and are more visible. While not a serious problem necessarily, they can do damage to a person’s looks and create problems there.

The next problem is more serious. Many of the areas being pierced are close to nerves and blood vessels. The tongue in particular can have serious ramifications if the major blood vessel in the tongue is pierced when the tongue is pierced. If an eyebrow piercing is poorly located or performed, it can damage a set of nerves that have a significant impact on motion for an entire side of the face. Piercing these nerves can contribute to paralysis of half of one’s face.

The final serious risk of piercing is blood borne disease. There are rules surrounding the sanitation of piercing parlors and their instruments but these rules alone do not necessarily mean that all piercing parlors comply. A poorly sterilized needle or other piercing implement can lead to contracting a variety of forms of Hepatitis and potentially even HIV.

Contact a Philadelphia Personal Injury Lawyer

If you have been injured by a poorly performed piercing, contact the Philadelphia personal injury lawyers of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. today at 215-238-1130.