Best Body Piercing near me in St Thomas, Exeter

A body piercing is a piercing or small hole made in the body using a sterilised needle; a piece of jewellery is normally inserted through the hole to keep it open while it heals.

Almost any part of the body can be pierced, and they neatly fall into the following six categories: ears, facial, genital, lip, oral, surface.

Your piercing technician is best placed to advise you on how to care for your new piercing, but as a rule of thumb, you should clean your new piercing at least twice a day, washing your hands first, then cleansing the front and back of the piercing with a cotton pad that’s been dipped in sterile saline solution. You should also avoid touching your piercing until it’s fully healed, and you should try not to remove the piercing jewellery as it could cause the hole to shrink.

Some piercings take longer to heal than others; most body piercings take at least 6-12 months to heal enough for the jewellery to be removed without risk of the hole closing. One great piece of advice: opt for jewellery with a straight post (not a hoop) for your new piercing because straight posts cause less movement and less irritation, which means your piercing should heal more quickly.

Yes. Infections are common if good hygiene standards haven’t been followed. Scarring, nerve damage, and the transmission of hepatitis B and C are also known risks. If you choose an oral piercing and you play with it, it can cause trauma to the teeth and gum, leading to tooth fractures, gingivitis, and gum recession. Tongue piercings can cause the tongue to swell temporarily. More severe, and even life threatening, side effects have been known. Ask your body piercest to give you a complete overview of the risks before you book your piercing appointment. You can minimise risk by booking your body piercing with an experienced professional who follows stringent hygiene rules.