If you decide to have a body piercing, make sure you find a reputable, licensed body piercing shop or piercer.
Piercing of the ears, nose, belly button and tongue are especially popular among teenagers and young adults. They are all fairly safe procedures, as long as they're performed by a licensed specialist and you take care not to get the hole infected.
Finding an approved piercer
Some local councils keep registers of approved piercers who have passed hygiene and safety standards set out by the council, and who are regularly inspected by health and safety officers.
Contact your local borough, or city or county council for further information.
If you've already found a body piercing shop, take a look around before you go ahead with the piercing. Check for any potential health risks. You should be able to answer 'yes' to all the questions on our safety checklist.
How body piercing is carried out
The skin is disinfected with a 70% alcohol solution and allowed to dry before it is pierced, using sterile piercing equipment.
Ear piercing is normally done with a piercing gun, by either a jeweller or a professional body piercer. All other types of piercing must be carried out using a hollow needle, which is pushed through the skin and tissue of the body part. You'll normally feel a quick, sharp sting while the skin is being pierced.
Read more about how piercings are carried out.
Avoiding infection
Follow the specialist's advice for keeping your skin dry and avoiding infection after you've had your piercing. Read our section on Body piercing - self care for more information on preventing and treating infection.
Healing times
Healing times for the most common body piercings are as follows:
- earlobe – six weeks
- top of the ear – at least three to four months
- belly button – up to a year
- tongue – one to two months
- nose – two to three months
Possible risks
Bacterial infection is the main risk associated with body piercing. Sometimes an abscess (build-up of pus) forms around the piercing site, which can develop into blood poisoning or toxic shock syndrome if left untreated. This can be very serious.
Tongue piercings carry a higher risk of bacterial infection because of the high number of bacteria already present inside the mouth.
Read more about the risks of different types of body piercing.
All professional body piercers in the UK use sterile instruments, so it's rare to catch conditions such as hepatitis and HIV/AIDS through body piercing.
