Piercings are an increasingly popular way to express yourself and add some instant glam to your look at all times. However, piercings of any kind are a major commitment. Getting a piercing is a virtually permanent decision that you shouldn’t take lightly. There are many different things you should consider before you get a piercing in order to ensure that you end up with a piercing that’s right for you.
1. Healing
Healing is an inevitable process you’ll have to endure after getting any piercing. During the healing process of your piercing, you have to be prepared to experience discomfort, pain, and bleeding. You also must be ready and willing to stick with a strict aftercare routine to prevent infection.
If you’re not willing to put up with some pain and put in the effort needed to keep your piercing clean and healthy, you shouldn’t get a piercing in the first place.
2. Permanence
You should consider any piercing you get to be permanent. It’s not a good option to pierce a bunch of holes in your body with the assumption that you’ll be able to remove them without issue at a later date. You can never expect with certainty that your piercing will close up and leave no visible marks no matter what piercing you get.
However, some piercings are more permanent than others. Any facial piercing is likely to leave some type of visible mark, hole, or scar even if you take it out and attempt to let it close completely. This is because any slight mark left behind by a piercing is generally very obvious when it’s on your face. Piercings
3. Hiding
There are likely going to be times in your life when you want to be able to hide your piercing, whether it’s for a job interview, formal event, or something else entirely. You have multiple options when it comes to hiding piercings.
Piercings on your body like belly button piercings or dermal piercings can be easily hidden by your standard clothing. Ear, nose, and lip piercings are more difficult to conceal. However, there are clear retainers available for most piercings that replace your standard jewelry and make your piercing much less visible.
4. Jewelry
Before you get any jewelry pierced into your skin, make sure that the jewelry is hypoallergenic and either surgical-grade stainless steel, sterling silver, or at least 14-karat gold. Any experienced piercer should know to use only jewelry of this grade on all customers.
5. Aftercare
How much time and effort are you willing to put into aftercare for your piercing? Every piercing requires an aftercare routine in order to prevent infection and promote fast and easy healing. However, different piercings have different recommended aftercare routines that vary significantly.
Aftercare for a standard ear piercing usually only includes daily rotation and swabbing with a cleaning solution. Belly button piercings often require a more complex aftercare routine that includes extra steps like soaking your piercing in a saltwater solution. Some of the most invasive piercings, such as lip piercings, require you to take precautions like bringing mouthwash with you wherever you go to clean your piercing after eating or drinking.
6. Location
There are countless different places on your body to get a piercing. Before you decide where you want to get your newest piercing, consider the following questions. Do you want to constantly show your piercing off or would you rather keep it hidden some of the time? Do you sleep in a position where piercings in certain places would get in the way and cause discomfort? How long are you willing to wait for your piercing to heal completely?
7. Personal Background
Everyone is different. It’s important to be honest with yourself and consider your own personal background and how that might affect your piercing experience. For example, some people are more prone to infection or scarring than others. Consider your medical history before getting a piercing. Have you ever had problems with recurring infections, skin irritation, or visible scarring? Do you have any trouble with taking antibiotics, which could be necessary if your piercing does become infected? You definitely want to take these questions into account when deciding if and where to get a piercing. Also, if you are experiencing any current health problems, you should wait before getting a piercing.
It’s also important to consider your current mental state. Make sure you’re in a healthy place mentally and emotionally to make a permanent alteration to your body before you head to the piercer. Being honest with yourself about your physical and mental health before you get a piercing will help you avoid making a decision you might eventually regret.
This post isn’t meant to scare you out of getting the piercing you’ve always wanted. However, it is important for your own health, safety, and well-being to be well informed before you get a piercing. Keep the information in this post in mind while deciding which piercing to get so that you can make sure you get a piercing you’ll be happy with forevermore.
