In todays blog post I wanted to address some common and some less common piercing myths. If you’d like a more in depth post on any of them - feel free to reach out and I’ll make it happen, but now let’s go through as many as I could think of!
Piercing guns are safe
I already have a full blog post on this, but the short version is - it’s not sterile; the jewelry is neither from a quality metal nor in a safe style; it does not create a correct piercing channel - usually not even straight; it traumatises the area that is pierced which in return creates extra scar tissue and doesn’t heal.
Piercings at home can be just as safe as in studio
Even if you had sterile instruments and jewelry, a clean surface and a trained professional, your house will never be a safe space to get pierced. Piercing rooms have air filtration systems and no activities other than body piercing are done there. Your home in contrast, is a multifunctional space, where you move around, cook and eat, your pets lay on surfaces, there’s soft furniture and other day to day things making it a very dangerous place for such procedures.
Infections are a normal part of healing
I hear this all the time: “My piercing occasionally leaks pus, but it's okay” or 'It was infected, but it's fine now”. True piercing infections do not go away so easily and they are not common when done in safe studios and the correct aftercare is followed. What people refer to as pus and infections are usually just the regular signs of a fresh and healing piercing: redness, swelling and lymph discharge. If you think that you have an infection, consult your piercer. We are trained to see the signs and when it’s clear that something is not ok, we will send you to see a doctor, because you will possibly need antibiotics and maybe even a drain.
You have to move the jewelry in healing piercings so it doesn’t get stuck
Back in the day, it was common advice to twist your jewelry in a new piercing. This practice was believed to prevent the skin from getting stuck to the jewelry and to help remove crusts. However, this approach has since been debunked. Twisting jewelry doesn't prevent the skin from adhering to the jewelry. Moreover, while twisting might detach the crusts from the piercing channel, it will also irritate the healing tissue inside, since it’s connected to the crusts, which can cause complications such as irritation bumps, jewelry rejection, and so on. The current recommendation is to leave your piercing alone - no moving or touching, just cleaning. The crusts will get removed during your regular twice a day cleanings.
A piercing hole will never close
This statement is not entirely accurate. While it's true that some piercings (like earlobes and septums) can remain open if you’ve had them for at least a year, the closure time for most piercings varies. It's a common misconception that all piercings will stay open forever. The reality is that the duration a piercing stays open without jewelry depends on factors such as how long you've had the piercing, the type of piercing, and your body's unique healing response. It's not unusual for certain piercings to start closing within minutes or hours after removing the jewelry, even if you've had them for years. The rule of thumb is that the longer you've had the piercing, the longer it might take to close. However, there's no guarantee, so if you like your piercing - keep the jewelry in. If you do decide to retire a piercing, but then change your mind, it's best to visit a professional piercer. We can check if the piercing has fully closed or if it's still possible to reopen the channel without needing a new piercing.
You can't breastfeed if you have nipple piercings
While nipple piercings, as any other piercings, will create some scar tissue, it shouldn’t stop you from breastfeeding. Of course it will not be safe to do so while they are still in - it’s a choking hazard and can damage the baby’s mouth. I generally advice to remove the jewelry when you find out you are expecting (if you wish to breastfeed). Keep in mind that sometimes your body starts rejecting piercings (yes, even the healed ones) during pregnancy, so you might have to take them out either way. The nipples will then have the duration of your pregnancy to heal and return as closely as possible to their original state. I have heard stories of milk leaking from the piercing holes when the jewelry was left in until birth, but this is not something that will happen 100% of the time.
You can’t get pierced if you have a metal allergy
This is usually said by people who got piercings done with a gun. The jewelry used in piercing guns contains nickel, which a lot of people are sensitive to. Most professional piercers will use implant grade titanium or gold. I am not saying that there are no people who are allergic to everything, but 90% of the time you will be able to get pierced with at least one of these metals - there were studies done that show that about 0,6% of people are allergic to titanium and 9,5% - to gold.
Piercings will make security scanners go off
Generally piercings are way too small to set off any metal detectors. For them to go off, the metal object has to be big enough or very concentrated in one area. If you have giant metal earlobe piercings in - sure, remove them, but for regular small body piercings the best example I can give is my client who has about 40 piercings - she never sets off any security scanners.
You always have to remove all jewelry for medical scans
If you wear titanium - you’re good to go. No, the magnet will not rip it out of your body (that would be a very gruesome scene for someone who has titanium dental implants, knee joints or a pacemaker). The only time you will have to remove the jewelry is when it’s in the way of something that the doctor is trying to see. That means removing ear and facial piercings for dental x-rays and brain scans, nipple piercings for lung x-rays, but if you broke your arm or leg and are getting it scanned, there is nothing to worry about. Well, apart from the break.
The side your get pierced means you’re gay
I am glad that I get way less “which side is the gay side?” than when I started working, but it still happens. Was it a thing in the past? Yes. Gay people would get their right ear pierced to signal to other gay people, because it wasn’t safe for them to be out openly. Since we live in a better world now, this type of signal is not used and should not deter you from getting a piercing on the side that you prefer.
Eyebrow piercings can paralyse your face
The old trigeminal nerve story. I think even I used to believe it before I went to get my brow pierced at 14 years old. There’s nothing much to explain other than that nerve does not come close to the area of an eyebrow piercing. I have done so many of them all of my clients left smiling (with both sides of their face).
Piercing an acupuncture point works as permanent acupuncture
While I do believe that acupuncture is a pseudoscience and only works as placebo, if you do think it’s real, you’d have to follow it fully. In Chinese medicine many piercings are thought to weaken organs and affect the flow of energy. I have also heard that “once a piercing is done, the acupuncture point will move”. As I said, I do not believe in any of it, and have never seen health related issues get worse or better from a piercing.
Daith piercings cure migraines
This myth comes from the previous one, and it's quite popular: people often believe that daith piercings can cure migraines due to their location at an acupuncture point. Whenever clients approach me hoping for this miraculous cure, I make it clear that while I can certainly give them a stylish daith piercing, it should be seen as just that and not a health remedy. I consider it unethical for piercers to suggest otherwise, as it could be seen as exploiting people's pain for profit. Some clients might say, “Let's still try it, just in case it works.” I respect that decision, and as long as you understand that at best, it may only offer a placebo effect, I am willing to perform the piercing. Same goes for “earlobe piercings improve sight”, “navel piercings aid in weight loss”, “tragus piercings reduce appetite” and many more.
I hope that this read was a fun read that provided some new knowledge. Please remember, that I (or any other normal piercer) will never think you’re stupid or ill informed, for asking questions. No one knows everything and I am here to help you figure out anything piercing related. Even if it ends up being just a myth.