BODY PIERCING

** Dr. Mandar P. Kantak * Dr. E. J. Rodrigues ** Dr. S.S. Banaulikar Abstract: pierced their navels. Greek and Roman slaves Body piercing and inserting body jewelry is were forced to undergo piercing of the foreskin often noticed by the doctor during his clinical while French women are credited with forensic medical examination and also at introducing nipple rings during Louis XIV's autopsy. It has been part of human culture since reign. The Kamasutra mentions time immemorial. However, very little is known in males. Folklore describes the origin of Hafada amongst doctors as regards it and even less (scrotal piercing) to African and Middle Eastern scientific medical literature about it is published. puberty rituals. Till today, a few tribes in Borneo We have attempted to highlight some of the still continue the practice of piercing the glans 5 reasons for body piercing, the methods used, the penis with a bone . Ear piercing has existed since parts of the body pierced and its various health ancient times, both in the Western world and complications, in this article. Indian culture. However it popularized in the 1900s in North America, Europe and Australasia due to the gay, hippie, punk and gangster Keywords: Body piercing, body jewelry, human subculture1. culture, health complications.

Reasons and myths on body piercing: Introduction: Body piercing is done for various purposes: Body piercing is the practice of puncturing or religious, spiritual, fashion, eroticism, cutting a part of the human body, creating an 1,6,7,8 1 conformism or subculture identification . opening in which jewelry may be worn . There is a myth that most people get pierced for self harm or because of sexual deviance. In fact History: one survey revealed that 79% of body piercers Body piercing predates human history2. In the were aged 29 or over and 58% were married or in book of Genesis of the Bible 24:22, Abraham's a long term relationship. Less than 20% saw servant gave a gold to Rebekah, wife of themselves as masochistic, sadistic, fetishist, his son Issac. In Exodus 32, Aaron marks the exhibitionist or narcissistic and a little more than golden calf from melted . Deuteronomy half thought themselves adventurous because of 15:12-17 mandated the use of ear piercing as a the way it looks and feels and because the mark of slavery3. The oldest mummy discovered, piercings usually provide exciting new that of Otzi the Iceman, had an ear pierced4. The sensations5. Aztecs, Mayans and Incas all inserted a variety of jewelry in the nasal septum. Egyptian royalty 1,2 Methods : * Associate Professor, 1) Standard Needle Method: A surgical needle is ** Assistant Lecturer, Forensic Medicine Dept., inserted into the body part being pierced and with GOA MEDICAL COLLEGE & HOSPITAL, the needle in situ the jewelry to be worn is pushed Bambolim-Goa, 403202. Correspondence: [email protected] through the opening following the back of the

J.Kar.Med.Leg.Soc. Jan-Jun 2010 Vol 19(1) -11- BODY PIERCING needle. This method is commonly followed in the 11) Frenum -2-5 weeks (7,8). USA. 12) Foreskin – 2-3 months (7,8). 2) Indwelling Cannula Method: The piercing 13) Clitoris hood – 1-2 months. needle contains a cannula and the jewelry is 14) Clitoris – 4-6 months. inserted into the back of the cannula and pulled 15) Labia minora-1-2 months. through the piercing. This method is commonly followed in Europe. 16) Labia majora- 3-4 months. 3) Dermal punching: It involves removal of a circular area of tissue into which the jewelry is Complications: placed. 1) Acute inflammatory reaction: There may be 4) Piercing gun: The mechanism is by blunt force allergic reaction to products used in jewelry and 9 trauma by piercing gun which shatters the to clean jewelry . Nickel allergy is the most surrounding cartilage for the entry point of the common10. It can induce asthma11. Local Argyria jewelry and over time deforms the ear which is or silver poisoning has been reported. known as 'Cauliflowering'. 2) Infection: A) Bacterial particularly Parts of the body with healing time1,2: Staphylococcus Aureus. B) Parasitic and 1) Ear lobes – 1-2 months. protozoan C) Cellulitis(Ludwig's Angina) in tongue piercing12. D) Endocarditis in nasal 2) Eyelids – 1-2 months. piercing13. E) Viral: Hepatitis B and C and HIV14. 3) Nasal septum – 2-3 months. F) Soft tissue infection G) Septicaemia15. 4) Tongue – 3-4 months. 16 H) Toxic Shock Syndrome . 5) Lips – 3-4 months. 6) Nipples (Male/Female) - 3-6 months. 3) Trauma: A) Excessive scar tissue- 7) Navel- 4-6 months. Hypertrophic scar and keloid formation after 8) Penis meatus- A) 1-2 months- The consort of improper piercing, cleansing and stretching. B) Queen Victoria, Prince Albert was believed to Urethral rupture from avulsion of penis in Price have this piercing8.The ring is inserted through A l b e r t ' s p i e r c i n g 1 7 a n d s u b s e q u e n t the meatus to exit out on the dorsal side of the paraphimosis18. C) Milk duct damage in nipple urethra. This ring was used to secure the penis to piercing. the side of the trousers to avoid any unsightly bulge in the tight- fitting pants then in vogue. B) Medicolegal and ethical issues: Reverse Prince Albert-1-2 months. Body piercing and tattoos are the commonest 9) Glans penis- A) -6-8months - The form of body modifications which get a special piercing is vertically through the glans from front note in any medico-legal examination. As part of to back. B) - 6-8 months- The piercing the external features of the person they play a is horizontally from side to side of the glans vital role in the identification of the individual 19. penis. C) – Lateral piercing in pairs7,8. In India there is no legal or social binding/ban 10) Scrotum- A) Guiche. B) Hafada –3-4 for body piercing and some moderate varieties of months. piercing are accepted in Indian culture. However

J.Kar.Med.Leg.Soc. Jan-Jun 2010 Vol 19(1) -12- BODY PIERCING regulations related to body piercing have been Piercing: Treatment and Prevention. enacted in developing countries14,19. Cutis1991;48:386-94. Another pertinent ethical issue in the developed 11) Block GT, Yeung MB. Asthma induced by countries as regards body piercing has been nickel. JAMA.1982;247(11):1600-2. informed consent before the procedure 12) Perkins CS, Meisner J, Harrison JM. A especially on account of the numerous and complication of tongue piercing. Br Dent J. sometimes fatal complications arising after from 1997;182(4):147-8 14 the piercing . 13) Ramage IJ, Wilson N, Thomson RB. Fashion victim: infective endocarditis after References: nasal piercing. Arch Dis Child. 1) Body Piercing. Available from URL: 1997;77(2):187. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_piercin 14) Koenig Laura M, Carnes M. Body Piercing- g (accessed on 28/02/2009). medical concerns with cutting-edge fashion. 2) Stewart Charles. Body Piercing: Seductions J Gen Intern Med. 1999;14(6):379-385. and Medical Complications of a risky 15) Shulman BH. Ear piercing and sepsis. Clin practice. Medical Aspects of Human Pediatr. 1973;12:27A Sexuality. July 2001:45-50. 16) McCarthy VP, Peoples WM. Toxic Shock 3) De Mello Margo. Encyclopedia of Body Syndrome after ear piercing. Pediatr Infect Adornment. CA. Greenwood Press, 2007: Dis J. 1988;7(10):741-2. 30. 17) Higgins SP, Estcourt CS, Bhattacharvya 4) Hesse Rayner W, Hesse Jr RW. Jewelry MN. Urethral rupture in a homosexual male Making through History. CA. Greenwood following avulsion of a Prince Albert penile Press, 2007:25. ring. Int J STD AIDS. 1995;6:54-5. 5) Fergusson Henry. Body Piercing. Education 18) Jones SA, Flynn RJ. An unusual (and and Debate. BMJ 1999;319: 1627-1629. somewhat piercing) cause of paraphimosis. 6) Wright JW. Modifing the Body: Piercing Br J Urol. 1996;78(5):803-4. and Tattoos. Nurs Stand. 1995; 10(11):27- 19) Pawar Gurudatta S. in 30. vogue: A boon or bane? J Kar Med Leg Soc. 7) Muldoon KA. Body piercing in adolescents. Jan-June 2009 ;18(1):14-17. J Pediatr Heath Care.1997;11: 298-301. 8) Juno A, Vale V, Editors. Research no.12: Modern Primitives: An Investigation of Contemporary Adornments and Rituals. San F r a n c i s c o , C a l i f : R E / S e a r c h Publications;1989. 9) Nakada T, Iijima M, Nakayama H, Maibach HI. Role of ear piercing in metal allergic contact dermatitis. Contact Dermatitis. 1997;36:233-6. 10) Hendricks WM. Complications of Ear

J.Kar.Med.Leg.Soc. Jan-Jun 2010 Vol 19(1) -13- BODY PIERCING

1) Multiple penile piercings 2) Labia majora piercing

3) Nipple ring piercing 4) Nipple rod piercing

5) Eyelid piercing 6) Multiple navel piercings.

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