Belly Piercing/Tattoo

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I have a 14-year-old travelling through the minefield called adolescence. She wants her belly button pierced (absolutely not) and a tattoo (absolutely not). But just FMI - has anyone seen or had experience with health problems associated with belly botton piercing? Also, has anyone ever heard of a "six-month tattoo?"

Originally posted by kcsunshyn8

Heather-maybe i should restate my question more clearly....Has anyone heard of any specific rules against visible body piercings? Any info ON RULES would be great!

And I believe I answered that question.

Heather

when my kids are teenagers they can pierced where ever they want, except the genitalia. When the daughter is old enough to care for them, she can get her ears pierced, the boy too for that matter. I don't have a problem with tatoos either, but they should be tasteful, I odn't care for sleeves, complete torso's etc... I'm about due to get another myself I just don't have the $$, can't decide if I want a biohazard on my girthy stomach, a dragon on my left shoulder, or an arm band of some sort with the Polish Falcon in the middle

Specializes in ED staff.

I work in the ED, the only infected piercings that I've seen that stick out in my mind (meaning that they were bad) involved the upper ear and the nose. With the nasal piercing, the ring was a small flatheaded stud with some sort of stone in it. The nose was so swollen that you couldn't grab the stud on the outside, we tried many instruments, nothing worked. Finally the patient went into the bathroom and got it out but this was after 50 of demerol , it was so painful she'd barely let us touch it. Pus just poured out, she got a shot of Ancef and swore she would never put the ring back in. The loop in the upper ear was just a few weeks ago, again grossly infected... I don't know what she finally grew but it smelled anaerobic. She got IV antibiotics and had to MSO4 before we could do anything to her. I bet the top of the poor girl's ear was 1/2 in thick! Our hospital has a written policy about piercings, the only ones that can show are in the ear lobe and then you can only have 2. They talked about making belly rings against policy but didn't know how they would do that, no one at work goes around with their tummy showing anyway. lol

I vote for the belly button ring!! Heck if I had the flat stomach of my younger years I would probably want to do it myself! A tatoo in my opinion is different, because it is there forever, if it isn't it is a big process to get rid of it. I would want my daughter to wait for a tatoo. The belly-button ring can always be taken out!! JMHO

Y2KRN

I've seen an infected nipple ring. The MD never had.... he split the 36DD breast from nipple down and packed it. Didn't even try warm moist compresses. Took several regimens of antibiotics- both aerobics and anaerobic.

The military get pierced and tattooed ---so long as it doesn't show. I have seen so many barcodes on the back of the neck and been advised of "Prince Albert's". NOTE: I was informed that they cannot be removed except by cutting them off.

Just a tip for those of you with daughters, based on my experience....

I think making them wait on getting a tattoo is DEFINITELY the right thing to do. But if they are planning to just wait until they are out of the house and over 18 before getting one, please just ask them to consider one last thing before deciding WHERE to get it... They should think long and hard about getting it anywhere that would be exposed while wearing a wedding dress!!

I got what I would consider a very tasteful tattoo on my shoulder blade during my freshman year of college. I knew it would be exposed when wearing certain kinds of clothes, but of course, I KNEW I wouldn't care about that! I was such a bad-ass after all! :chuckle

Well, lo and behold, I turn into Martha Stewart the minute I have an engagement ring on my finger and I was SO DISAPPOINTED that all of the wedding dresses that I really wanted to wear completely exposed my tattoo (which wasn't acceptable to me). So I ended up buying a dress that wasn't my first choice. This continues to happen every time I dress up for something, all the dresses I like the most show my tattoo. Not THAT big of a deal, but something you have to deal with for the rest of your life!

So, please just ask your daughters to consider this last thing before getting a tattoo on their upper body or arms! ;)

~ Satine

Specializes in Geriatrics, LTC.

I have 3 tattoos and thinking about a fourth...they are unnoticeable in my scrubs. They are all tasteful and nothing vulgar. My 14 yr old has asked for a tattoo and belly button ring...my hubby say no to both....I am more liberal then him I would allow both because my daughter is very mature and can make an educated decicision. But not all kids can, I think it should be based on maturity level and their knowledge of the process to be done and the knowledge of care of it.

As far as working with visible body piercing, remember we work with the elderly (for the most part). There are clear "holders" you can purchase to keep the hole open when you can't wear the jewelry. For safety, I would NEVER wear anything that a patient can grab and yank out of my body LOL!

Specializes in Geriatrics/Oncology/Psych/College Health.

I've seen rather nasty cases of thrush either caused by or aggravated by tongue piercings. Belly button - biggest risk is hooking it on your pants and YOW! Tattoos - if it's sterile naturally, but the homemade ones as done in the bad old days caused more than a couple of cases of hepatitis.

I personally have three piercings - nipples and navel and no problems ever with them. Have had the first for about 7 years and the navel done about a year and a half ago. No tattoos - partly because I can't decide what I'd want and I just don't want something I can't take out or off easily. Just plain Jane single ear piercings because I do believe that patients make judgements about us based on our appearances whether we like it or not.

Hospital policy is no exposed non-ear piercings period.

I do work with the adolescents a lot and they seem to have a fairly high infection rate with theirs - and are the most stubborn about not wanting to take them out!

What is this about not getting peirced because we work with the elderly?? To me it is the quality of care and professionalism that I provide, not what I choose to adorn myself with (providing it does not interfere physically with work.)

My belly ring healed very quickly and I have had no problems with it. The most important thing is to get it done in a respectable place. For sanitary reasons obivously, but also for asthetics- I have seen a few crooked ones!

Peircings are great for those not wanting the permanence of tatoos.

As for those who cannot keep their simple peircings clean and non-infected, I hate to see how they will take care of future children!

Has anyone else read about an increased incidence of hepatitis with tattos? I thought I read an article about that a year or so ago, I'm not sure. I would go ahead and let her pearce her belly button, but I would want to be the one doing it. I'm too much of a wimp to do either one.

Originally posted by Nurse Ratched

I personally have three piercings - nipples and navel and no problems ever with them.

OUCH, BIG OUCH!!!! You've got your nipples pierced!?! :eek: Did it hurt? :imbar Since I've had my tongue pierced, even though I took it out, I tease my hubby about getting mine pierced. He's a good ol' boy from west Texas and any piercing, other than ears, makes his skin crawl. In reality, I don't think I have the b#lls to do it!

+ Add a Comment