Love ‘em or hate ‘em (we love them!) piercings are an interesting topic of conversation to just about everyone. As much as we enjoy talking about piercing, some of the ideas that we hear in conversation are pretty out there. Our Toronto & Vancouver piercing artists have taken it upon themselves to debunk some of the most common misconceptions we hear.
If you have nipple piercings it will not affect your ability to breastfeed. Some of the milk may leak out of the hole. However, your ability to lactate is not affected. So long as your nipple piercing isn’t infected you are safe to breastfeed.
That being said, it is best to get a nipple piercing done a year or more before having a baby. Any of the top piercing shops in Toronto & Vancouver will refuse to do this piercing on a pregnant woman. The concern is that a potential infection could harm the baby.
As well, if you are already breastfeeding, it is best to wait until your baby has outgrown breastfeeding to get a nipple piercing. You are not able to breastfeed while you wait for the piercing to heal. The risk of infection would be high, and it would surely be uncomfortable.
Tragus piercings, as well as eyebrow piercings, have been accused of causing facial paralysis. The myths about this are anywhere from a permanent affliction to just a few minutes. Neither of these are true.
The tragus does not contain sufficient nerve endings for a piercing to cause paralysis. There is a significant nerve that runs near the eyebrow. However, this nerve is difficult to pierce. A trained and professional piercing artist wouldn’t hit this nerve. Facial paralysis usually requires a stroke or significant physical trauma.
If you are getting your tragus or eyebrow pierced, we would absolutely recommend a professional piercing shop. But for someone to get facial paralysis, the piercer would have to miss the target area altogether.
1. Do Summer Piercings Always Get Infected?
It’s surprising this myth still persists. Summer is one of the most common times people get pierced, and infections are uncommon. The season has no effect on the likelihood of a piercing getting infected. One of the most common culprits for infections is not seasonality, but improper aftercare. Following proper piercing aftercare is essential in preventing infection. This is where summer can come into play. In the summer there is a lot more temptation to skip proper care. Concerts and swimming are best avoided while the piercing heals. But, summer is the season of music festivals and beach days. And for some, the temptation is too much. In Toronto & Vancouver, the summer is filled with music festivals almost every weekend. And beaches and cottages are close by. If you don’t think you can resist the temptations, then summer may not be the best season for you to get pierced. But the season itself does not leave you more vulnerable to infection.2. Do Piercings Affect X-Rays?
How many mothers have warned their kids against piercings claiming they would distort x-ray images. Fortunately, this is just another old wives’ tale. Piercing jewellery appears on x-ray images. However, it does not distort or affect the image around it. Your doctor should be able to identify a piercing on the x-ray. But if you worry there is any risk of confusion, just let them know in advance. Although the piercing is visible, it has no negative effect on the x-ray.3. Do Nipple Piercings Cause An Inability To Breastfeed?
If you have nipple piercings it will not affect your ability to breastfeed. Some of the milk may leak out of the hole. However, your ability to lactate is not affected. So long as your nipple piercing isn’t infected you are safe to breastfeed.
That being said, it is best to get a nipple piercing done a year or more before having a baby. Any of the top piercing shops in Toronto & Vancouver will refuse to do this piercing on a pregnant woman. The concern is that a potential infection could harm the baby.
As well, if you are already breastfeeding, it is best to wait until your baby has outgrown breastfeeding to get a nipple piercing. You are not able to breastfeed while you wait for the piercing to heal. The risk of infection would be high, and it would surely be uncomfortable.
4. Do MRI Machines Rip Out Piercings?
This is a myth that must come from TV. Yes, an MRI is a powerful magnet, but it won’t make metal objects rip through your flesh and skin. That being said a metal object inside your body could cause pain during an MRI. If you have body piercings you need to sign a special waiver before getting an MRI. If you are using high-quality jewellery for your body piercings you will be okay. The best jewellery is made with solid gold and high-quality titanium. These materials are not a concern since they are not as magnetic as other materials like nickel or iron. It is important to purchase your body piercing jewellery from a reputable dealer. If the gold isn’t actually solid gold there are impurities present. These usually include nickel and/or iron.5. Do Piercings Need To Be Disinfected During Aftercare?
Perhaps more than any other on this list, this one sounds real. Disinfecting is good, right? After all, one of the main objectives of piercing aftercare is preventing infection. But, when your piercing is healing disinfectants can actually be a negative. Your piercings need to be able to breathe. A disinfectant can actually kill microbes the piercing needs to heal effectively. In addition to irritating the piercing location, a disinfectant increases the time it takes to heal.6. Do Tragus Piercings Cause Facial Paralysis?
Tragus piercings, as well as eyebrow piercings, have been accused of causing facial paralysis. The myths about this are anywhere from a permanent affliction to just a few minutes. Neither of these are true.
The tragus does not contain sufficient nerve endings for a piercing to cause paralysis. There is a significant nerve that runs near the eyebrow. However, this nerve is difficult to pierce. A trained and professional piercing artist wouldn’t hit this nerve. Facial paralysis usually requires a stroke or significant physical trauma.
If you are getting your tragus or eyebrow pierced, we would absolutely recommend a professional piercing shop. But for someone to get facial paralysis, the piercer would have to miss the target area altogether.
