Mail order piercing kits can increase health risks

Do-it-yourself projects can be a great way to save money. They can also be a way for teens to get around their parents’ rules. 

“All my friends have them pierced and it just looked really cool to me,” said 15-year-old high school freshman Abbie Hart. Abbie begged her mom for a belly-button piercing. 

“Absolutely not,” Ginger Arnold said. Ginger, who works at our station, put her foot down. 

“I don’t believe a teenager, a minor, should make permanent alterations on their body when their mind changes every other day,” Ginger said. Nevertheless, Abbie had her mind made up. 

“I got a giftcard from Amazon. I went to Amazon and I bought it,” Abbie said. She purchased a do-it-yourself piercing kit. It was mailed right to her door. 

“So the plan was to have one of my friends come over. I had ordered two of these, and we were both going to do it,” Abbie said.  
 
Adam Dawson with O’Tool Design Custom Tattoo said the problem with these do-it-yourself piercing kits is that they don’t meet the four E’s of safety.

“That’s scary,” Dawson said. First, a do-it-yourself piercer doesn’t have the needed experience. 

“A piercing that could take me less than the time it takes you to breathe out could take another person 20 minutes to do because their brain is telling them to slow down the whole time,” Dawson said. Second, there is a lack of education. 

“This is intended for professional use. Must be 18 years of age or older to purchase,” Dawson read off the piercing kit package. Third, there is no guarantee the environment is safe for piercing with the mail order kits. Dawson said it’s vital to be in a sterile, controlled setting.  

“Our shops are most definitely inspected by the Health Department every year,” Dawson said. The fourth E of safety is equipment. 

“This literally looks like a honey bun wrapper. This doesn’t look like a sterilization wrapper,” Dawson said. He checked out the kit’s piercing clamps, which are made out of plastic. 

“Running that through an autoclave, it’s gonna melt. There’s no way to properly sterilize that going forward,” Dawson said. “Because of the clunkiness it could be really hard to get a good grip on skin texture.”

All these factors increase risk for health problems. 

“One in every three of these piercings end up with some sort of complication. Half of those complications require medical attention,” Dawson said. We showed Abbie and her friend Jade pictures of potential infections associated with do-it-yourself piercings. 

“Ewww,” Jade said.  
“That’s not good,” Abbie said.  
“Disgusting,” Jade said. 

These hazards raise a parent’s blood pressure. 

“You know, what was supposed to be a pretty little ornament on your belly button becomes a scar that you’re ashamed of,” Ginger said. Ginger found the kit in the mail before Abbie was able to use it. Still, her anxiety is high. 

“I’m surprised it was so easy for her to get her hands on,” Ginger said. Abbie was asked if she still wanted to get her navel pierced.

“Uh, kinda,” Abbie said. Mom can only hope if it is done, it’s by a pro. 

The navel has the longest healing time of any piercing lasting 7 to 12 months. Common risks of self- piercing include chronic infection, skin allergies, inflammation, nerve damage, and prolonged bleeding.
  
In Illinois it’s a Class C misdemeanor for a piercer to pierce any minor under the age of 18 without written consent of the child’s parent or legal guardian. There is currently no age requirement for piercings in Iowa. It’s up to individual piercing establishments to set their own rules regarding piercing minors.