Eek!

[moonwise]

CNN posted an article today about the dangers of upper ear piercing.

I went and looked at the JAMA article they were talking about, since I'd kicked around the idea of such a piercing from time to time. Here it is:

Outbreak of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infections Caused By Commercial Piercing of the Upper Ear Cartilage

What is so nasty about this article isn't just the pictures (which are, undoubtedly, unpleasant) but the sanitary conditions reported at the store. Granted, there are many piercing places that obey proper health and safety guidelines, but there are probably a lot more that are like the Oregon store.

...On a side note, what parent allows their kid to get an upper-ear piercing at 10 years old? High school maybe, but a fourth-grader?

Comments

[sarcasticval.livejournal.com]

That CNN article made me laugh. Yes, there is a risk associate with cartilage piercing, as there is with any piercing. I mean, you're punching a hole in your body! It seemed like the CNN article was trying to say that piercing = infection when the truth is unsanitary and unprofessional conditions = infection. Also, I wonder how many of those 10-18 year olds actually properly take care of their piercings. I would rotate and disinfect mine at least twice daily (with freshly cleaned hands).

I would recommend researching various tattoo/piercing parlors that actually specialize in this kind of thing. And get it done with a needle as it's less traumatic to your ear.

I like that little bit at the end about how you now have to be 18 to pierce at those stores. Like I'd want some 16-year-old teeny bopper part-timer on minimum wage to punch a hole in my head.

[irenak.livejournal.com]

Actually, if I recall correctly, you're at an overall higher risk for infection if you pierce the cartilage as opposed to the fleshy part of the ear. So when people complain about it, I think that's where a lot of the issues come in.

But, yeah, most of the time, it's sanitary conditions that play the largest role, no matter what you're getting pierced/tattooed.

[sarcasticval.livejournal.com]

Actually, if I recall correctly, you're at an overall higher risk for infection if you pierce the cartilage as opposed to the fleshy part of the ear

You are correct! I guess I wasn't clear. What I meant was that, yes, there is a higher risk of infection on that part of the ear. However, I felt that the article was trying to blame all of the problems on the location of the piercing rather than sanitary conditions.

You'd think that CNN of all places could write a better article!

[fourish.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I had an upper-ear piercing, didn't take care of it, and it got pretty nasty. Now I have something like permanent scarring up there. Maybe I have a horrible disease from it too? I can't be bothered to read the whole article to find out for myself. ^_^