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Health warnings over body piercings19 June 2008
Dr Angie Bone, study author
More than one in four people who have body piercings suffer from complications, a recent study in the British Medical Journal reports. The study, which was carried out by experts from the Health Protection Agency and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, surveyed 10,503 people aged over 16. The researchers found that body piercings are most popular in young people aged between 16 and 24, particularly in women. In this age group complications were reported in almost a third of piercings, with about one in seven serious enough to require professional medical help. The most common problems were swelling, infection, and bleeding. Alarmingly, almost one in every 100 piercings in people aged between 16 and 24 resulted in them being admitted to hospital. Serious complications are more likely when a friend or relative does the piercing, rather than a specialist at a piercing or tattooing shop. Four out of five piercings in this study were carried out in specialist piercing or tattooing shops. However a number were carried out by non-specialists, including nine percent of all tongue piercings. Dr Angie Bone, a specialist in public health medicine and one of the study authors, advised anyone considering a piercing to go to a reputable piercer to reduce the risk of having problems. She told the Bupa health information team: "Make sure that you know enough about the procedure as well as the skills and experience of the piercer and make sure the environment is clean and hygienic. Your piercer should tell you how to look after the piercing afterwards and this is important to reduce the likelihood of infections." "Serious problems are rare but if you experience anything unusual you should seek medical advice immediately" added Dr Bone. Body piercing has grown in popularity over recent years and it's estimated that 10 percent of adults in the UK have a piercing on a part of their body not including their earlobes. If body piercing remains this popular then related complications could place a considerable burden on our health services for years to come, according to Dr Bone. Back to the latest health news
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It is vital that anyone considering a piercing ensures that they go to a reputable piercer to reduce the possibility of having problems 
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