A 2018 survey found that 83% of Americans have pierced ears. The other common sites for piercing include eyebrows, genitals, lips, navel, nipples, nose, and tongue. Because ear piercing is so commonly performed, there are many standards in place to help minimize complications, however, there are some dangers of getting your ears pierced.

Potential Risks

While ear piercings are very common, it does involve some serious risks. The most common (albeit all are relatively infrequent) include:

  • Abscess
  • Allergic reaction
  • Perichondritis
  • Embedded earrings
  • Infection
  • Keloid scarring
  • Traumatic tearing

If proper hygiene isn’t followed, your risk of infection increases. You should carefully clean your ears as directed and wash your hands before touching your new piercings or changing the earrings.

The risk of infection is greater when the ear cartilage, as opposed to the earlobe, is pierced. Cartilage has less blood flow, making it difficult for infection-fighting white blood cells to arrive at the site of infection and do their job.

Infection

Symptoms of infection include redness and irritation at the site, oozing of pus or fluid (especially if it has a foul odor), and fever. If the infection progresses it can lead to skin changes extending past the ear area, or if the infection spreads to the bloodstream it can lead to symptoms of overwhelming body infection like confusion, shortness of breath and low blood pressure, which is very dangerous.

Treatment

If you do have complications after having your ears pierced some of the following treatments may be warranted. It’s always best to consult with a physician before starting a specific treatment for complications related to ear piercing:

  • Abscesses and infections related to pierced ears usually will respond to an oral antibiotic.
  • Superficial skin infections can best be treated with a topical antibiotic.
  • Embedded earrings are usually caused by using spring-loaded guns. Surgical removal of the earring is commonly necessary, but only requires local anesthesia and a small incision.
  • Allergic reactions are usually caused by certain metals, like nickel. Avoid metals that you have allergies to, and use topical steroids to help recover from the allergic reaction faster.
  • Keloid scarring generally will require surgical removal, corticosteroid injections, or radiation/laser therapy.
  • Traumatic tearing from an earring may be repaired by simply suturing the ear (for simple tears) or more extensive surgical repair for severe tears.

When the earring needs to be removed for various reasons, you may request to have a 20-gauge Teflon catheter ring put into the hole to keep it patent while your ear heals.

Where to Get Your Ears Pierced

Not all places that perform body piercings are created equal. Be sure to investigate any place you’re considering for ear or body piercings. Here are some quick tips for finding a good place:

If the Hole Closes

If the hole closes, you should wait three months and have the earring placed in a different spot where there is no scar tissue formed.

  • Go to a place that does not allow smoking or alcohol within the premises.Look for places that pass the “eye-ball” cleanliness test. Dirty environments are more prone to have higher infection rates.Ask if you can watch them do a piercing. You should see that they wash their hands and then glove prior to performing the piercing.Do not go to a place that soaks needles. You should look for a place that disposes of needles in a sharps container and uses an autoclave for other reusable equipment.Avoid piercing shops that use ear-piercing guns, even on earlobes. The best places will not use these devices due to potential complications.