All tattoos and piercing carry some risk and most cardiologists and health professionals recommend that you avoid tattoos and piercing altogether. Any procedure which breaks the skin carries a risk of introducing bugs into the blood stream. These bugs can settle on the heart causing endocarditis.
Piercing which involves the nose, lip, tongue, genitalia or navel (belly button) carries more risk than piercing of ears, eyebrows or nipples.
However, the decision to get a piercing or tattoo is yours, and if you choose to proceed, what follows will help you to make the procedure as safe as possible:
1. Visit a reputable place that follows rigorous hygiene guidelines
2. Good hygiene is vital. Keep the area clean with a skin disinfectant containing alcohol or chlorhexidine before and after the procedure, until the wound is healed.
3. Make sure pre-packed sterilised needles are used only once and then thrown away
4. Ensure left over ink is thrown away
5. If the piercing becomes red and sore, you should remove the ring/stud and seek medical attention
6. If you need to remove the ring/stud because of infection, you should not replace it until the infection is completely cleared
Information taken from The Somerville Foundation
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