Fortunately, most of my readers are of an age where we never went in for those body piercings: nipple rings, foreskin and all sorts of other unmentionables in polite society. I especially can’t stand the sight of weird metal things in the tongue, lips and over the eyes.
For one thing, I’ve never seen anyone with these metal objects that did not have a festering inflammation at the site of the piercing.
Secondly, I discovered 40 years ago and have been telling people ever since, that metal piercings create allergies. Not just allergies to nickel, in the earrings etc. But this spreads to a generalized metal allergy and that in turn can create sensitivities to foods, chemicals and environmental triggers.
Smoking is bad too. So put both these things together and we have something to fume about, right?
It seems smoking and nipple rings are a major risk factor in developing breast abscesses. The first surprises me somewhat; the second does not.
According to a study at the University of Iowa, nipple piercing is a risk factor for breast abscesses, with the development of abscesses occurring up to seven years after the piercing.
Smoking also greatly increases the risk of breast abscesses. Compared with nonsmokers, smokers were six times more likely to develop breast abscesses, the investigators found. And the condition was 15 times more likely to recur in smokers than nonsmokers, the researchers noted.
Other major risk factors for the condition include obesity and diabetes, the researchers noted.
Breast abscesses are painful inflammatory lesions that are difficult to treat and tend to recur at rates as high as 40 to 50%.
What upsets me is that these girls go out and have their teats mutilated, with never a thought for whether they will be able to perform their natural function later, when she gets pregnant. Scar tissue is inevitable around a piercing and the risk is it will block the milk ducts permanently.
Listen, I’m not against sexy body ornaments. But I prefer the kind you can take off and throw away, once the novelty has worn off! Otherwise it is just mutilation. I feel the same about tattoos, which are basically deliberate lifetime scars (you can’t get them off, once tattooed).
SOURCE: Journal of the American College of Surgeons, news release, Aug. 3, 2010
I am a breastfeeding mom (15 months and counting). My history includes nipple piercings in place for 3 years (7 years prior to breastfeeding) and breast augmentation with silicone implants 14 months prior to pregnancy (2 years prior to beginning breastfeeding). I was a smoker for 14 years–during all of the breast procedures (quit smoking 3 months prior to onset of pregnancy). I have never had a breast abscess. While I find these studies interesting; I think you are inserting a bit too much of your personal opinion into your review of them. Also, your reference to young womens’ ‘teats’ is creepy and insulting–they are called breasts in women, we are not cows. I’m sure you can’t honestly believe that you know what women, young or not, are thinking when making these decisions for themselves. There are many factors used in making decisions to modify your body and most people do give these decisions longterm thought. For what it’s worth, I am also heavily tattooed (for the last 12 years) and have never once thought of removing any of my tattoos because I love them. I find this article and your position on the topic rife with judgment and not much else.
I am suitably scolded Dana! I would just say that this blog was taken from my Letter From Serendipity, which is shameless opinion and I make it clear which is which.