In today’s Nigeria, more youths; male and female alike, are indulging in and getting bolder with body piercing. More people are now expressing themselves in the act to make statements from fashion to social, or as a sign of rebellion. Hadiza Ibrahim spoke with ‘The Melanated Goth’, a professional piercer, on complications that may arise when piercing is done wrongly.
Where did you learn how to pierce?
I learnt how to pierce at Fair-haunt, Abuja.
How long have you been practicing?
I have been piercing for about two years and some months now.
What would you say is the most common type of piercing?
I would say mostly nostril piercing because in about 15 customers we get to have in a week, 9 go for nose piercing.
What is the most common reason people give for piercing their bodies?
People pierce for many reasons. Some could be cited as aesthetics, some to beautify, to feel some sense of acceptance from friends or circle.
Have you ever had complications reported by your customers?
Yes, plenty. I can remember a case of a girl who pierced her ear and some weeks later, she called back that she was having complications. She snapped it and it was really bad, it was a very big bump growth.
What causes such complications?
Normally, after we pierce, we often tend to offer after care advices or tips, but many people do not tend to follow these tips or advices leading to complications.
A lot of people don’t listen to the after care I give them and I always give out my number. If I pierce you, you have my number any issues I want to hear about it but a lot of people don’t do that.
Lack of following proper aftercare following piercing procedures can result to the area getting infected and forming keliods and bumps, which could sometimes require surgery to be removed.
What are the dangers of self piercing?
While it’s nice to hop on the trend, it’s required that one should go to a professional for piercing,
as some people tend to try to do it themselves.
This results in them hitting their vein in the process, damaging their skin or not getting it right. Some may not even use the right needle and end up using contaminated needles which could result to harsh infections.
Who can pierce?
Beautifying one’s body is nice but it’s also recommended to get piercings from professionals to avoid these complications.
When I mean professionals, I mean someone who is experienced, someone who has spent not less than 1 year as a professional piercer.
