Many people look at a pierced navel, eyebrow, or the presently popular tongue accessory, and wonder why would anybody want to mar themselves in such a way. Although some claim that they sought body piercing for the purposes of beauty or for cultural reasons, the more popular answer, according to prevalent surveys, is "I just felt like it" (Did That p 1). The majority of those getting pierced and providing this reasoning are adolescents, particularly those younger than eighteen years old. At this age, teenagers are unable to get piercings at any reputable shop without their parent's permission, and as you may have guessed few teens would

Did That Hurt? By Beki Hodgeson http://www.unl.ac.uk/su/pierce.htm

http://www.auhs.edu./hospitals/stchris/fyh/pierce.html

The biggest danger associated with less than ideal piercing conditions, is the risk of getting a disease such as Hepatitus B or AIDS (How Many p 1). If an infected person's blood is on the needle, or other instrument used, this is very possible. In addition to these diseases, youths who did not get a tetanus shot are susceptible to that as well (What Every p 1). If more people were aware of such terrible risks, I highly doubt many would be willing to sacrifice their life to have their navel decorated, or whatever the case may be.

The dangers accompanied with nonprofessionals and unreliable equipment are many and various. The most obvious danger in this situation is the great chance of infection. In addition to allergic reactions and scarring (What Every p 1), unsanitary and inadequate pierced openings can cause terrible infections, in some cases to an extent where the individual must be admitted to the hospital. Infections almost always involve redness, swelling, irritation, pus drainage, and of course pain. Areas such as the tongue, ear, and nose, are more susceptable to these infections simply due to their location and the bacteria they come in contact with (You Pierced p 2). Other sensitive areas that are likely to become infectious are those which are usually covered with clothing, such as the navel. This is because sweat is more apt to secrete in these places, and the constant friction from clothing becomes irritating to the wounded site (What Every p 2).

actually ask, as few parents would consent.

Some common words found in the essay are:
Hepatitus AIDS, Cool Cruel, Head Needle-February, Chart Oct/Nov, Seattle University, Beki Hodgeson, Hospital Children, body piercings, body piercing, trained professional, 1 people,
Approximate Word count = 1139
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)