Call for body-piercing crackdown

Piercing should be carried out using sterile needles

Lack of regulation in the body-piercing industry is exposing both adults and children to serious health risks, say nurses.

The Royal College of Nursing annual congress in Bournemouth has called for much tougher controls on clinics and individuals who carry out body piercing.

The conference heard "horror stories" about infections and injuries caused by piercing, including the tale of one 12-year-old who was hospitalised with severe blood poisoning after concealing her infected navel-piercing from her parents.

Carl Landers, a Bristol nurse supporting the call for increased regulation, said there was evidence that some piercers were illegally administering local anaesthetic injections.

In addition, research showed that the majority of GPs in one area had had to deal with infected piercings among their patients.

He told BBC News Online: "We really need better control, which would include registration, so that environmental health officers could visit, and better training for those carrying out the piercing."

Increasingly common

Body-piercing has become increasingly popular in recent years, with many people opting for less conventional nipple, navel or even genital adornments.

At the moment, outside London, anyone can set up a body-piercing business.

In London, body-piercing specialists are subject to registration and inspection.

But outside, London, the Health and Safety at Work Act relates only to those who provide ear-piercing.

If a centre does not carry out ear-piercing, but offers more complex piercings, there is no regulation whatsoever.

There is no formal training or registration, despite the need for strict hygeine to avoid unpleasant, painful or, in some cases, dangerous infections.

A survey of doctors in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, found 95% of them had been confronted with a medical complication arising from body-piercing.

Pierced navels were the source of 40% of problems, 35% related to pierced ears, and complications surrounding nose- and nipple-piercing were also reported.

In 75% of cases, the complications involved infections which had developed since the piercing.

Common problems include excess bleeding from the punctures and too much scar tissue.

However, if non-sterile equipment is used, life-threatening infections such as hepatitis C, HIV or septicaemia can set in.