I must be one of the very few that would write this article when I make my living by doing said body piercings. I am not one for self promotion, but I want you to know I am not a kid that is new to the field. I hold the rank of Master Piercer. I do not use this title but it was awarded to me. In my opinion I am just a piercer. I have 11 years experience. I have certifications from the Association of Professional Piercers (two complete sets) and from Health Educators Inc. I also have been nationally certified by OSHA for blood born pathogens more times than I can count. I have trained one apprentice and am in the process of training a second (5 years separated the two, you can't have more than one at a time). I have preformed somewhere between 13,000 and 14,000 piercings. If the person performing the piercing doesn't have the adequate medical training they can cause an infection or permanent damage. Even if piercings predate history (which they do, every culture on the planet has used them for various reasons) it still boils down to one simple fact. An object is being inserted into your skin that doesn't belong there. Because of this, your body will try to force it out, which is called migration. Think about a splinter in your finger that is just gone one day. Same principle. It is up to the piercer to make sure that the placement can safely fight the body to keep it there. A body piercing also opens up the human body's first line of defense against infections and disease. Your skin. If it is not done professionally in a clean environment with sterile equipment and proper jewelry, an infection is likely. Because of the blood involved, you can also be at risk for any type of blood born pathogen, i.e. hepatitis. While I know exactly how to take care of a piercing, the customer does not. Even if we, as professionals explain the procedure and even give written instructions, they are very rarely followed. The customer then wonders why they have an infection. Since we are putting an object, usually metal, into the skin, it will leave a scar. It may be a small one, but it is still a scar. Wanting your nose pierced at 18 may effect a job when you are 30. We all know that in our youth we didn't think of what the future may bring. The list can go on and on. Just like a tattoo, a piercing is a permanent change to your body. You can take out the jewelry, but the scar will remain. Before you do it on a whim, do a little research. I have turned down uncountable clients because their anatomy would not work well for the piercing that they wanted. I'm sure that they went to a more "agreeable" piercer and got it anyway. More than likely they still reaped the negative benefits. Use common sense. Just because your friends have it and it is a current trend, make sure that it is what you want. If the piercer is truly a professional, they won't try to pressure you into getting something done. [URL="http://www.stylepandoracharm.com/"]Pandora Jewelry[/URL] [URL="http://www.stylepandoracharm.com/"]Pandora Beads[/URL] [URL="http://www.stylepandoracharm.com/"]Pandora Charms[/URL]