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Where does the skin go when you get a piercing?

24 Apr, 2023 by Dane Raynor

Have you ever wondered where all that skin goes when you decide to get your ears pierced? And what about other body parts like your nose, tongue, or belly button? Is it just gone forever? Or does it magically reappear somewhere else on your body? Fear not my curious friend, for I am here to divulge this hidden mystery of the piercing world.

What is a Piercing?

Before we dive deeper into the mysterious world of disappearing skin, let us first define what exactly a piercing is. A piercing is essentially an intentional wound made in specific areas of the body – such as ear lobes or noses – which are then filled with jewelry.

The Magical Disappearance

Now onto the most exciting part…the answer to our burning question: where does all that excess skin go once we get piercings?! Well my friends, brace yourselves because spoiler alert it doesn’t actually disappear! Instead, through some magical process (which scientists have yet to fully comprehend), our bodies simply absorb or reabsorb any extra bits of tissue left over from the piercing process. So fear not fellow hypochondriacs – those loose flaps and folds of skin aren’t going to haunt you forever!

But wait there’s more…

Why Does This Happen?

As much as we’d like to believe in magic theory (Hogwarts anyone?), there’s actually some real science behind why our bodies seem to “eat” up that extra little piece of pesky flesh. It has everything do with something called granulation tissue, which forms around new wounds including piercings and can cause inflammation and discomfort.

How Does It Work?

When a foreign object (i.e., metal earring) enters your body through flesh (your poor earlobe), all sorts of bodily functions kick in. One key mechanism is called phagocytosis. This fancy term simply means “cell eating,” where specialized cells in our bodies (macrophages) gobble up anything that doesn’t belong – including pieces of tissue left over from the piercing process.

Another key player in this skin-absorbing game is collagen, which helps support and repair damaged tissue. As new collagen forms around a healing piercing site, those extra loose bits get incorporated into this scaffold-like structure rather than remaining as separate entities.

Don’t Mess With My Piercing

So what happens if we disturb our precious earrings by tugging or twisting them? Warning: graphic content ahead…our bodies react to these small traumas not unlike how they respond to the initial piercing itself – forming new granulation tissue (remember that pesky inflammatory network?) around affected areas. Over time, repeated trauma can cause distortion or even complete loss of the original shape of your earlobes.

But wait there’s more…

Keloids

If you thought distorted earlobes were bad enough, let me introduce you to another lovely side effect of poor piercing care: keloids! These are essentially growths made up of excess scar tissue that form when our bodies heal improperly after injury (including piercings). In layman’s terms, think raised bumps or lumps around a healed earring hole….yum!

Ingrown Hairs Too?

Yep unfortunately we’re not done with potential dangers yet folks! The narrow tunnels created by piercings can also make it easier for hair follicles near pierced holes to become ingrown and infected due to buildup and irritation….

Sanctity Of Salon Sanitation

Whew okay now that I’ve thoroughly scared us all away from ever getting any sort of body art again…,let’s address one highly important aspect worth mentioning before venturing down any further rabbit holes: salon sanitation ! It cannot be stressed enough how crucial it is to have any sort of piercing performed in a highly sanitary setting with qualified professionals. Riddled infection and other scary things are NOT something we want to mess around with.

What To Look For

Always do your research before committing to a salon (especially via Groupon). Some easy red flags worth noting include (but are not limited too):
– Use of non-sterile or unclean tools
– Unlicensed staff
– Poorly lit or cluttered environment

Wrapping Up This Bloody Mess

In conclusion, while the magical disappearance of excess skin due to piercings may seem like witchcraft, it’s actually just our body working hard at healing itself. It’s also incredibly important that we take care of these wounds properly whether that means following strict sanitation guidelines during placement or adhering to aftercare instructions…lest we wind up with permanently deformed ears filled with ingrown hair-filled keloids!

Stay safe out there my fellow body art enthusiasts – and beware the dreaded granulation tissue!!

Related Topics:

  1. Where does the skin go when you get a piercing?
  2. What type of piercing is a nose piercing?
  3. Skin care secrets how to have naturally healthy beautiful skin?
  4. After care for piercing?
  5. How old can u be to get a nose piercing?

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