Journal of general internal medicine
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Review Comparative Study
Body piercing medical concerns with cutting-edge fashion.
To review the current information on medical complications, psychological implications, and legislative issues related to body piercing, a largely unregulated industry in the United States. ⋯ In this manuscript, we review the available body piercing literature. We conclude that body piercing is an increasingly common practice in the United States, that this practice carries substantial risk of morbidity, and that most body piercing in the United States is being performed by unlicensed, unregulated individuals. Primary care physicians are seeing growing numbers of patients with body pierces. Practitioners must be able to recognize, treat, and counsel patients on body piercing complications and be alert to associated psychological conditions in patients who undergo body piercing.