Also called: Body art · Body piercing
Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Piercing and Tattoos
Piercings and tattoos are body decorations that go back to ancient times. Body piercing involves making a hole in the skin so that you can insert jewelry. This is often in the earlobe, but can be in other parts of the body. Tattoos are designs on the skin made with needles and colored ink. A permanent tattoo is meant to last forever. Permanent makeup is a type of tattoo.
The health risks of piercings and tattoos include:
- Allergic reactions
- Keloids, a type of scar that forms during healing
- Infections, such as hepatitis
To reduce the risks, make sure that the facility is clean, safe and has a good reputation. Proper sterilization of the equipment is important. Be sure to follow the instructions on caring for your skin.
Holes from piercing usually close up if you no longer wear the jewelry. It is possible to remove tattoos, but it's painful and can cause scarring.
It sits within Children and Teenagers, Mouth and Teeth and Skin, Hair and Nails.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Piercing and Tattoos
1 study isregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research already completed
- Tattooing and Piercing Among Medical StudentsBiruni University
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Learn More
- Body Piercing (For Teens)Nemours Foundation
- Piercings: How to Prevent ComplicationsMayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- Tattoo Removal: Options and ResultsFood and Drug Administration
- Tattoos and Permanent Make-UpFood and Drug Administration
- Tattoos: Understand Risks and PrecautionsMayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- Temporary Tattoos, Henna/Mehndi, and "Black Henna"Food and Drug Administration
- Think Before You Ink: Tattoo SafetyFood and Drug Administration
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: TattooingNational Institutes of Health
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Cosmetic Techniques. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Piercing and Tattoos, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.