Piercing

Tongue and lip piercing is becoming more and more common these days. Among the unpleasant results of tongue piercing are pain, post-placement swelling, prolonged bleeding, gum injury, permanent numbness, loss of taste, oral hygiene problems, and broken teeth. As if that weren't bad enough, piercings can spread Hepatitis A, B, C, and HIV. Body piercers are not medical practitioners and are not regulated by any health agency. While using the human body as a canvas for "art" is as old as time, this is one variety that needs to fade into the past.