Should we say NO to body piercing in children? Complications after ear piercing in children

Background The popularity of body piercing procedures is increasing around the world. The trend for body ornamentation is not free from risks. The percentage of various complications following such procedures is growing. The aim of this paper is to present a rare complication after earlobe piercing, which happened to a child. Materials and methods A 7-year-old girl was admitted to the Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery complaining of inflammatory lesions, caused by the presence of foreign bodies in both of her earlobes, which developed after the body piercing procedure. Her earlobes had been pierced in a beauty parlor six weeks earlier. Results With regard to the child's age, the embedded parts of the earrings were removed in the operating theatre. In our description, the hind parts of the earrings started to embed five weeks after the piercing procedure. Too strong and constant pressure caused by fixing clips led to skin ischemia, followed by inflammation and decubitus ulcer, and consequently to the penetration of clips into the earlobes. Conclusions Complications after body piercing are observed in adults, as well as in children, in whom the decision of piercing performance should be carefully considered and rather postponed until self care is achievable.