Piercings that Leave Permanent Scars
People always say that (unlike tattoos) you can simply remove piercings. But sometimes, even when you take out the jewelry, you're left with an ugly reminder of your mistake.
And Lady Gaga, you could be next.
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Clad in an off-the-shoulder shirt and virtually no makeup, the pop star posted a video of herself getting a hole punched through her nasal septum last week. Though most of the septum (the wall that divides the nasal cavity into your two nostrils) is made up of cartilage, it's usually the small area between the bottom of the nose and where the cartilage begins that's pierced. The piercing usually heals within one to three months, depending on the person.
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Septum piercings made the transition from alternative to trendy after the look was spotted on the runways of the Givenchy Fall 2013 fashion show in Paris last March. Both male and female models strutted down the runway wearing oversized silver septum rings with charms dangling from the bottom. Each of the rings completely eclipsed the lower half of the models' faces making the accessories almost appear to be bejeweled mouth covers. While they looked real, the rings were actually clip-on hoops, which, in case you're looking to score one for yourself, each retail for a steep $595, according to the Daily Mail. ASOS, however has a similar spiked clip-on hoop for those of us who are a bit more budget-conscious. It costs just $7.63. Aside from Lady Gaga and actress Scarlett Johanssen (who got her septum pierced years ago), celebs including Jessica Biel and Karen Elson have also been spotted donning the look without actually committing to the whole piercing part, thanks to the clip-on hooks. But what's the appeal?
Heather Park, a digital director who lives in New York, told Shine she got her septum pierced because regular nose rings had become "ubiquitous."
"I wanted to do something a little more edgy," she explained.
Laurel Pantin, a fashion market editor in New York, said she had wanted one since she was 14.
"Two weeks before my 26th birthday, I had a 'now or never' moment and just did it," she said.
Both Park and Pantin noted that the actual piercing process was rather painless and - although they've received their fair share not-so-glowing comments from friends and family members - they aren't really too concerned about it leaving a scar or a gaping hole once they no longer want it.
"I definitely don't wear my ring in there all the time," Park told Shine.
When it comes to piercing your belly button, however, the chance of scarring becomes greater. Dr. Ava Shamban, author of the book "Heal Your Skin" told Shine that the skin in the belly area "won't seal down and that tummy skin can start to sag as people age."
As for whether or not a belly button piercing can be sealed or not once it's no longer wanted, according to Shamban, "You have to literally cut out a little bit of that hole so you have a raw edge to suture it."
Another body alteration that will leave you holey for life is ear stretching, the process of stretching a pierced ear hole to a much bigger size with a ring. Shamban warns that it's virtually impossible to reverse the hole back to its normal state.
"All other areas of the body - the tongue, septum, ears [that have been pierced, not stretched], nose, nipples, genitalia - these will generally heal," Dr. Shamban said.
However, she does warn against tongue piercings, stating that the rings worn in the mouth can lead to chipping of the teeth, gum problems ,and even tooth decay.
"If you want to go crazy, just pierce your ears a bunch of times since its the easiest to heal," she said.
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