Children and adults with pierced ears must take special precautions while playing sports. Especially in the first months after piercing, the ears are susceptible to damage and infection.

One question almost everyone asks when getting their ears pierced is how long they have to wait before wearing dangling earrings. After the initial piercing earrings are put in, your earlobes need time to heal before you can switch to the earrings of your choice.

A sterile taper is the safest way to stretch your earlobe piercings when you want to achieve a larger piercing size. If you do not have access to a sterile taper, there are other methods and tricks to stretching your ears.

Not too long ago, parents would have been shocked to see a tattoo on a child, even if it was only temporary. Changing perceptions have made the body adornment more acceptable for kids of all ages, but parents should be wary of what they’re getting at the carnival or from street vendors.

An over-the-counter or prescription numbing cream, or topical anesthetic, can be applied to your skin before you get a tattoo to dull the pain of the needle. If you have a low pain threshold or are planning to get a tattoo in a sensitive area, you can ask your tattoo artist about using a numbing agent.

Piercing the higher portion of the ear, known as the cartilage, is a fashion statement that can be dangerous. Before deciding to pierce the upper portion of your ear, familiarize yourself with the health risks associated with cartilage ear piercings.

Nose piercings, when done professionally and cared for properly, can allow beautiful jewelry to be worn and enjoyed for many years. Any type of jewelry worn in the nose is referred to a nose ring, even studs which are not in the shape of a ring at all.

Even with perfect care, your tattoo will slowly fade and lose ink over time. This is because there is no way to stop the things that happen to your skin as you age. There are, however, ways to slow ink loss.

Tattoo care is an essential part of the inking process, especially after you just spent your hard-earned money on a new tattoo. You may want to show it off to all your friends, but use caution when going out in the sun to prevent your artwork from fading.

Nose rings with a ball are also known as captive bead nose rings. This type of jewelry features an O-shaped metal ring with a spherical bead. The bead hides the breach, or gap, in the nose ring. To remove the nose ring, you must first remove the ball.

Cartilage piercings go through any part of the ear except the earlobe, but the most common placement is on the outside edge of the upper ear.

There are two types of nose piercings: the nostril, on the side, and the septum, through the center. Nostril piercings are very popular, perhaps second only to the ear as a site for body jewelry. Septum piercings are less common but still well known.