Not everyone who has a tattoo wants to show off the artwork in public. A tattoo is permanent, and considering that the tattoo may be visible in the future will help you to determine the placement of your tattoo.

One of the most common complications of ear piercing is infection. According to a college sample of students conducted at Pace University, 17 percent of individuals with piercings experienced medical complications, including bacterial infections, bleeding and trauma to the tissue.

Improper aftercare or manipulation of a piercing with dirty hands can cause it to become infected. Swelling, redness and sensitivity are normal with a new piercing, and there is a difference between irritation and infection.

Any time the skin is torn, there is the potential for scarring and other damage. A nose piercing is a significant "tear," going fully through a thick piece of skin, whether it's a nostril piercing or one through the septum. While keloids are most common around ear piercings, they can also form around a nose ring.

Body piercing has been a form of art for thousands of years, and although the exact history of nipple piercing is disputed, a 2003 article in "The Lancet" notes that it goes back at least as far as Victorian times.

Showing off a belly button ring can be interpreted in a number of ways, from the straightforward to the psychological. While body piercing and tattoos are ubiquitous in contemporary society, cultures throughout the ages have dabbled in body modification rituals, also known as bod-mod.

The process of stretching a piercing to accommodate larger jewelry is sometimes incorrectly called "gauging," but the word gauge actually refers to the size of the jewelry. One of the most commonly stretched piercings is the earlobe.

If your stretched earlobe has torn, your piercing may shrink. Repairing a tear in your earlobe is relatively straightforward if you still want to wear large-gauge earrings.

Once the province of sailors, prisoners and rebellious, artistic types, tattoos have become a part of mainstream America. Like most things in life, tattoo ownership has its pros and cons. While the disadvantages are pretty concrete, the advantages are more varied.

Getting your ears pierced is a rite of passage for many girls, and even some boys too. The words "ear piercing" may well conjure memories of a trip to the mall, where you sat in a chair in the jewelry shop trying to look brave, watching anxiously while a teenage girl swabbed a piercing gun with alcohol.

Corkscrew nose rings are small studs that fit flush up against the side of your nose. The post of the stud is twisted, resembling a corkscrew, and keeps the jewelry from slipping out of the nostril hole. Inserting a new corkscrew nose ring can be tricky, especially if the piercing is relatively fresh.

Laser tattoo removal treatments can leave you with a burn that you should treat like a sunburn, according to TattooHealth.org. You can control the general symptoms of the burn by applying 1 percent hydrocortisone cream, drinking plenty of water and taking ibuprofen.