News Flesh: Piercing Age May Drop

The popularity of piercing has forced Auckland City leaders to rethink restrictions on the age at which teens can get their first studs and sleepers.

Under the city council’s current bylaw, youngsters need a parent’s consent for body piercing and tattooing until they turn 18 – with the exception that those aged 16 and 17 can have ears pierced without parental approval.

The proposed replacement bylaw puts piercing of the belly button and nose in the same age category as ear piercing.

“Basically the reason for the relaxation is a recognition of the need for a more realistic approach to the subject, since nose and navel piercing are now so common,” council spokesman John Evans said yesterday.

The practice of piercing has spread all over the human body, with studs and rings found in places as diverse as the lips, tongue and genitals.

Ear-lobe “stretching” has also gained some popularity, with people wearing metal “flesh tunnels” in holes up to 30mm wide.

A council commentary on the proposed bylaw says the age-of-consent change for navel and nose piercing is “consistent with the current school-leaving age of 16. Many schools will not allow pupils to have piercings other than pierced ears while they are at school”.

Paul Peachey, owner of ArtRageous Tattoo & Body Piercing studio in Dominion Rd, said it was hard to state an appropriate age for nose and ear piercing, because some cultural groups encouraged them for children.

“Any other body piercing – navel, tongue – you should be 18.”

New piercings were at risk of infection if not looked after properly, Mr Peachey said, and 16- and 17-year-olds were at greater risk than older people.

“They are not grown-up enough to look after themselves, let alone look after a piercing.”

Infection is not the only risk.

Otago University Dental School senior lecturer Dr Jonathan Leichter said jewellery in the tongue posed a high risk of fractured back teeth and people with pierced lips had a high prevalence of gum and bone damage around the adjacent teeth.

Regardless of these findings in formal studies, he has not called for prohibition of tongue and lip piercing, nor does he object to the proposed Auckland reduction of the age of consent for certain piercings.

Ear-Piercing Sirens Used to Drive Teens Away

The so-called "Mosquito" device emits high-frequency noise which is audible — and annoying — to young ears, but generally not heard by people over 20.

body piercing with surgical steel 316L

Piercemania 316L / 316LVM SURGICAL STEEL: The most widely used material in the piercing industry.

Surgical stainless steel jewelry rarely causes allergic reactions.

Surgical Steel does not corrode or tarnish.

There is no nickel content difference between the 316L and the 316LVM.(Ni 11.51)

Stainless Steels are categorised into four general classes, based on composition: 200 series steel contains chromium, nickel and maganese, 300 series contains chromium and nickel, 400 series contains chromium and 500 series contains low chromium. The most corrosion resistant are 300 series steels, hence their popularity for medical implants and body jewelry. However, not all 300 series steels are suitable for invasive body piercing applications.

We use two steels for body jewelry. 316L surgical steel and 316LVM Surgical Steel. Although these high grades all contain nickel, they do not release nickel salts into the body and do not induce contact nickel dermatitis. (nickel evolution is below 0.01 ug/cm2/week).

Surgical Stainless Steels (316L) are used for body pins, bone plates, total joint prosthetics, bone nails, staples, intercranial drainage valves, bone fixation screws, among many other applications. Body jewelry listed here is manufactured from equivalent or higher standard material.

Piercemania steel body jewelry items have been electropolished, which is a sophisticated surface finishing technique, where electrochemical activity slowly erodes a thin layer from the surface of the jewelry resulting in MICROSMOOTHING. The resultant surface is ultra smooth and crevice free. It has a higher surface integrity and efficiency than jewelry polished by other means.

Our 316L/LVM Surgical Stainless Steel meets ISO 5832-1 and ASTM F138 standards.(Chemical Composition & Tensile Test available done 02/03/2006)