Variety of complications after auricle piercing

BACKGROUND: Body piercing is a known and popular method of body ornamentation. Modern body piercing includes wearing jewelry in such body areas as the helix (ear), eyebrows, nose, lips, tongue, chin, nipples, navel, and genitals. The current piercing definition does not comprise piercing of the earlobe; however, this body area is still the most common on which jewelry is worn. The aim of this research is to present a spectrum of complications after auricle piercing and to consider including earlobe piercing in the modern definition of body piercing. METHODS: Studied group consisted of 75 patients treated in the Department of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery (Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland) for complications after auricle piercing. Age of participants ranged from 7 to 62 years (mean age 23.7 years). RESULTS: The most common complications in the examined group were post-traumatic tearing of the earlobe and keloid formation. Of all the patients with complications after auricle piercing, most had lesions located in earlobes; it seems that complications in earlobes are significantly more common than in the helix (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The fashion of body piercing is not safe. Complications after earlobe piercing are similar to those occurring in other sites of the auricle after piercing. Moreover, due to its prevalence, complications after earlobe piercing are statistically more common, which is why it is worth considering including earlobe piercing in the modern definition of body piercing.