Comparison between cartilage and soft tissue ear piercing complications

Despite growing interest in cosmetic piercing, a detailed evaluation of associated medical complications is lacking.

A questionnaire addressing ear, nose, and other body parts piercing was anonymously presented to 1,000 nurses at a major Midwestern teaching hospital, and responses were obtained from 552.

One hundred sixty (35%) of the 452 nurses who had an ear pierced reported a complication. Three hundred fifty-five (30%) of the 1,200 total pierced sites developed complications that included minor infection (77%), allergic reaction (43%), keloid (2.5%), and traumatic tear (2.5%). The complication rate from piercing through cartilage (32%) was not significantly different from that found when piercing through soft tissue (29%). The type of complications experienced differed in frequency between cartilage and soft tissue, with minor infection being more prevalent in cartilage piercing (30% v 21%; P < .10) and allergic reaction found more frequently in soft tissue piercings (13% v 4%; P < .025).

This study identifies a low prevalence of major complications (<1%) and a relatively high prevalence of minor complications (30%) associated with ear piercing. The expected increase in complications and morbidity of piercing through cartilage was not found in this study.