Everything You Need to Know about the Dangers of Tattooing and Body Piercing

By Laura Reybold

Book Overview

More and more teens are considering getting a tattoo or body piercing. Reybold discusses what these ancient practices meant to people throughout history and examines how their meanings have changed as they have been adapted to modern purposes. Most important, this book addresses the health dangers and social ramifications of this latest form of teen self-expression.

• Format: Library Binding
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0823934691
• ISBN13: 9780823934690
• Release Date: August 2001
• Publisher: Rosen Young Adult
• Length: 64 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.5" x 9.1"
• Age Range: 12 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 7 to 12

Customer Reviews

the real dangers of body piercing?

I bought this book after reading the negative reviews. I expected to read some gory stories about body piercing, but found this book tame, to say the least. Actually, it was somewhat biased in favor of tattooing and should have been titled "a complete guide to body piercing and tattooing". It covers both sides and is especially helpful in giving good advise on the care of piercing and tattooing. The cases given were, in my experience, fairly common and typical. At the hospital where I am at, I have seen much much worse, such as a male who tore his genital piercing and, by the time he got to the hospital, was covered with blood. After reconstruction surgery he had to battle infections. Some infections, especially those due to tongue piercing, can be a real problem. I have seen many very nasty infections that linger on for months or longer (infections still are one of the most common causes of death, even in the Western world). Antibodies are not always effective and over use can result in the development of resistant strains. Also, antibiotic use can result in the development of new allergies that can be lethal. A major problem is hepatitis C, which can cause liver cancer, usually a fatal form of cancer. The problem is, it may take 10 to 20 years to develop, long after one has forgotten about the piercing. The literature indicates that this viral infection may be a major problem in the future, but we will not know until several years down the road how serious it will turn out to be. Also, HIV infection is a real problem, as is cyst formation, lipomas, keloid formation, edema, hematoma, and other health problems. After reading the negative reviews of this book, it is quite clear to me that the critics never read the book. Someone needs to write a book on the real dangers of body piercing and tattooing.

Pretty Good

The author who wrote this did a good job and had some very useful information. I did a senior project for school and after reading this book, was able to get good info on tattoos and piercings. I would recommend it to anyone who wants some good history info and also for anyone looking for safety info on tattooing and piercing.