Ask Dr. Pane: What If You Have A Dermal Piercing And it Won’t Come Out?

One thing we’re seeing a lot more of recently at Atlantic Coast Aesthetics are questions regarding dermal implants and piercings, such as lip, tongue, and nipple rings. This is not surprising, given how popular these accessories are becoming, especially among younger patients. However, there is a surprising lack of information concerning how these piercings can affect medical procedures such as MRIs and of course, cosmetic surgery. During a recent “Ask Dr. Pane” special broadcast on Instagram Live, a viewer asked the question, “What if you have a dermal piercing and it won’t come out?” Dr. Thomas Pane, our founder, and Chief Medical Officer was happy to address this question because it is becoming a more popular point of concern, and so it deserves some extra attention. Let’s see what Dr. Pane had to say!

“If someone wants a piercing removed, once you’re under anesthesia, I can almost always remove it. That’s not a problem.” However, the ease of removal is only one consideration, Dr. Pane adds. “The reason they don’t want metal objects in the body is if they’re doing surgeries involving things like electrocautery, which is the pencil we use to coagulate the bleeders and blood vessels after surgery, the concern is that the current will return to that piece of metal and burn the skin around it.”

Dr. Pane says, “I have personally never had a patient get burned that way, but the concern is electricity returning through the metal and so we want to remove it for that reason if you can. If it’s a liposuction procedure or another procedure where electrocautery is not needed, it really doesn’t matter. If you absolutely cannot get it out, what they usually do is tape over it with a little piece of plastic [because plastic is an insulator] and that prevents the current from coming back”.

Again, he reiterates he’s never personally seen anyone burned in that way, “but if you were to look through the medical journals, somehow, somewhere at some point this has happened to SOMEONE, which is why that rule exists.” Dr. Pane stresses that whether the rule emerged as a result of an overabundance of caution or due to something unfortunate happening which was documented in the medical journals, it is always better to err on the side of caution and patient safety. To this end, he notes, “If you’re having a procedure and you want your piercings removed, mention it and we’ll put it on the consent form. Under anesthesia, there’s almost nothing I can’t get out.”

For patients who have piercings, it is a very good idea to ask the person or shop who did the piercing or implant what material it’s made out of. If you have a hypoallergenic plastic piercing, this likely won’t be an issue anyway. However, piercings made of steel, aluminum or medical-grade titanium may conduct electricity more readily and thus should be removed if at all possible. We also recommend you not get a piercing before cosmetic surgery if you can possibly avoid it, and to wait at least six weeks postop before getting one. This is especially true if you’re planning to get the piercing in or near the areas which were operated on, as it can jeopardize the outcomes of both the piercing and the surgery and lead to complications, such as getting a nipple ring shortly after a breast implant procedure.

Regardless of whether you have piercings and dermal implants or not, following aftercare protocols and recommendations from the surgeon and the surgical staff can greatly enhance your results and minimize the risk of complications. Some of these things include avoiding direct sunlight on the healing areas, taking prescribed medications in accordance with the labeling, and staying away from habitual behaviors such as excessive alcohol consumption and smoking. You should also contact us immediately if you notice anything unusual in the area worked on after your procedure, as this could be an indication of a complication that needs to be addressed. Of course, sometimes these are false alarms, but we’d still rather err on the side of caution and deal with something that turns out to be nothing rather than find out later that nothing was “something” serious!

If you have a question about any aspect of cosmetic surgery, Dr. Pane and the staff of Atlantic Coast Aesthetics are always happy to “talk shop” with prospective patients. Simply follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn; call us at (561) 571-9926, or email us through our Contact page. Your question might even be selected as the focus of an upcoming Ask Dr. Pane segment, allowing us to inform and educate others who share your concerns, questions, and interests while giving you the factual information you need to make the right choices about your cosmetic surgery journey. Remember, at ACA we believe the only bad question is the one you DON’T ask!