Piercings in medical students and their effects on the skin

BACKGROUND: Piercings are body embellishments commonly seen in young people, however their inherent risk of infection and scarring disorders are less divulged. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of body piercings among medical students and their possible dermatologic consequences. METHODS: Cross-sectional study with 58 medical students, by means of a structured questionnaire covering socio-demographic characteristics, technical issues related to the piercing and characteristics of the dermatologic complications. RESULTS: The sample was predominantly female (86.2%), with mean age 24 ± 3 ye...