Piercing Removal

I understand that you have to remove piercings when you go in for surgery, but what is the reasoning? Can you wear any type of retainer so the hole will not close up? And if not, do you think a tongue piercing over 5 months old would close up in the amount of time it would take to complete surgery?

I am not sure about the plastic retainers but I called a tattoo parlor yesterday because I was wanting to get a piercing before surgery and the guy said that if you take it out before you have had it six months or more it will close up just as fast as you took it out. Hope this helps! Jessica

Hello everyone, Im waiting on approval for my surgery. I was also wondering why I cant keep my body jewelry in, but the laser/electricity thing makes sence. I have my nose pierced for about 1 year, my tongue pierced for about 5 years and just gauged my ears to a 4 a couple nights back. I had ankle surgery in Feb and the nose and tongue were fine, Im just worried about my ears closing a little. It hurt like hell to get them that big, I dont want to go through it again! Jade

the reason the have you remove piercings for surgery is because the metal can cause you to get electriuted with the lasers they use and for tongue piercings also so you dont choke if it happens to come out.you can where plastic retainers but only on piercings on the outside not the tongue. i had my tongue pierced for 5 months and when i took it out within 20 minutes it closed up.but im planning to get my done again after surgery.i hope this helps. melissa

I think every body is different in how long you can take out your piercing for. If you are wondering..... try it. Take it out for five minutes, see what happens, then lengthen it. I have had my tongue for 7 or 8 years so I can take it out for months at a time now no problem. I had an eyebrow piercing that I had for a year that I had to remove upon going to college classes for 4 hrs a day, and by the end of the day it was a lil tender but I could pu**** back in, even if it was snug. As soon as you get out of surgery .... put it back in. That is what I plan to do. I am bringing all my metal with me lol. If I have to push hard enough to repierce it.... It will go back in ! lol

I can understand your wondering, I have had my tongue pierced for a year and when the dr did my scope earlier this month i had to take it out and left it out for most of the day and when i tried to put it back in it wouldn't budge...luckily a friend of mine was there who has one as well and helped me, she popped it right in for me, so i dont' know if i wa****ting it wrong or if it really sealed up that quickly, but this is also the 2nd time i've had it pierced because it closed up the 1st time when i took it out for a job i had. So who's to say for sure, i would just try to put it back in ASAP. LOTS OF LUCK! Amanda Skaggs

I recently had an MRI, so I replaced my eyebrow piercing with an acrylic one. I'll leave that one in till after my WLS and then put my metal back in.

Metal jewelry and electrical machines don't tend to mix well. Try getting a retainer made of a non-metal, like acrylic. They're cheap enough, and they're surgery approved! Good luck!

I am not worried about my nose or my tongue closing up. I am worried about the piercing way up top of my left ear. That baby has been in there for three months and is still sore as heck! Where do yo get those acrylic rings at/ I live in a really little town in Arkansas and you talk about backwoods! I DO NOT want my ear to close up on me. The tongue I know will stay open and I can just redo my nose.Thanks for the input. Pat