Decorating your body with jewelry and piercings can be an important part of self-expression, but you may wonder whether piercings are safe with lupus. Doing what you can to avoid lupus flares can make the decision to get a piercing fraught with what-ifs and worries.

Most people who have lupus experience skin issues, such as sores or rashes. So it’s understandable to feel hesitant about making changes to your skin, such as with piercings, or wonder if any problems with existing piercings are a part of living with lupus.

Find out four things to know about piercings with lupus, including MyLupusTeam members’ experiences and factors to consider before getting a piercing of your own.

1. Flare Symptoms May Accompany Piercings

If you’re considering getting a piercing, your No. 1 concern may be whether it brings a risk of triggering a flare. Unfortunately, there is minimal research on whether piercings raise the risk of a lupus flare. One study reported a case of skin lesions, wrist pain, and hair loss following new ear piercings in someone with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), but the authors noted that similar cases could not be found in other studies. Thus, more research is needed on whether and how much piercings can pose a flare risk.

Some MyLupusTeam members wonder if their piercings are to blame for a flare. One wrote, “I just got my nose and belly button done yesterday. Woke up this morning and I feel super sick today. My forehead is hot, my body is aching, and my stomach hurts. I believe it caused a flare, so today is going to be a self-care day for me.”

On the other hand, some members wonder if lupus flares trigger infections of their piercings. Discussing a piercing they’ve had for more than 20 years, one member wrote, “Twice in the last year or so it got infected during times I felt particularly unwell.”

It’s best to consult with your rheumatologist about the potential for a piercing to cause a flare or other associated risks based on your disease activity and symptoms.

2. Piercings Pose a Risk of Infection

Irritation and skin infection from new piercings are common, regardless of underlying conditions, but infection risk may be of greater concern with lupus. People with lupus are at increased risk of infection, in general, due to the condition’s effect on the immune system and from taking immunosuppressive drugs, which curb the hyperactive immune response in an autoimmune disease like lupus.

Some MyLupusTeam members report having no issues, infection or otherwise, with piercings, while others state that the risk of infection keeps them unpierced. “I don’t have any piercings yet. The way lupus attacks, I just wouldn’t take that chance of infection,” one member shared.

If you do have a piercing, keep an eye out for signs of infection. For example, symptoms of an infected pierced ear include:

• Swelling, warmth, tenderness, or discoloration at the piercing site
• A fever
• Discharge from the piercing

Some members with piercings have noted issues with repeat infections. “I had five piercings and had to take them out because they kept getting infected,” one member wrote. Another shared, “They go through phases of being infected or clearing up, and just not healing/still bleeding, then becoming infected again.”

A 2013 study found no reports of severe infections from body piercings among participants undergoing immunosuppressive therapy. However, the researchers noted that body art (like piercings and tattoos) among people with autoimmune disorders who are under immunosuppressive therapy may not be common, so there isn’t a lot of scientific data to assess the risk. More research is needed on how lupus itself and immunosuppressive therapy may affect the risk of piercing-related infections among people with lupus.

3. Healing May Take Longer

Some My LupusTeam members with piercings report longer healing times, sometimes interrupted by periods of infection. One member wrote, “I got a piercing on the top of my ear. It took 13 months to actually heal, and it got infected a lot, but now it's been three years and I do not have any issues.”

Infections may be common, but it’s important to take care of them as soon as possible to promote healing. Talk to your doctor if your piercing is taking longer than expected to heal or you notice signs of an infection so that they can recommend treatment.

4. It May Be Harder To Tolerate Jewelry

Certain lupus symptoms, such as skin sensitivity from cutaneous lupus erythematosus or other skin conditions, may make some types of jewelry harder to tolerate. For example, specific metals may irritate your skin. Sharing their experience of multiple piercings, one MyLupusTeam member advised, “Avoid fake and cheap jewelry, as it can make you have a reaction to it. I can only wear sterling silver or titanium.”

It may also be that old piercings get newly irritated, such as during a flare. One member shared, “All of my piercings keep getting really swollen and bleeding since having symptoms of lupus. I clean them regularly, but after they eventually go down, it will become swollen again a few days after.”

Another member wrote, “I had to take out my labret piercing when going through my first big flare-up and can now barely wear earrings without my ears becoming swollen. 🤦🏻‍♀️”

Piercing Tips

With limited research on how tolerated or safe piercings are for people with lupus, it’s best to ask your health care provider about the risks and ways to treat an infection, should one occur. Let your doctor know if an infection isn’t going away or if you notice a pattern of infections — your piercing may need to be taken out.

If you do decide to get a new piercing, be sure to find a place that is clean and follows safe piercing practices. Below are some of the Association of Professional Piercers’ recommendations on what a piercing studio should provide:

• A dedicated room for performing the piercing
• Freshly sterilized tools and jewelry, opened from a package in front of you
• A qualified piercer (who wears gloves)
• Cleanup of the site immediately before the piercing

Be sure to follow any aftercare instructions to keep your piercing healthy now and throughout your lupus journey.

Talk With Others Who Understand

MyLupusTeam is the social network for people with lupus and their loved ones. On MyLupusTeam, more than 223,000 members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their stories with others who understand life with lupus.

Do you have piercings? Have you had any success or troubles with them? Share your experience in the comments below, or start a conversation by posting on your Activities page.