Sara warns of risks after lip piercing goes wrong

Infection after routine beauty procedure left Ninewells staff baffled

shop itself — I just wanted to make them aware and asked if it had happened to anyone else.

“I’ve had my tongue pierced for 18 years and never had a problem. I just don’t get what happened to my lip.”

Sara is now worried her face may scar when the wound has healed. “My face has been wrecked. “The doctors at the hospital don’t know what caused it — it could have been the bar itself.

“It looks like I’ve been in a fight.

“I can’t eat and I’ve been sick all the time because of all the medication I’m on from the hospital.

“I’ll never get a piercing ever again now.”

David Farry, of Karma Jewellery and Body Piercing, where Sara got the piercing, said care always has to be taken as there is always a “small” risk of infection.

He said: “We’ve been piercing in Dundee for 40 years — three generations of family have been body pierced here.

“Piercings are just like scratching your skin — there is always a small infection risk, but if you clean it you can fix it or take the jewellery out.”

Mr Farry recommended that customers should revisit for free weekly check-ups while the piercing heals.

He said: “We give all customers two sides of A4 of information which we are required to do for health and safety.

“Customers sign forms and have to show ID — it’s all quite regulated.

“You need to come in for checkups, which we are i nsistent about.”