The medical event question that comes up often

You have a medical event coming up. Surgery, childbirth, a dental appointment, imaging, an outpatient procedure. Somewhere along the way, you have been told (or wonder if) you need to remove your piercings. The instructions can feel vague and inconsistent. One person says remove everything, another says only certain positions matter, another says use retainers. It is easy to feel unsure about what to actually do.

This pillar cuts through that. It covers the main medical events where piercing removal is discussed, what is genuinely required versus optional, how to use retainers when removal is not ideal, and how to communicate with your medical team. Each cluster goes deeper on a specific medical situation. The pillar covers the general framework, which will apply across all of them.

The three questions that answer most situations

Is removal actually required?

Not every medical event requires piercing removal. Some do (MRI imaging, surgery with electrocautery in the piercing area). Some do not (standard X-rays, most dental appointments, most outpatient procedures). Ask the medical team specifically rather than assuming, and get their reasoning if the answer is yes. Requirements vary by hospital, procedure, and individual clinician.

What can a retainer replace?

A retainer is a piece of non-metallic jewellery (PTFE, glass, or bioplast) that holds the piercing open without the metal that some medical situations require to be absent. For many situations where removal is discussed, a retainer is an acceptable middle ground, the piercing stays open, no metal is present. Not all medical teams know to suggest this, so it is often worth asking about retainers even when they have not been mentioned.

What happens if removal is genuinely unavoidable?

For healed piercings, brief removal (a few hours during a procedure) usually does not cause the piercing to close. For unhealed or recently healed piercings, even brief removal can cause closure. If the piercing must come out, discuss with your piercer beforehand about immediate reinsertion afterwards, or accept that the piercing may not survive.

The specific medical situations covered in this pillar

•         Surgery, when removal is required (electrocautery risk, positioning issues), what retainers work, timing

•         Labour and childbirth, hospital protocol during active labour, monitoring equipment, what to remove

•         Dental appointments, oral piercings and routine dental work, dental X-rays

•         X-rays and CT scans, different from MRI (see the P12 MRI post for that), what is actually required for radiation-based imaging

•         Medical procedures generally, endoscopy, colonoscopy, biopsies, catheterisation, outpatient interventions

•         PTFE retainers used medically, when to use them, how to source them, alternatives

Communicating with your medical team

General principles that apply across situations

Healed versus unhealed piercings behave differently

•         Fully healed piercings (12 months or more without complications) tolerate brief removal reasonably well

•         Recently healed piercings (3 to 12 months) can close within hours if jewellery is removed

•         Actively healing piercings (under 3 months for most positions) close very quickly and may need to be re-pierced if the jewellery is removed

•         Time your medical events around your piercings where possible, avoid getting pierced immediately before major medical procedures

Retainers preserve the piercing without metal

•         PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) retainers are the most common medical alternative to standard jewellery

•         Glass retainers are an option for some situations, particularly imaging

•         Bioplast retainers are similar to PTFE for medical purposes

•         None of these are magnetic or conductive, addressing the main medical concerns with jewellery

•         Retainers are visible but subtle, transparent options exist for discretion

Sourcing retainers in advance

•         Get retainers from your piercer before you need them, not from the hospital shop day-of

•         Ensure they are the correct size for your specific piercings

•         Practice inserting them before the medical event so you are not learning under time pressure

•         Keep them in a small container in your hospital bag

What can go wrong if you get this wrong

Getting the removal decision wrong has real consequences.

•         Leaving metal jewellery in during MRI can cause burns and image distortion

•         Leaving metal in during electrocautery surgery in the piercing area can cause burns

•         Removing jewellery from an unhealed piercing can cause the piercing to close

•         Not disclosing piercings to a medical team can create genuinely dangerous situations if they discover metal at an inconvenient point in the procedure

•         Assuming your piercer knows medical protocols better than your medical team is a mistake, they know piercings, your medical team knows the procedure

None of these are catastrophic in most cases, but all are avoidable with proper communication and preparation.

Topic guides in this series

•         Piercings before surgery, when to remove and what to use

•         Piercings during labour and childbirth

•         Piercings at the dentist, oral piercings and dental work

•         Piercings and X-rays or CT scans

•         Piercings during medical procedures

•         PTFE retainers used medically

Shop the look

•         All implant-grade titanium pieces

•         Starter labrets

•         Simple hoops

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to remove my piercings for surgery?

Sometimes yes, sometimes no, depending on the procedure and the piercing position. Surgery involving electrocautery (electrical instruments to cut or cauterise tissue) in or near the piercing site typically requires metal removal to avoid burns. Surgery far from the piercing site often does not require removal. General anaesthetic procedures usually require some jewellery removal for airway safety and monitoring equipment access. Ask the surgical team specifically and get their reasoning.

Can I use PTFE retainers instead of removing jewellery for medical procedures?

Often yes. PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) retainers hold the piercing open without metal, addressing the main medical concerns for many situations: no conductivity for electrocautery, no magnetism for MRI, no visibility issues for X-rays and CT. Not every medical team knows to suggest retainers, so it is often worth asking specifically. Get retainers from your piercer in advance rather than trying to source them at the hospital.

How long does a piercing need to be healed before it can be safely removed briefly?

Fully healed piercings (12 months or more without complications) tolerate brief removal reasonably well, they can stay open for a few hours to a day. Recently healed piercings (3 to 12 months) can close within hours if jewellery is removed. Actively healing piercings (under 3 months for most positions) close very quickly. If you have a medical event coming up that will require jewellery removal, consider the healing state of each piercing and plan accordingly.

Should I tell my medical team about my piercings?

Yes, always. Include all piercings on any medical intake form, and mention them verbally when you meet the medical team before the procedure. Failure to disclose can create genuinely dangerous situations if metal is discovered at an inconvenient point in the procedure. The medical team can make informed decisions about what to remove, what to leave, and what protocol to follow. Full disclosure is always the right choice.

What if my piercing closes during a medical event?

Fully healed piercings that close briefly during a medical event can often be re-pierced through the existing channel by a professional piercer within a few days. Discuss with your piercer beforehand about immediate reinsertion afterwards if this is a concern. For piercings you value highly, retainers are often a better choice than removal if the medical team accepts them. Accept that some piercings may not survive medical events, particularly unhealed piercings that must be removed for legitimate medical reasons.

Do I need to remove my piercings for X-rays?

Generally no for standard X-rays outside the piercing area. Standard X-rays use radiation to image bones and dense tissue, and jewellery does not react to radiation the way it reacts to magnetic fields. Jewellery within the X-ray field will appear as artefacts (obscuring the image), so piercings near the imaging area may be asked to be removed or shifted. This is different from MRI, which absolutely requires metal removal or specific non-magnetic materials. See the X-rays and CT cluster guide for details.

Where do I get PTFE retainers?

Your piercer is the best source. They can size them correctly for your specific piercings and show you how to insert them. Buying online is possible but sizing is more reliable through a professional piercer who has actually measured your piercings. Get retainers well in advance of any medical event, ideally at least 2 to 4 weeks before, so you have time to practise insertion and confirm the size works. Do not wait until the day before the procedure to source retainers.