Body Piercing Glossary

A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  XYZ

PA

• A common abbreviation for the Prince Albert piercing.

Pain

• The sensation of physical hurt caused by injury, transmitted by nerves.

Palang

• A horizontal piercing through the glans penis which may or may not traverse the urethra.
• The word "palang" originates from the Iban tribe from the province of Sarawak on the island of Borneo in Indonesia.
• Also called ampallang.

Palladium

• A silvery-white metal.
• Atomic Number 46
• Chemical Symbol "Pd".
• Melting point 1552^oC
• Most often used as a constituent of white gold.

Parking

• The phenomenom in which jewelry will move through the skin to a position where it is most comfortable but not necessarily most attractive.
• Rings in navel piercings typically park on one side because of the pressure exerted on them by clothing and lying on them.

Pathogen

• Any organism that can cause disease.
• Many bacteria are pathogens but some are not e.g. Staphylococcus aureus is a pathogen and causes wound infections;Lactobacillus acidophilus is not a pathogen, indeed it is of benefit in maintaining the health acidity of the vagina.

Penis

• The male organ of sexual intercourse.
• Often becomes very small when being pierced.

Perineum

• The area of the body between the genitalia and the anus.

Peritonitis

• Infection of the lining of the abdominal cavity.
• Potentially fatal.
• A possible complication of navel piercing especially in the presence of an umbilical hernia.

Pierce

• To make a piercing.

Piercing

• The practice of making fistulae.

Piercee

• The person being pierced.

Piercer

• The person doing the piercing.
• Sometimes piercee and piercer are the same person.

Piercing gun

• Not recommended.
• A spring-loaded device that is used to fire jewelry through the skin, most often the ear lobe.
• Relies on the jewelry itself to cut or bash through a piercing hole.
• The gun itself cannot usually be sterilized.
• Agreement NOT to use these guns is a condition of entry into the Association of Professional Piercers.

Piercing needle

• A hollow needle specifically designed to cut a round or oval hole through skin and flesh for the subsequent passage of jewelry.
• A hole cleanly cut by a piercing needle will heal faster and with less likelihood of infection than a hole made with a piercing gun.

Pinna

• The medical term for the external part of the ear.

Pole

• Colloquial term for the bar of a barbell.

Polyp

• Colloquial term for granulation tissue.

Prepuce

• The retractable skin folding over the glans penis or the clitoris.
• Also called the foreskin.
• Inflammation of the male prepuce is called balanitis.
• The skin covering the clitoris in the female is usually called the hood.

Prince Albert

• A male piercing entering through the urethral meatus of the glans penis and exiting through the underneath of the penis at the coronal sulcus.
• See also Reverse Prince Albert.

Profession

• Traditionally defined as an occupation requiring special training.
  e.g.
  
  • The medical profession
  • Piercing Professionals
  • The legal profession
• Sociologists sometimes argue that the principal characteristic of professionals is keeping their knowledge secret, typically by inventing a language peculiar to the profession. This prevents the public from accessing the knowledge, thus making their profession more valuable and better paid.

Protocol

• A formal set of steps to ensure a procedure is properly executed.
• Every piercing establishment should have a written protocol for the cleaning and sterilizing of re-usable equipment.

Proud flesh

• See granulation tissue.

Provon ®

• Active ingredient chloroxylenol.

Pseudomonas

• The bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa
• This infection is typically resistant to most antibiotics and difficult to treat.
• Suspect pseaudomonas in any piercing that continues to look infected despite taking all appropriate measures.
• Diagnosis requires a swab to be taken by a doctor and analysed by a laboratory.

PTFE

• A plastic with a waxy texture made by polymerizing terafluoroethylene.
• Non flammable, inert, extremely smooth.
• Used in new or existing piercings.
• PTFE is an abbreviation for Polytetrafluoroethylene.
• Trade name Teflon ®

Ptyalin

• An enzyme of the amylase class secreted in the saliva of mammals.

Pubic

• A piercing in males on the inferior anterior abdominal wall, usually just superior to the penis.