A sternum piercing is a surface piercing located on the bone at the top of the chest, and is more likely to be rejected by the body. Aftercare is important, and twisting or pulling on the jewelry is not recommended. Healing time is usually four to six weeks.
A sternum piercing, which is also known as a chest or cleavage piercing, is located on the surface of a person’s sternum. The sternum is the piece of bone at the top of the chest, located just above the breasts and between the cleavage in women. For men, the sternum is considered the bony area around the pectoral muscles. People generally use surface bars in sternum piercings. These bars are shaped similar to a staple, and enter and exit the perforated area at a 90 degree angle. A sternum piercing normally does not take that long to heal, but there is a good chance that a person’s body will reject the piercing.
The human body generally tries to reject anything that enters the skin, so piercings occasionally grow out no matter how many times a person tries to prevent it from happening. This is not likely to happen with most piercings if you take proper care of the area, but it is much more likely with a sternum piercing. Many people claim that their body rejects jewelry and pushes it away. Some piercing experts say this only occurs if the piercer was inexperienced and that a person should do their research before getting a sternum piercing to make sure the person doing the piercing knows how to perform the procedure correctly.
Getting a sternum piercing typically takes just a few minutes, and the pain a person may experience varies greatly. The amount of pain a person endures will depend primarily on the individual’s level of pain tolerance. After the piercing is done, it is necessary to wear the same jewelry in the piercing for a few weeks without removing it. It may be necessary for a person to return to their piercer after the first few weeks have passed to ensure that the area is healing as it is supposed to. If so, they can usually be removed and new jewelry placed at this time.
Aftercare instructions are especially important for following through with sternum piercings because of how easily the body rejects these piercings. The pierced area and jewelry should be cleaned and disinfected daily. Many people are tempted to twist and pull on their new body jewelry, but this is not recommended with sternum piercings. The only time a sternum piercing should be moved is when a person needs to clean under it while in the shower. After four to six weeks have passed, the area is likely to be fully healed and no longer tender to the touch. Healing time may take longer if a sternum piercing becomes infected.
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