North West's controversial piercings could lead to serious and irreversible risks, doctor warns

A doctor has spoken out in warning against getting hand piercings following North West's apparent modifications.

Albeit not necessarily choosing to step into the public eye herself, but rather being born into it, North West has ultimately become, even if only the age of 13, a figure who holds a fair share of public influence.

With her mom Kim Kardashian's impact on the 21st century beauty standards coming in the form of promoting shapewear or well, a larger behind, alongside her aunt Kylie Jenner's lip filler prompting the surge of a viral bottle-sucking phenomenon dubbed the 'Kylie Jenner lip challenge,' it's not hard to see how North West's appearance could end up rubbing off on others too.

Which is why a doctor has since spoken out in warning following North West's hand piercings.

Kardashian's eldest daughter appeared to debut a dermal piercing last September and shared another video earlier this year revealing what appeared to be even more metal on her fingers, the post also revealing her debut single aptly titled 'Piercing on My Hand'.

North West's piercings appear to be a mixture of surface and dermal piercings. Surface piercings passing just below the skin rather than through a fleshy lobe or cartilage. And dermal piercings using just one single point of entry.

One TikTok user commented on one video: “Eventually she’ll have to let the piercings go. The placement is high risk for infection and they won’t heal.”

The hand is indeed considered a high risk area due to exposure to being knocked around alongside being more vulnerable to bacteria.

Hello has since reported North's wrist piercings are fake. And whether her finger and hand ones are too? Either way, it's prompted an expert to speak out to warn against the placement of piercings on hands.

Board-certified dermatologist and founder and medical director of Skin Wellness Dermatology, Corey Hartman, MD, warned the New York Post: "Long term, these piercings can lead to hypertrophic scars, hyperpigmentation, disfigurement and loss of function of the body part where the piercing is done, particularly in patients with highly melanated skin, like North West."

Hartman warned having such piercings in the hand could risk harming the tendons in the appendage should it extend beyond the skin, potentially even going on to risk the hand's normal function.

North West's apparent hand piercings are being warned against by a doctor (Arnold Jerocki/Getty Images)

Kim has defended her daughter, addressing her changes to her appearance on sister Khloe Kardashian's podcast Khloe in Wonder Land, stating: "I have pictures of her in first grade where she'd come with like a fake septum ring, and she has her green braids and pink braids.

“She's always loved the colored braids, she really is who she is and always has been that girl, and so I nurture her."

However, Hartman urges parents to wait until their children are 18 before allowing them to make a decision to get such piercings, to make sure they're absolutely certain they want them and are aware of the risk.

But his overall advice? "Just don't do it."

UNILAD has contacted representatives of Kim Kardashian for comment.