North West’s latest body modification continues to spark debate, not only among online viewers, but also among doctors.
The 13-year-old has been seen wearing multiple piercings across her fingers and hands, sparking questions about whether such body modifications are safe for someone her age.
To find out, Bored Panda spoke with two medical experts, who warned that hand piercings carry a much higher risk of complications than traditional ear piercings.
Highlights
- Medical experts revealed hand piercings have a greater risk of infection, scarring, rejection, and potential damage than traditional ear piercings.
- North West’s body modifications sparked criticism of Kim Kardashian’s parenting.
- Doctors advised that hand piercings should be considered cautiously, especially for minors.
"Kim letting her do this at 12 is actually crazy. Those surface piercings on hands reject and scar terribly,” wrote one netizen.
North West has been facing constant backlash over her dramatic body modifications
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“If the desire remains when they turn 18, then they can reconsider at that time,” said board-certified dermatologist Dr. Corey L. Hartman, founder and medical director of Skin Wellness Dermatology.
North first incited discussion in September 2025 when fans noticed what appeared to be a dermal piercing on one of her fingers.
Since then, more jewellery has appeared across her hands, with photos showing what look like a mix of dermal and surface piercings.
The look eventually became a big part of her image, and she even referenced it in her debut song, Piercing on My Hand.
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Unlike a traditional ear piercing, a dermal piercing sits beneath the skin, secured with a small anchor, leaving only the decorative top visible.
A surface, on the other hand, piercing uses a bar that enters and exits the skin through two openings.
As more photos circulated online, people began questioning Kim Kardashian’s parenting choices.
Experts say hand piercings can cause infections and long-term tendon damage
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"In the short term, piercings can become infected and be painful if the materials used or the jewellery is not sterile,” Dr. Hartman said.
"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."
Bored Panda also spoke with general practitioner Dr. Diana Bonilla, who said the location of these piercings is what makes them especially risky.
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Unlike ears, hands are constantly exposed to dirt, bacteria, and repeated movement throughout the day, making them much more likely to develop complications.
"The hands' contact with everything increases the risk of getting a lot of pathogens from the environment, causing abscesses and severe infections, compromising hand function."
Moreover, both experts agreed on the fact that hand piercings can cause long-term structural damage.
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"Hand piercings can be disruptive to tendons if they go deeper than the skin or inadvertently involve superficial tendons,” Dr. Hartman added.
At the same time, removing the jewellery is not always as simple as taking it out.
Dr Bonilla explained that while some piercings can be removed without difficulty, others may leave granulomas, severe scarring, or rejection, which may require a minor surgical procedure.
Kim Kardashian and North West have both addressed the criticism
After receiving negative comments online, North posted a TikTok in December 2025 lip-syncing to a recording by rapper Chrisean Rock, adding, "Why are you crying? How old are you? Just pull it together."
She added the caption, "This is for everyone that's mad over a finger piercing."
Comments on her video were turned off.
Meanwhile, Kim Kardashian also defended her daughter’s freedom to experiment with her appearance.
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During an appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast in October 2025, Kardashian said she does not want to limit North’s creativity simply because people disagree with her choices.
"I would never take that creativity away from her."
She admitted that raising children in the public eye means every parenting decision is judged.
"Unfortunately, we made that mistake in front of the whole world. "I'm doing the best that I can."
As reported by Bored Panda, North has previously experimented with blue braids, grillz, colored contact lenses, faux facial tattoos, and other bold fashion choices.
Online, several detractors said the debate on her hand piercings was about safety and not style
Image credits: North West
Several commenters questioned Kim’s decision, with one writing, "Moms have to be firm with kids and say no to them sometimes. It's for their own good."
Others believed the responsibility also fell on the person performing the procedure.
Image credits: North West
"Reputable piercers won't even do these piercings on adults. Doing this to a child is reprehensible,” one said.
"I'm shocked by her piercer as well as her parents. Most won't do that amount of piercings on a child because of the rejecting, scarring and infection risk."
One more netizen shared, "Hands are probably the worst place for something like this."
"Why would Kim let her do this?" questioned one user
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