North West Body Modification Habits Worry Health Experts Despite Kim Kardashian's Approval

North West may have gotten the approval of her mother, Kim Kardashian, for her recent fashion choices, but health experts expressed concern about the 12-year-old's body modification habits.

The young fashionista recently showed her new dermal piercings on the middle fingers of both hands. One is the dual piercing on her right middle finger, while the left one has a blue gem piercing.

Kim K received a lot of backlash for allowing her minor daughter to undergo a risky procedure. The issue even had an entire subreddit talking about the finger piercing, where Redditors criticised the Skims CEO for her parenting decisions.

Kim's Reaction

Speaking with Alex Cooper on her Call Her Daddy podcast, the reality show star said that she respects her daughter's fashion style.

She also lamented about the public's perception, especially their negative comments.

'It's really hard and it's really interesting because all the kids are wearing the same things,' the The Kardashian star stated.' But then my daughter tries to wear it and then I'm like, "Okay, we're never wearing that again." Unfortunately, we made that mistake in front of the whole world.'

She also shared that her firstborn child with ex-husband Kanye West, who usually dresses like a tomboy on most occasions, would want to try something new based on what her friends were wearing and the places they usually go to. Then they will both discover if that outfit suits her.

'So, as a mom, you're kind of learning at the same time. But what I do know is my baby's such a good girl and such a sweet girl,' she said.

She also reiterated her respect for North's fashion sense. 'She does listen to me but in other areas I'm like, "Babe if you want blue hair, it is what it is." It makes her so happy. I would never take that creativity away from her,' she added.

What Doctors Think

While Kim K thinks its okay to let the 12-year-old child experiment with fashion, a doctor chimed in to express his opinion about the dermal piercing, especially its risks.

Speaking with Unilad, Dr Donald Grant from The Independent Pharmacy said that the piercings were a 'risky' choice for anyone, no matter what age they were.

'Dermal piercings, particularly those placed on the finger, carry risks that can easily be underestimated or attributed to more familiar concerns,' the doctor stated.

He also mentioned that people may not notice the 'early signs of irritation or rejection,' and may mistake them as 'nothing more than dry skin, a healing delay or a minor knock to the area.'

'These symptoms may also be mistaken for an allergic reaction to jewellery, simple overuse of the hands, or mild contact dermatitis,' he added.

Dr Grant also said that the area chosen by North to have her piercings done is usually exposed to bacteria through daily activities. He also said that even small lesions in the surrounding skin may invite infection.

While he did say that there is no evidence that the skin of younger people would more likely reject a piercing, it may still be affected by the 'placement of the piercing, the quality and material of the jewellery, and the standard of aftercare, all of which apply to people of any age.'

The doctor also reminded anyone with dermal piercings to talk to their GPs or trained piercing professionals for signs of skin infections to know the best treatment plan.