Nishmat's Women’s Health and HalachaIn memory of Chaya Mirel bat R' Avraham

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Body piercing

18 March, 2003
Question:

Is a body piercing (nose ring, belly ring) a chatzitza in mikva? What if one had just gotten it and to take it out will cause the hole to close, or a painful putting it back in? Does it make a difference if the ring is NEVER taken out?


Answer:

It is preferable to remove the ring and clean the hole before immersing in the mikveh. Therefore, it would be best to have the piercing done just AFTER using the mikveh, in order to allow about a month for it to heal before you go to mikveh again. However, if it is painful or problematic to remove the ring, and the intention is NEVER to take it out, there is room for leniency to allow immersion with this jewelry in place. The area around the ring should be gently cleaned well and, if safe, the ring should be moved around so that it is not adhering to the skin.

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