Dear Alley is our weekly advice column for pierced, inked, and amazing individuals (and everyone else too!) who might need a nudge in the right direction. Relationships, mods, or whatever, Alley's got you covered :).

Do you have a question for Alley, submit it to DearAlley@bodycandy.com for your chance to get featured!

Disclaimer: Body Candy is only here to give you fun and helpful advice and information when it comes to getting pierced. Always consult a professional piercer to make sure a new piercing is right for you!

Dear Alley,

Should i get my septum pierced? My parents say I'm not allowed to get it done if I'm still living at home.

- Makayla

Alley: Hey Makayla!

I think the place to start here is your age and location. How old are you? Where are you from? These factors will determine if you're even eligible to get pierced in your state/country. Luckily, Body Candy has a blog about each state's laws regarding body modifications - you can check that out here.

If you are a minor, I would not recommend going against your parents' rules. From a legal standpoint, until you become an adult at age 18, they are responsible for you and your well-being. Most states require parental approval/supervision to even get pierced anyways - so if they say no, you might be out of luck!

Again, speaking strictly from a legal standpoint, if you are above the age of 18, you can make decisions about your own body, including where and when you get pierced.

On a personal level, especially if you're a minor, I don't recommend making your parents angry! Every family has a different dynamic, and I would hate to suggest ruining yours with a body mod they're not comfortable with.

That being said, if they truly love you for who you are as an individual, part of me thinks they'll get over a little septum piercing :).

Love,

- Alley

Dear Alley,

If you take your earrings out, will your ear hole eventually heal up completely?

- Jennifer

Alley: Hi Jennifer!

This answer will differ for everyone, but speaking in general, if you aren't consistently wearing jewelry in your ear piercing, the hole itself will probably close up. The same goes for most piercings - if you stop wearing jewelry in the piercing itself, the hole will eventually shrink up. Whether or not it completely heals over is up to your body in particular; most people are left with a small scar the size of a period or so.

There are definitely exceptions to this rule, but perhaps the most significant one is if you are talking about stretched ears. The good news (or bad news, depending on how you're looking at it) - even significantly stretched ears will shrink up. But even at its smallest, you will probably always have the remnants of your fistula in your lobes.

Then again, some people's piercings never completely close up. After some time, you might still be able to put in your septum ring or cartilage stud. It will all just depend on how your body handles the lack of jewelry in your piercings.

Just remember to always head to a professional piercer if you want to revive an old, closed-over piercing.

Love,

- Alley

Dear Alley,

If I get my tongue pierced, am I going to have trouble talking? I love the way they look but I don't want to sound like I have marbles in my mouth.

- Cori

Alley: Hey Cori!

A tongue piercing will probably be swollen for a few days - in which case, you might have a bit of trouble with your pronunciation. Not only will your tongue be bigger than usual, you'll also have a new, foreign object in your mouth. Plus... It might hurt a bit to speak, as you have to use your tongue muscles to form sounds inside of your mouth. This is inevitably going to affect the way you talk, but will vary from person to person.

Tongue rings might occasionally clack against your teeth or affect the way you pronounce consonants, but after a few weeks, my guess is you'll probably get used to this new feature in your mouth and adjust your way of talking to accommodate its presence.

If you have a profession where you speak a lot (think cashier, call center employee, etc.), you should think about the fact that this might affect your speech (or cause you pain at work), at least for a week or so. If so, it might be a good idea to get this piercing done on a Friday so you have the weekend to get through the worst of it.

Make sure you are prepared with lots of ice chips and chilly water to soothe the pain. Smoking will also definitely prolong your healing process. And, just like with any piercing, be prepared to practice good oral aftercare as diligently as possible.

Love,