A forensic technician reveals what happens to piercings after a person dies and undergoes an autopsy.
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Gerald Ledford is a forensic technician in Arkansas, USA; he often uses his social media to answer curious questions from internet users about what happens to internal organs, dentures, prosthetics, and in a TikTok post, Ledford explained what happens to a person’s piercings during an autopsy.
He was asked what happens to the piercings, whether they are all removed, and Ledford’s response shocked many. In the video, which has already garnered nearly 3 million views, he explains the procedure for handling such jewelry.
Ledford starts by explaining that piercings are not removed from the body, with one exception: “Are you worried I’ll take your piercings and you won’t be able to take them with you?” he asks. “The only one I remove is your tongue piercing,” Ledford reveals.
And according to him, there’s a good reason for this: “I remove the tongue during an autopsy, ensuring the deceased hasn’t bitten it, ensuring there are no drugs at the back of the throat,” he explains. “So if you have a tongue piercing, that comes out, but piercings on nipples, nose, ears, eyebrows, intimate areas… those can stay.”
Internet users were surprised and impacted by Ledford’s explanation, with many commenting that they hope they won’t have to undergo an autopsy: “I just decided I’m not going to die,” one commented; “So you’re telling me every time I went to a funeral, the person was just chilling, tongueless, and I didn’t know,” questioned another.
A third made his feelings clear: “I think I’ll die of natural causes, thank you.”
This content was created with the help of AI.