|
Body piercing is a form of body modification. It involves piercing a part of the human body and subsequently inserting and keeping a foreign object in the opening until the wound heals. This forms a tunnel of skin (called a fistula) around the foreign object, thus creating a suitable place for wearing different types of body piercing jewelry. The term "piercing" typically refers to this hole. One example of this process is the common ear piercing. Some cultures practice piercing as part of religious traditions. In industrialized countries, most piercing is performed for ornamental or sexual reasons.
The origins of piercing
Piercing has ancient origins. The oldest mummified body in the world discovered in an Austrian glacier was found to have an ear piercing 7–11 mm in diameter. Nose piercing is mentioned in the Bible. In Genesis 24:22 Abraham gave an earring to Rebekah, wife of his son Isaac. Nose piercing reached India in the 16th century and rapidly became accepted. Tongue piercing was popular with the elite of Aztec and Maya civilization; it was carried out as part ceremony blood ritual, not to insert jewelry. Ancient Mesoamericans did pierce ears, nose, and lower lips for jewelry, practices still popular amongst indigenous peoples in these regions. In Dreamtime by Hans Peter Duerr, it is claimed that nipple piercing became popular in 14th century Europe. On many websites it is claimed that the Romans invented nipple piercing and that soldiers attached their capes to the piercings. There is some debate about this as it is much more plausible that capes may have been hung from rings attached to their armor.
Piercing in industrialized civilizations Immediate disposal of used needles into a sharps container is standard procedure. In the United States, ear piercing for females was long the only common piercing. Other body piercings were popularized by Jim Ward and his piercing shop, The Gauntlet, which opened in 1975 in Los Angeles. Since piercing has become more common and widespread, many new piercings have been developed that do not have a history or precedent.
Some regard body piercing as a kind of artistic expression, others as a form of sexual expression and/or stimulation; however many people still consider almost all kinds of body modification to be signs of non-conformity, and this can lead to acts of prejudice.
Before getting any visible piercing other than a conservative/traditional (ladies only) ear piercing, and/or navel piercing (yes people can see that dimple where the hole is/was, even in your tongue!) or tattoo you should ideally be financially self-supporting for at least a few years (the longer the better) because it is normal for radical changes in who your friends are and what your interests are happen after the first few years on your own, and sadly to get by on your own you will most likely have to deal with many people who will try to badly label you without getting to know you. I know for a fact that a qualified teacher was not offered a job (partly) because the interviewers were passing notes commenting on the dimple in his tongue that surely was from a piercing (and it was assumed that piercing is only suited for “one kind of person”); you might not get a job because of how you look- no it’s not fair, and the person who passed you by probably won’t tell you if that was the deciding factor.
Prejudice is the reason why it’s best to wait on visible modifications until after you have a good job working with people who respect you, before you make any permanent changes to your appearance.
Genital piercings are some of the most common, and some piercers report that the Prince Albert piercing is the most popular of all, for females the most popular genital piercing is the vertical hood in which navel jewelry is often worn, ideally the piercing is placed so the lower part of the navel curve rests next to the clitoris. Many wearers of genital piercings keep their jewelry in during sexual intercourse and other sexual activities, but others find it uncomfortable. It depends to a large degree on the design of the jewelry, the kind of genital piercing, and the type of sexual activity.
Media:Body_Modification_Code_of_Ethics.pdf
Media:Sizing_Chart.jpg For sizing gloves and measuring jewelry gauge and size
Media:Piercing_Class_Difficulty_and_Pricing.pdf General classification of body piercing class, difficulty, and pricing guidelines.
Types of piercings
Facial piercings
Body piercings
Male genital piercings
Female genital piercings
Healing times Different types of piercings take different amounts of time to heal. Take what follows as a rough guide.
Please also see Body Piercing Aftercare.
See also Media:How to Test Jewelry.pdf
Media: Body_Piercing_Aftercare_and_Healing.pdf Some healing related issues that relate to body piercing
Jim Ward Doug Malloy
External links
| 
Feeds |
Contact