About Piercings

Piercings are body modifications done for an assortment of reasons. Spiritual, cultural, sexual and fashion are just a few of the reasons why someone gets pierced. Just as there are many reasons for being pierced, there are numerous places on the body that can be pierced.

History

In ancient Egypt, many women and men had ear piercings. Some discovered mummified bodies prove ear piercings existed in ancient history. The oldest found mummy, Ozti the Iceman, was found to have 1 gauge ear piercings. It seems that these piercings were for either religious or spiritual reasons. However, speculation suggests that these piercings may have been due to tribal ranking and leadership positions. In the Bible, ear piercings were referred to in Genesis, Exodus and in Deuteronomy as the mark of a slave.

Significance

Nose piercings have been common on Indian women since the 16th century in honor of the Goddess Parvathi, and because of the superstition that a nostril piercing will make childbirth easy. It is also sometimes a sign that a woman is married, a social status symbol and a mark of beauty.

An ear piercing was something done in eastern cultures often according to ancient history. In Western cultures, ear piercing did not become stylish until the late 1960s. The gay, hippie, punk and underground subcultures adopted the ear piercing and other body modifications, and it's now common to see both men and women in the Western culture with multiple piercings.

Types

Piercings are done for many reasons on a variety of different body parts. They often have names that signify to the piercer what type they are. Head piercings cover the pierced areas of the ears, cheek, eyebrows, earlobes, ear cartilage, frenulum, labret, lip, nostril, bridge and tragus (inner ear cartilage).

Torso piercings cover nipples, navel piercings, hand webs and surface piercings such as the corset piercing. Female piercings include the genital area on women, including clitoral hood piercing, clitoris piercing, Christina piercing, labia minora and majora piercings, Fourchette, Isabella and triangle piercings. Male genital piercings include the Prince Albert, ampallang, apadravya, dydoe, guiche, reverse Prince Albert, scrotum, foreskin, pubic and lorum.

Considerations

The standard needle method is the one most accepted and common way to give piercings, especially in the United States. A piercing is done using a standard hollow medical needle to pierce a hole through the area of the body to be pierced. While the needle is still in place the jewelry is pushed through the hole, following the needle through.

Another method is the Indwelling Cannula method, which is often done by Europeans. This type of piercing is almost exactly like the standard needle method but is done with a needle containing a hollow plastic tube called a cannula. Both the jewelry and the cannula needle are pushed through the back of the ear at the same time.

Dermal punching is used for the upper ear piercings and other piercing where the cartilage needs to be removed. This is done to ensure proper healing of the piercing. There is a specific tool called a Dermal Punch for this type of piercing.

Piercing Guns have been used most commonly for standard ear piercings. Done at most earring retail stores, this procedure is common, but most professional body piercers will warn against it. These guns are less sanitary than the needle method, as the plastic is rarely cleaned and the gun can cause damage to the ear. These piercing guns are for the regular ear piercing only as it causes blunt force trauma with a dull needle to go through the ear's cartilage. It has been known to cause damage to the tissue surrounding the ear when not used properly.

Warning

Ask your piercer how to keep the piercing clean and how long it will take to heal. You will be able to prevent infection this way. Always make sure the piercings are done in a clean, safe and sanitary environment. If you have a piercing that is oozing puss, painful or if there is redness or swelling, see a doctor or ask the piercer to check it out. You may be allergic to the jewelry or it may have become infected.

It is best also to go with the recommended guidelines of healing times before changing the jewelry in the piercing. Changing it too soon could result in the pierced area closing.

Resources

• Body Piercing Info
• Piercing Care from Mayo Clinic
• Safepiercing.org