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Body piercing

Body piercing usually refers to the piercing of a part of the human body for the purpose of wearing jewelry in the opening created. Body piercing is a form of body modification. "Piercing" is a related word that can refer to the act or practice of body piercing, or to a specific pierced opening or openings in the body.

Some peoples practice piercing for religious or other cultural reasons, while many individuals, particularly in the modern West, choose to be pierced for spiritual, ornamental or sexual reasons.

Contents

Body piercing in ancient times

The evidence suggests that body piercing (including ear piercing) has been practiced by peoples all over the world from ancient times.

Mummified bodies with piercings have been discovered, including the oldest mummified body discovered to date, which was found in an Austrian glacier. This mummy had an ear piercing 7–11 mm in diameter.

Nose piercing and ear piercing are mentioned in the Bible. In Genesis 24:22 Abraham gave an earring to Rebekah, wife of his son Isaac. Nose piercing has been common in India since the 16th century.

Tongue piercing was popular with the elite of Aztec and Maya civilization, though it was carried out as part of a blood ritual and such piercings were not intended to be permanent. Ancient Mesoamericans wore jewelry in their ears, noses, and lower lips, and such decorations continue to be 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. It is sometimes claimed that the Romans invented nipple piercing and that soldiers attached their capes to the piercings (for example, see Doug Malloy ). This is a controversial theory that seems rather unplausible given the sensitivity of the area and the ease with which such a practice could have caused injury; it is much more plausible that capes may have been hung from rings attached to soldiers' armor.

Body piercing today


Jim Ward is often credited with popularizing body piercing in America. He opened America's first body piercing business, The Gauntlet, Los Angeles in 1975.

In the United States, and in other Western countries, ear piercing (for females only) was long the only common and acceptable visible piercing. But, by all accounts, body piercing is steadily gaining in both popularity and acceptance in the West and in other parts of the world. In some areas, certain types of piercings, even those once considered radical, are becoming more accepted. For example, while ear piercing was long uncommon among middle- and upper-class Western males, today men with pierced ears may be seen working in banks and other traditionally conservative settings in some areas, though this is by no means standard. In other parts of the world, ear piercing is still considered inappropriate for males in many settings, as are multiple ear piercings on women.


Attitudes towards piercing continue to be divisive. Some regard the practice of piercing or of being pierced as spiritual, sometimes embracing the term "modern primitive," while others deride this approach as insulting, as cultural appropriation, or as faddish. Some see the practice as a form of artistic or self-expression, while others choose to be pierced as a form of sexual expression and/or for sexual stimulation or the perceived increase in sexual feeling that certain piercings are thought by some to create. For some people, piercing is part of an S&M lifestyle or relationship, or is incorporated into SM play.

Some people choose to be pierced for symbolic reasons. For example, some survivors of sexual abuse have said that they experience piercing as allowing them to retake control over their own bodies. Some people choose to be pierced to symbolize certain relationships.

While some people consider body modification to be a sign of non-conformity, others deride body piercing as faddish. This can at times lead to prejudice or cognitive bias towards those with piercings or visible signs of past piercings.

Method

All piercings require creating an opening in the body. Piercings that will be worn longterm (that is, those that are intended to be more or less permanent, as opposed to play piercings) are created by forcing a sharp object through the area to be pierced. In most modern Western contexts, a hollow medical needle is used to create the hole into which the jewellery is placed, and the procedure is carried out in a sterile manner. Jewellery and equipment are usually autoclaved before use, and other precautions taken.

Many European (and other) piercers use a needle containing a cannula (hollow plastic tube). The needle is partly withdrawn, and the jewelery inserted into the other end of the cannula. The cannula is used to pull the jewellery through the newly created opening.

Another technique common in modern Western piercing is the use of a piercing gun, to force a semi-blunt piercing stud through the region to be pierced. This technique results in greater trauma than needle piercing, is unsuitable for piercing most regions besides ear lobes, and is less likely to be sterile. As a result it is a subject of controversy among professional piercers.

Over time, after the piercing, the resulting wound is allowed to heal, forming a tunnel of skin called a fistula. When the piercing has fully healed, the initial jewelry may be changed or removed for short periods. For some piercings (in particular tongue piercings) changing the initial jewelry is an essential step. In the case of tongue piercing this is because the initial jewellery is significantly longer than the jewellery for a healed piercing, to allow for swelling.

Healing normally takes several weeks or more (see Healing times, below). Touching--or, for genital and oral piercings, sexual activity--is usually discouraged during this period. When a piercing is fully healed and is no longer painful or prone to infection, and when the jewelry can be removed for long periods without the opening re-healing, it is said to be "seasoned." Seasoning can take a year or more.

Types of piercings

Facial piercings

Body piercings

Male genital piercings

Female genital piercings


Techniques for expanding piercings

Healing times

The length of time required for healing a given piercing will vary according to many factors, including but not limited to the type of piercing and jewelry, the aftercare, and the overall health of the person. The following table provides typical estimates and should be used as a general guide only. A professional piercer or medical doctor should be consulted for specific information.

Piercing type Approximate time to heal
nostril piercing 6–12 months
septum piercing 6–8 weeks
bridge piercing 8–10 weeks
ear piercing — lobe 6–8 weeks
 — cartilage 2–3 months
cheek piercing 10–12 weeks
lip piercing 8–10 weeks
tongue piercing 4–6 weeks
nipple piercing —    6–12 months
navel piercing 3–6 months
clitoral hood piercing 4–6 weeks

After a new piercing

There is a healing period after a new piercing which can sometimes last a long time (up a year, depending on the piercing). During this period, care must be taken to allow the body to heal around the new jewelry, and to discourage infection. Body piercings are generally performed with sterile instruments and products. A new piercing will be sore, tender or red for several days up to three weeks. The following instructions are the recommended cleaning procedures for each type of piercing along with a list of do's and don'ts for new piercings.

Use salt soaks or saline wound wash to clean the piercing. Sea salt soaks can be made using 1/4 tsp sea salt (or table salt which is actually purer than sea salt) to 8 oz. hot water. Soak your piercing with this 2x a day for 10 minutes minimum (some say less than 5 minutes works well). Do NOT rotate body jewelry (most piercers tell to rotate it, but only after cleaning the jewelry carefully). Bactine is NOT recommended. Some prefer to use sea salt instead of regular table salt, however sea salt is less pure than table salt, and costs a lot more- both seem to work well.

Listerine should NOT be used (debatable - some swear by it). Use a non-alcoholic mouthwash such as Oral-B Non-Alcoholic or Biotene after eating, smoking, or putting anything other than water in your mouth. Do not kiss or engage in oral sex for 4-6 weeks. Avoid excessively cold or hot foods as they may cause pain. Gargling with a dilute salt water is a less irritating and quite effective alternative to mouthwash.

Clean with a salt water solution. Avoid tight clothing which may irritate your new piercing. Genital intimacy and oral sex should be avoided for 4-6 weeks, and longer if it still feels sore. Your own urine is sterile to yourself: it will not infect your piercing.

Promoting Healing

  • DO NOT:

Engage in genital intimacy and/or oral sex, smoke, touch with unwashed hands, wear restrictive clothing, allow the piercing to come into contact with bodily fluids or apply anything which may be perfumed or cosmetic. Also avoid public swimming pools, lakes, oceans, streams, as they may be too harsh to promote skin cell healing.

  • DO:

Revisit your piercer and ask for an evaluation at any time, if needed. Practice good hygiene and follow the recommended aftercare guidelines. Apply a hot compress: soak a paper towel in very hot water (do not use a cloth towel, they can harbor bacteria and collect dust) and hold it over the piercing for 10 minutes. These can be used to get rid of a hypertrophic scar or boil, or just to soothe a sore piercing.

See also

Related Media

Body Modification Code of Ethics.pdf Required Legal Forms And Aftercare Sheets.pdf Required legal forms and aftercare sheets for body piercing

Sizing Chart.jpg For sizing gloves and measuring jewelry gauge and size

Piercing Class Difficulty and Pricing.pdf General classification of body piercing class, difficulty, and pricing guidelines.

Needles.pdf Examples of different kinds of needles used for body piercing, and a few examples of how to dispose of them.

Body Piercing Aftercare and Healing.pdf Some healing related issues that relate to body piercing

How to Test Jewelry.pdf

Gauge Chart.pdf Chart comparing all known wire gauges that may be encountered when making jewelry

External links

Last updated: 08-13-2005 07:50:10
Last updated: 09-12-2005 02:39:13