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. The word "piercing" can refer to the act or practice of body piercing, or to a specific pierced opening in the body.

Some people 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.

In ancient times

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, that of Ötzi the Iceman, which was found in an Italian 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's servant gave a nose ring and bracelets to Rebekah, wife of his son Isaac. In Exodus 32, Aaron makes the golden calf from melted earrings. Deuteronomy 15:12-17 dictates ear piercing as a mark of slavery. 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.

Body piercing folklore

Many contemporary authors and body piercing enthusiasts have made attempts to explain the history or development of body piercing in Western Culture, prior to its contemporary practice. In Dreamtime by Hans Peter Duerr, he claims that nipple piercing became popular in 14th century Europe. There is evidence, both anecdotal and photographic, that nipple piercing was practiced in Europe during the late 19th century and in the early 20th century, but it was not considered to be a common practice. It is sometimes claimed that Roman centurions practiced nipple piercing and that soldiers attached their capes to the piercings. This is not true. Their capes were attached to the breastplate of their armor. This particular myth owes its popularity to Doug Malloy, an American piercing pioneer who published pamphlets in the late 1970's promoting his highly fanciful histories of body piercing.

Body piercing today

Modern history and societal attitudes

Ear piercing has existed continuously since ancient times, including throughout the 20th century in the Western world. However, in many cultures within the United States, it became a relative rarity from the 1920s until the 1960s. At that time, it regained popularity among American women, and was eventually adopted by men in the hippie and gay communities, and later the punk subculture. Ear piercing, of either or both ears, has always been practiced by men in many non-Western cultures. By the 1980s, male ear piercing had become somewhat common in the United States, although men usually only pierced one of their ears. Today, single and multiple piercing of either or both ears is extremely common among Western women, and fairly common among men.

Less conventional forms of body piercing have also existed continuously for as long as ear piercing, but generally not in Western cultures. For example, women in India routinely practice nostril piercing, and have done so for centuries.

In the 1970s, body piercing gained popularity in the gay BDSM subculture because of various reasons. In 1975, Jim Ward opened The Gauntlet, America's first storefront body piercing operation, in Los Angeles.

Body piercing is returning to the mainstream of modern Western cultures as attitudes and values change. Piercings that don't conform to cultural norms -- for example, facial piercings or ear piercings for men -- can still be considered inappropriate.

Personal attitudes

Attitudes towards piercing vary. Some regard the practice of piercing or of being pierced as spiritual, sometimes embracing the term "modern primitive", while others deride this view as insulting, as cultural appropriation, or as trendy. Some see the practice as a form of artistic or self-expression. Others choose to be pierced as a form of sexual expression, or to increase sexual sensitivity. For some people, piercing is part of an S-M lifestyle or relationship, or is incorporated into S-M 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. For gay men, piercing has historically been viewed as a form of public self-identification or "coming out". However, the current popularity of piercing among many different groups has diluted much of its specific cultural identification and symbolism.

While some people consider body modification to be a sign of non-conformity, others deride body piercing as trendy, but this isn't always the case. This can at times lead to prejudice or cognitive bias against those with piercings or visible signs of past piercings.

Contemporary piercing procedure

Permanent body piercings (as opposed to play piercings) are performed by creating an opening in the body using a sharp object through the area to be pierced. This can either be done by cutting an opening using a needle (usually a hollow medical needle) or scalpel or by removing tissue, either with a scalpel or a dermal punch.

Contemporary body piercing studios generally take numerous precautions to protect the health of the person being pierced and the piercer. Tools and jewelry are sterilised in autoclaves and non-autoclavable surfaces are cleaned with sterilising agents on a regular basis and between clients. Sterile, single use gloves are worn by the piercer to protect both the piercer and the client. Commonly, a piercer will use multiple pairs of gloves per client, often one pair for each step of setup to avoid cross contamination. For example, after a piercer has cleaned the area to be pierced on a client, he may change gloves to avoid recontaminating the area with the gloves he used to clean it.

Most professional studios will only pierce with stainless steel or titanium jewelry. Some use one or the other exclusively. Piercers who use titanium exclusively will note that even stainless steel can sometimes contain too much nickel to be safe for a piercing. Jewelry made of pure platinum as well as 14k and 18k gold is not considered safe for piercing, but is often used for decorative jewelry when the piercing has healed. However, many piercers also claim that 14k gold contains too much copper, opting for at least 18k for any jewelry piece.

Decorative jewelry bought at retail stores is often highly discouraged by piercers, as much of it contains components that can be irritating or even toxic. Even some jewelry that is claimed to be titanium is often composed of cheaper metals such as nickel and iron. Silver in any use or form is also highly discouraged due to the threat of argyria and possible carcinogenic effects of various silver compounds.

Much like tattoos, it is often much better to avoid bargains and low prices, and instead opt for reasonably expensive jewelry and procedures.

Standard Needle Method

The standard method in the United States involves making an opening using a hollow medical needle. The needle is inserted into the body part being pierced, but not all the way through. While still in the body, the initial jewelry to be worn in the piercing is pushed through the opening, following the back of the needle. Piercing using hollow medical needles does not actually remove any flesh, the method cuts a slit and holds it open in the shape of the cross section of the needle, in this case, a circle. In this method, the needle is the same gauge or larger than the initial jewelry to be worn. Piercings that penetrate cartilage are often pierced one or two gauges larger than the jewelry, to reduce pressure on the healing piercing, allowing for a fistula to properly form.

Indwelling Cannula Method

Many European (and other) piercers use a needle containing a cannula (hollow plastic tube placed at the end of the needle, also see catheter). Procedure is identical to the standard method, only that the initial jewelry is inserted into the back of the cannula and the cannula and the jewelry are then pulled through the piercing. This method reduces the chance of the jewelry slipping during the insertion procedure, and also protects the fresh piercing from possible irritation from external threading (if used) during initial insertion.

Pierce and Taper

Similar to the standard method, this is a more advanced technique, sometimes used to pierce where large gauge initial jewelry is desired. In this method, after the needle is inserted and the opening is created, a tapered steel bar (usually one gauge larger than that of the needle at the large end) is inserted instead of initial jewelry. Then the jewelry is pushed through the opening, following the tapered bar. The success of this method is dependent on the elasticity of the skin in the area being pierced, the skill of the piercer and the type of piercing being done.

Scalpelling

Main article: Scalpelling

In this method, a medical scalpel is used to cut a slit, allowing for the insertion of large gauge jewelry. This method is often used in the creation of large gauge ear piercings. Scalpelling can also be used to correct an improper placement on piercings, an example of this would be cutting existing large gauge ear piercings to match symmetrically. If the jewelry is removed from a scalpelled piercing the fistula may not shrink or close over time and unwanted piercings may have to be surgically repaired. Scalpelling is most commonly used on earlobes, but can be used anywhere where large gauge piercings are desired.

Dermal Punching

In this method, a dermal punch is used to remove a circular area of tissue, into which jewelry is placed. This method is usually used to remove both skin and cartilage in upper ear piercings, where cartilage must be removed to relieve pressure on the piercing to ensure proper healing and long term viability of the piercing. Like scalpelled piercings, the healed fistulas created or enlarged using a dermal punch will usually not shrink over time.

Piercing guns

Main article: Ear piercing instrument

Piercing guns are commonly used in retail settings to perform ear piercings. These gun-shaped devices are designed for piercing the earlobe only; they are not marketed or designed for use on any part of the body other than the earlobe. Piercing the upper ear (through cartilage) with piercing gun often results in longer healing times, and possible increased discomfort.

Many professional body piercers discourage the use of these instruments. A major complaint is that ear piercing instruments perform the piercing using a great deal of force with a relatively blunt (and relatively bad-quality) stud earring. Because of this, it is more difficult to direct the piercing than with a body piercing needle, and healing is prolonged due to the additional trauma involved. The autoclaving of piercing guns is usually impossible, because certain materials used in their construction would be destroyed if autoclaved. Even though they are occasionally used for other purposes, ear piercing instruments are designed for earlobe piercing only.

Internally threaded jewelry

A number of piercing shops exclusively use jewelry that is internally threaded. That is, the ball-ends of the jewelry screw into the bar, rather than the bar screwing into the ball. Though more expensive to produce than externally threaded jewelry, piercers who use internally threaded jewelry advise that since the bar that is being inserted into the skin has no sharp threads on the end, it will not cut or irritate skin, and allows for safer healing.

However, in today's world of body piercing, most manufacturers of quality body jewelry agree that if externally threaded jewelry is going to be used, it must have a tapered end on it so that at the very least, the threads can slip into the back end of the needle, thus protecting the piercees tissue from threading during the initial piercing.

Arguments have arisen that using internally threaded jewelry can be just as, if not more, dangerous for the body as occasionally. For example, if a person gets their tongue pierced with an internally threaded barbell and the threading isn't properly screwed down by the piercer or because the piercee continuously plays with the jewelry, they run the risk of swallowing a ball and instead of it passing smoothly through the system as an externally threaded ball would, instead you have a ball with 6 to 8 threads protruding out of it and scraping through your system.

The healing process and body piercing aftercare

A new piercing will be sore, tender or red for several days up to three weeks. Complete healing normally takes several weeks or more. Below are more specific healing time estimates. During this period, care must be taken to avoid infection. Touching--or, for genital and oral piercings, sexual activity--is usually discouraged.

Primary healing usually takes about as long as is listed below; the jewelry should not be removed during this period. The healing time should not be rushed. Very often a piercing that seemed to be healed will start to have problems when it is handled roughly, or exposed to mouth contact or unwashed hands before fully healed.

Full healing starts after primary healing is complete and usually takes about as long as primary healing, during this period the skin thickens and starts to gain elasticity. An additional "toughening up" period takes place after full healing is complete, this "toughening up" period also takes about as long as the primary healing time. During "toughening up" the skin remodels itself developing an internal texture in the fistula tube that replaces the shiny scar like internal surface.

Approximate primary healing times:

Over time, after the piercing, the resulting wound is allowed to heal, forming a tunnel of scar tissue called a fistula. When the piercing has fully healed, the initial jewelry may be changed or removed for short periods.

Behavior that promotes healing

• Revisiting the piercer for an evaluation at any time, if needed
• Practicing good hygiene
• Following the recommended aftercare guidelines
• Taking sufficient supplement tablets Iron, Zinc

Behavior that hinders healing

• Contact between the new piercing and another person's skin or bodily fluids
• Excessive and unnecessary touching of the piercing, especially with unwashed hands
• Failure to take proper aftercare measures
• Smoking and drinking alcohol (in the case of oral piercings)
• Exposure to irritating substances such as cosmetics, perfume, lotion, some topical ointments, etc.
• Immersion in chemically-treated pool water, or natural water (i.e. lakes, rivers, streams, and oceans) which contains bacteria, protozoa, and parasites

Cleaning

Oral piercings

For tongue, lip, cheek, and labret piercings, it is recommended to rinse the mouth after smoking, eating and drinking (except water). Some piercers recommend using Listerine, while others, claiming that Listerine is too harsh on the piercing thereby hindering the healing process, recommend a non-alcoholic mouthwash such as Oral-B Non-Alcoholic or Biotene, or a diluted saline solution. Kissing and oral sex are advised against for 4-6 weeks after the piercing, as are excessively hot or spicy foods. Some recommend cold foods such as ice cream bars, slushies, and the like to dull pain.

Body piercings

It is generally advised by piercers to use a sea salt rinse (1/8 teaspoon per 8oz of distilled or boiled water); proportionate mixes are marketed and sold by companies such as H2Ocean) or a medical saline rinse, which could be placed in a shot glass and held to the piercing for about 10 minutes, no more than 2 times a day. The solution could also be soaked into a cotton ball and used to gently cleanse the piercing morning and night. Overcleaning is a common cause of irritation and redness in a piercing, as well as inappropriate cleansing agents. Table salt Sodium Chloride is considered to be less natural than sea salt but in equal concentrations table salt may be less irritating than sea salt because table salt may be purer than sea salt. Another technique is sometimes practiced in which a new piercing is left to heal completely on its own without any cleansing, under the philosophy that the body will treat it as any other minor wound. This is commonly called the LITHA method, which stands for "Leave It The Hell Alone." Piercers who use this method compare the healing process to getting stitches to heal up surgical wounds. Since one wants the body to accept the jewelry and create a clean, firm fistula, piercers who use this method advise that any solution or chemical could irritate the piercing and cause rejection and promote scarring and keloids.

Companies and stores such as Hot Topic and Claire's market rinses used in ear and body piercing aftercare; some piercers consider these suitable, however, others feel that they have excess chemicals that only hinder the process. For the most part, piercers agree that hydrogen peroxide and isopropyl alcohol are effective in sanitation but too strong for fresh piercings and often result in irritated piercings or excess scar tissue.

The debate over what constitutes proper aftercare is belied by the simple fact that a healthy clean piercing that isn’t made to become irritated through harsh treatment (of any kind) will almost always heal perfectly; but personal preferences will vary.

Changing of initial jewelry to allow for swelling

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 jewelry is significantly longer than the jewelry for a healed piercing, to allow for swelling.

Discharge On The Jewellery

During the primary healing process, it is normal for a white discharge to be noticeable on the jewellery. Provided there is no pain or swelling, it does not usually signify an infection. This is the body fluid, blood plasma, It can look unsightly, and may be a little difficult to remove as it can set solid very quickly. Another name for such discharge is "lymph" which is a fluid produced by the body's lymph nodes - this tends to be a regular occurrence in the healing of a piercing as well as long as there are no signs of pain or swelling. The photograph is of a ring removed from a healthy nipple piercing after the primary healing period.

Risks associated with body piercing

Body piercing is an invasive procedure and is not without risks. When properly performed, these risks can be minimized, and most individuals who receive their piercing from a professional piercer, and who take care of their new piercing as recommended by their piercer, will enjoy a safe and healthy piercing experience.

Risks of note include:

• Allergic reaction to ingredients of products used to clean the new piercing, or of ancillary products used in proximity to the piercing (e.g., soap, hydrogen peroxide, isopropyl alcohol, antibacterial products, antiseptic medicines, makeup, hairspray, swimming pool chlorine, etc.). This risk can be minimized by cleaning the piercing as recommended by a professional body piercer (different piercers will have differing recommendations), by not contaminating the fresh piercing with irritating products, and by not swimming in chlorinated water.
• Chlorine from swimming pools may cause the pierced area to dry out, which may cause the piercing to be torn out very easily.
• Allergic reaction to the metal in the piercing jewelry, particularly nickel. This risk can be minimized by using high quality jewelry manufactured from surgical stainless steel or similar inert metals.
• Bacterial infection, particularly from Staphylococcus aureus. However, this risk is greatly reduced when the piercing is performed by a professional body piercer using best practice piercing techniques, and when appropriate steps are taken during the aftercare period to avoid infection. Blunt force piercing, such as that associated with the use of ear piercing instruments, increases the chance of a bacterial infections. For that reason, among others, piercing guns should never be used to pierce any part of the body other than earlobes.
• Parasitic and protozoan infections may occur by swimming in lakes, rivers, streams, and oceans during the healing period. The best way to reduce this risk is to avoid swimming in these locations.
• Excess scar tissue, which can be caused by improper piercing, cleansing, and stretching. This may result in loss of sensation and difficulty piercing and stretching that area of skin in the future.
• Keloid formation can sometimes occur, particularly among people who are pre-disposed to this condition through heredity.
• Trauma to a fresh piercing, usually associated with unintended entanglement of the piercing jewelry with another object. This risk is always present, but can be reduced by using jewelry appropriate for the piercing, and covering or taping over jewelry during sports activities. Also, larger gauge piercings will tend to resist tearing better than smaller gauge piercings.
• Viral infection, particularly from hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV. However, it is important to note that although hepatitis has been transmitted through the practices of ear piercing, body piercing, and tattooing, there has not yet been a case of HIV transmission associated with these procedures (see CDC Fact Sheet: HIV and Its Transmission). As with bacterial infections, the risk of viral infection is minimized when proper piercing techniques are used, particularly by the use of autoclaved disposable piercing needles and the autoclaving of jewelry prior to installation.
• Erosion of gums (in lip and tongue piercings). In some cases, gum bleeding can be induced. In extreme cases, teeth may fall out if there isn't enough gum to hold them in place.

List of piercing types

See also

• Body modification
• Body piercing jewelry
• Body piercing materials
• Ear piercing instrument
• Earring
• Scalpelling
• Tattooing
• Famous people with piercings

Related Media

• A chart comparing wire gauges likely to be encountered when making jewelry
• A chart for sizing gloves and measuring jewelry gauge and size
• A chart comparing O-ring sizes (Aerospace Specification series numbering) to American gauge jewelry.

External links

• BodyMod.org - Piercing Galleries and an online community of people from around the world with interest in Body Piercings.
• American Association of Professional Piercers' website
• Body Modification E-Zine -A very extensive source of pictures ,convention etc'
• Body Modifications.
• Tribalectic - Huge piercing community with pictures, stories, healing information, forums and much more
• Shop for selling of piercing, have much nice items for all type of customers and any flavor
• A Body Piercing Jewellery Shop and Cheap Body Piercing Jewellery for all your body piercing.