Body piercing

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A captive bead ring.

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, 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's servant gave a nose ring and bracelets 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

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 rock culture. 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 sub-sculture. In 1975, Jim Ward opened The Gauntlet, America's first storefront body piercing operation, in Los Angeles.

Attitudes toward body piercing have grown more accepting 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 can be seen working in banks and other traditionally conservative settings in some areas, though this is by no means universal. In other parts of the world, ear piercing is still considered inappropriate for males in many settings, as are multiple ear piercings on women.

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Female pierced through the following: Lobe (Ear), Septum (Nose), Labret (Lips)

Personal attitudes

Attitudes towards piercing can 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 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 faddish. This can at times lead to prejudice or cognitive bias towards those with piercings or visible signs of past piercings.

Modern piercing procedure

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 jewelry is placed, and the procedure is carried out in a sterile manner. When done professionally, jewelry and equipment are usually autoclaved before use, and other precautions taken.

Indwelling cannula method

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 The needle is partly withdrawn, and the jewelery inserted into the other end of the cannula.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

Piercing guns

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, and is more likely to result in an unsatisfactory piercing. The manufacturers of ear piercing instruments warn that these devices should not be used to pierce anything other than ears, and most professional body piercers strongly recommend against their use altogether.

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. The below table has 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.

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.

Behaviors which tend to support successful healing

Revisiting the piercer for an evaluation at any time, if needed
Practicing good hygiene
Following the recommended aftercare guidelines

Behaviors which tend to contribute to unsuccessful healing

Contact between the new piercing and another person's skin
Touching the piercing, unless cleaning it, in which case only with washed hands
Smoking and drinking alcohol(in the case of oral piercings)
Contact between the piercing and bodily fluids, perfume or cosmetics
Oral sex and genital intimacy, where this could cause one of the above
Swimming in public swimming pools, lakes, rivers, streams, and oceans as they may be too harsh to promote skin cell healing. Chlorine in swimming pool water may be an irritant. Bacteria, protozoa, and parasites found in non-chlorinated water can lead to infections.

Cleaning

Oral piercings

For tongue, lip, cheek and labret piercings, it is recommended to rinse the mouth after eating and drinking (except water). One should also not smoke while having an open wound in their mouth. 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 cold, hot, or spicy foods.

Genital piercings

It is recommended that both male and female piercings are cleaned with saline solution, as with other piercings. Tight clothing and genital intimacy contraindicated for a period of 4-6 weeks. The urine of the pierced person is sterile (to them), so will not infect their piercings.

Most other piercings

For piercings other than oral and genital, soaking in saline solution, either pre-packaged or home-mixed (1/8 to 1 tsp sea salt to 8 oz. water) is a technique often recommended and used. Antiseptic rinses are generally not recommended, as they can be too harsh on the exposed flesh. Rotation of the body piercing jewelry is not recommended by many piercers as it can pull in dirt and bacteria into the piercing, and irritate the fistula which is trying to form.

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.

|- |Septum piercing |6 – 12 mos |- |Eyebrow piercing |2 – 4 mos |- |Tongue piercing |6 – 10 wks |}

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 faithfully 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.
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.
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.

List of piercing types

Facial piercings

Body piercings

Male genital piercings

Female genital piercings

Related Media

A chart comparing wire gauges likely to be encountered when making jewelry

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