Body PiercingI have to laugh when I see people calling themselves "BodModders" because they have "modified" their bodies in some way. Adding a few holes or a tattoo here or there does not for body modification make. Now cut off an arm and reattach it to your buttocks - that's body modification!!
Body piercings are different things to different people. Some do it for the shock value, some do it because it enhances stimulation in some parts of the body. Some really don't know what else to do with their free time. In any case, a piercing should be done by a professional who uses sterilized equipment. The piercing should be allowed to heal properly and should receive specific after-care attention.
Body piercing is not new. Historically, it was a sign of virility
and courage. Egyptian Pharaohs pierced their navels, Mayans pierced
their tongues, and Roman centurions wore nipple rings. A common genital
piercing ring was popularized by Prince Albert to conform to the fashion
of very tight pants; this ring is also now a namesake.
Types of Piercings
Just about any part of the body can be pierced, apparently. Unlike traditional ear piercings, which are made by shooting a metal stud into the earlobe using a piercing "gun," all other body piercings are made with a very sharp hollow needle. The needle removes a tube of flesh from the body, much like a hole punch removes a circle from a piece of paper. It is through this opening that the ring or barbell is inserted. Keeping this in mind, here is a listing of the most popular types of body piercing.
General Nipple
Navel
Facial
Nostril
Septum - The Septum Piercing goes through the thin web of skin just below the central nasal cartilage.
Lip - The Lip Piercing is more commonly in the bottom lip although some people prefer the look of the upper lip piercing.
Labret - The Labret Piercing is made under the bottom lip and exactly halfway along the length of the lip.
Cheek - The Cheek Piercing can be made anywhere in the cheek but usually fairly close to the mouth area.
Tongue - The Tongue Piercing is made in the center of the tongue and usually 2-3 cm back from the tip.
Ear cartilage - The Helix Piercing is done along any number of points around the outer edge of the ear.
Genital - Male (note: click here to see a photo. Caution - it's graphic!)
Prince Albert - The Prince Albert ring goes into and along the urethra and comes out behind the glans on the underside of the penis (near where the glans join the shaft).
Frenum - The Frenum Piercing is usually placed on the underside on the penis through the loose skin approximately 1 to 2cm down the shaft away from the glans.
Hafada - The Hafada Piercing is also called the scrotum piercing and is often done in pairs on either side of the scrotum or as a single row down the centre seam of the scrotum.
Foreskin - The Foreskin piercing, as the name suggests, goes through the foreskin.
Guiche - The Guiche piercing is placed through the skin between the scrotum and the anus.
Ampallang - The Ampallang Piercing is a horizontal piercing through the head of the penis.
Apadrayva - The Apadravya Piercing is a vertical piercing through the head of the penis.
Genital - Female
Clitoral hood - Usually the hood is pierced horizontally above the clitoris so that when a bead ring is worn, it will hang down and the bead will sit over or on the clitoris.
Labia - The Labia piercing can be performed anywhere along the length of the Labia Minora or Labia Majora of the vagina.
Dangers of Piercing
Body piercings take some time to heal. Places in the face might take a few weeks, while the genitals and belly button take months - and up to a year. The belly button is one of the most popular places to get pierced, because many think it looks "sexy." Since this area is usually covered by clothing and is in an area likely to be rubbed by waistbands, the belly button piercing is also very prone to infection. In fact, all openings on the body are susceptible to bacterial infection and should be kept clean. Professional piercers should give you explicit instructions on how to care for your new hole, along with information on proper cleansing solutions and disinfectants.
If your piercing does get infected, problems may occur. In one case, a male genital piercing had to be surgically removed and the patient hospitalized to receive intravenous antibiotics. This was both painful and embarassing.
Dentists would like to ban oral piercings because of the danger they pose. According to an article in the LA Times,
"It's official. Oral piercing is a "public health hazard." That's according to the American Dental Association, which passed a resolution opposing oral piercing at its recent annual convention."The ADA has lots to say about the hazards of oral piercing, which include: infection, airway obstruction, trauma to teeth, interference with chewing and speaking, hypersensitivity to metals, foreign debris in the pierced site and breathing difficulty should an adornment be swallowed.
"'Oral piercing would be obsolete if the decision rested solely in the hands of the ADA,' said the organization's press release."
And from an Ann Landers column,
"Piercing tissues of the mouth and oral cavity with rings, small metal barbells or other objects can cause permanent damage to the mouth. Objects close to the teeth can cause fractures to the teeth and damage cheek tissue.
"Permanent numbness and loss of taste or movement may result if a nerve is accidentally pierced. Persistent bleeding or an immovable clot in the blood vessel could develop. Damage to the salivary gland duct may also occur from excessive drooling caused by inflamed and enlarged lips after piercing.
"I would advise anyone who is thinking about piercing to look beyond the immediate fad and to the future. Is it really worth losing your taste buds and risking permanent damage to your mouth?"
Howard S. Glazer, DDS, FAGD, President, Academy of General Dentistry, Chicago.
Opinions
I have three holes in each ear, but usually only wear earrings in the lowest ones. Since starting this article, I have decided to wear them in the second holes as well. I think the top pair have pretty much closed up by now. I like the look of multiple earrings, but not really more than three. Other than that, I have not and would not put any extra holes in my body. For one thing, I don't think it's sexy, for another, I am not into pain. Personally, I think facial piercings are very unattractive. I used to frequent a coffee bar whose cashier sported a lip ring. She would tongue it unconsciously, and the look was just unappealing. I don't appreciate strangers drooling in my coffee.
A friend and I encountered a waiter at the PaperMoon Diner who had multiple body piercings. He
showed us his nipple rings, and threatened to show us his other mutilations, but
we demurred - we were eating and weren't all that curious. Instead, he told us a story about his tongue piercing. He said it's
great fun at Christmas when his parents' friends are in the house. He takes out the
stud and sucks a candy cane down to a point. He then jams it though the hole in his
tongue and shows the guests his "accident," which horrifies all of them.
I was sickened, but I must admit, amused. Not that I would ever do anything like
that myself.
In my little survey, I received responses from people who had mostly ear piercings. Three respondants had belly button rings, and one had a nipple piercing that grew out. Nobody had any regrets. But for the most part, the comments I received were like this: "I have no tattoos... I have no body piercings... I have no interest.... I think they are stupid."
A quote from a letter to Newsday, 1997
"Stupidity is more highly developed in some; they should be free to bring it to fruition. [Body piercing] is a useful aid in the recognition of kindred intellects." Bob Olson, East Hampton
I wouldn't say that piercing in general was stupid, but it can be, if the piercee is not careful to keep pierced areas scrupulously clean and free of infection. Otherwise, it's just something that some people feel the need to do to themselves. I don't understand it, and probably never will, but that goes for a lot of things :)