A lingering fad in the 80's with an uncertain period in the early
90's when earring-sidedness implied a sexual preference, body
piercing has since surged into mainstream acceptance and continues
to gain increasing popularity in diverse niches - the emerging
pubescents, the X'ers, the aging baby boomers, the fringe conservatives
in midlife crisis.
Say hello to Generation P, the pierced
generation.
Suddenly ubiquitous, body piercing has
been in use since antiquity: the Mayans with its religious ritual
of tongue piercing, the buccal labrets worn by Aztecs of higher
caste, the Egyptian pharaoh's pierced navels as a sign of royalty,
and the Roman soldiers' nipple piercing for virility and loyalty
to the emperor. In the Alaskan Tlingit people, nose piercing
was a status symbol. On the other end of that historical spectrum,
piercing is considered taboo or unacceptable in some cultures
and religions.
Today, body piercing is both protest
and fashion. For some it provides a benign continuum for social
protest. For most, it is a fashion statement, the accouterment
of "cool" without the permanence of tattoos, from the
simple and elegant to the absurd and bizarre. For some, it is
the extremist expressive art form. For a few, it is a journey
into its stimulatory possibilities.
Although the ear is most commonly pierced,
no area is exempt. Barbells, rings, studs and labrets now dangle,
decorate and pierce the common and intimate parts of the anatomic
landscape: lips, tongue, eyebrows, nose, nipples, navels, the
penis and scrotum, the clitoris and vaginal lips.
As popularity has zoomed, so have complications.
The fad has spawned an unregulated industry of "studios,"
many manned by untrained "experts" with inadequate
grasp of the essentials of anatomy and the gamut of potential
complications. Perhaps, 50% might even be done by children on
children, who after failing to get parental permission turn to
their friends or pierce themselves.
The explosion in piercing's popularity
was associated with an astounding rise in nickel allergy. By
1993, 25% more people had nickel allergy compared to 1985. 13%
of 8- to 15-year old girls with pierced ears have nickel allergy
compared to 1% in those with unpierced ears. Among nickel-allergic
women, 95% have pierced ears.
IMPLANTS:
AN EXTREME FORM OF PIERCING
A radical and fringe form of body
piercing - implants - has emerged, and fortunately, has not caught
on. It involves the insertion of small beads or 3-D art implants
(rings, crosses, barbels) and a variety of transdermal implants.
Beware, It is a much more complicated process requiring professional
skills in a sterilized environment.
CONS
AND SOCIAL CONSIDERATIONS
T Piercings has gone from "in"
to "mainstream" fashion statement. And so often, fashion
turns into a folly of the past. And alas, piercings leave scars
and holes c reflections of your past that might hamper your employability.
And with the popularity of multiple facial/ear piercings, later
regrets might not be amenable to expensive plastic surgical efforts.
HEALING
TIME
People heal at varying rates and
healing time varies widely by site, from 3 weeks to a year: Tongues
heal in 3 to 6 weeks; ears, lips and eyebrows in 6 to 8 weeks,
nipples in 8 to 16 weeks; and navels and other areas because
they are covered by tight waistbands or exposed to repeated trauma,
may take up to nine months or longer. Piercing of the cartilage
along the top of the ear heals more slowly than pierced earlobes.
