Body piercings have become one of the best style statements in modern days. Many fashionistas are into body piercings, and there are multiple styles of body piercings. Piercing is one of the most ancient forms of body modification. Body piercing is quite popular in ears, lips, nipples, genitals, eyebrows, tongues, etc.
In the 1900s, society viewed piercing as a rebellion – only the rebellious teens, rock music band members, and social rebels were prone to get their bodies pierced. However, there are several proofs of body piercings, even in ancient civilizations like the Aztecs.
Different types of body piercings –
1. Ear Piercing
The ears can be pierced at the lobes, helix, tragus, auricle, daith, constellation, conch and several other ear areas. You can even have multiple piercings on your ear.
The earlobe piercing is the traditional type of piercing. The most recent type of ear piercing is orbital piercing, in which two ear piercings are combined into one single piece of jewellery types.
2. Face Piercings
The trend of face piercings started with eyebrow piercings. And now, there are so many facial locations where piercings are done. Here is a list of the common types of facial piercings that are practiced:
● Cheek Piercing
● Eye Piercing
● Horizontal Piercing
● Third Eye Piercing
● Bridge Piercing
● Anti-Eyebrow Piercing
3. Nose Piercing
Nose piercing is customary in several cultures, even today. This trend is mainly practised in the Asian countries like India. Middle eastern and African marriage cultures as well involve rituals around nose piercings.
Nose piercings are considered extremely lucky and bring opportunities in the home if the woman of the house pierces their nose and wears gold nose rings. This is an effective practice in various countries and states of India.
4. Lip Piercing
Lip piercing is at the top of the popularity list in recent times. There are several options for lip piercing, but the most common type of lip piercing is the one in which the bottom lip is pierced with a stud.
This type of lip piercing is called Labret. Another unique type of lip piercing is the Medusa lip piercing, made between the nose and upper lips. If you want to pierce either side of the lower lips, go for the viper or snake bite piercings. Try the Crawford piercing if you want a beauty mole on the upper lips like Monroe or Madonna.
5. Navel Piercings
This is one of the oldest forms of body piercings. Now it is not that common. The hip-hop stars of the 90s popularized this style. The belly button ring was one of the trendiest forms of jewellery in the early 2000s. Though not much in the style limelight, you can still get a naval piercing and couple it with a ring hanging below the piercing.
6. Nipple Piercing
In ancient Rome, nipple piercing was quite common, especially among men, to prove their masculinity. Later it became popular even among women. In the 14th century, the French Queen Isabella introduced the trend of wearing dresses with plunging necklines, and the nipples became a prominent part of the display.
To enhance the exoticness, nipple piercings became extremely popular among men and women and often adorned dresses. Even today, nipple piercings are trendy – a celebration of sexuality.
7. Genital Piercing
The practice of genital piercings started in Ancient Greece, The Greek athletes and warriors pierced their foreskin and tied it to the thing in the penis base. It was a strategy to keep the genitalia unharmed during the wars.
The roman athletes pierced their genitals because they believed doing so would keep them healthy. In the medieval period, girls were prohibited from acting or singing in public, and young boys played their roles in dramas. It was a common practice to pierce their genitals to keep their high-frequency voices intact.
Risks Associated with the Body Piercings?
Body piercings also bring several dilemmas – is it safe, are there any health risks and concerns?
While many people attribute body piercing as totally safe and harmless, in reality, it is not. There are multiple risks associated with the process and a plethora of general complications. Intense pain is the most prominent risk associated with a piercing. The degree of pain varies and also depends upon your capacity to bear it.
Most people suffer from ear piercing infection symptoms, especially if they have got it done in an unclean place. Systemic infection may also start to develop and end in blood-borne diseases and spread throughout the body. The pain and infection may get intense without proper healing, leading to worse results. Scarring and tissue swelling are the long-term side effects of piercing.
