Body Piercing 101

Body Piercing 101

There are various aspects through which people identify themselves. People are always sending some sort of message out at all times. These messages are means of communications about the individual to his or her peers and to society. Styles of dress, language, music, and dance are some of the ways that describes one’s own unique symbols, values, and meanings. One other signifier of identity is body piercing. Body piercing is a form of body modification, in which you puncture a hole in a part of your body and insert some kind of jewelry in the wound to keep it from closing. Body piercing has been a way for people to express themselves for many centuries. For some, it may be a fad, religious ritual, aesthetic or just to be “in”. Below I would explain, the diversity among the way people used body piercing in the ancient era and now in the 21st century.

Many years ago piercing developed and became many diverse qualities such as wealth, courage, and power. For example, the nose piercing has been known to have originated in the Middle East over four thousand years ago. The women in India adorned their noses with expensive gold nose jewelry. The kind of jewelry they wore distinguished their title and rank in their society. Wearing body jewelry to show the rank in society was a very common motivation for piercing in the ancient era. Nipple piercing served a purpose for the Romans. It would signify their strength and power. It was their way of dedicating their honor to the Roman Empire. It was their way of unifying and bonding their army. Gladiators would have their genitals pierced for two reasons. They would insert a ring through the head of the penis to tie the organ back with a piece of leather. This was done so they wouldn’t get hurt in combat. With a large ring or bar, it would prevent the gladiator from having sex without consent form his owner. The Lip Labret piercing was used for many reasons. Male members from the Aztecs and Mayans would wear lip labret made up of pure gold to represent their high rank in their society. Females in African tribes would also wear lip labrets; these were made out of wooden plates. The larger the wooden plate would be, the larger your lip would stretch. Men would find these females very sexually attractive. In ancient Egypt, the Pharos and royal families was the only people to pierce their navels because it was their way of representing their supreme social standing. Any servant who broke this rule and pierced their navels were killed unless their belly button was considered the “perfect” belly button, in which, at that point they had the chance to elevate their social standing.

Body piercing now in the 21st century, is very popular among youngsters today. Teens are getting their bodies pierced more than ever, and in every place imaginable. Some find body piercing particularly attractive in its own way. Traditional piercing and styles may reconnect an individual with his ethnic roots. Others use body piercing to rebel against a strict parent. Others have discovered that nipple and genital piercings can heighten the sexual experience for themselves and their partners. For many people, body piercing is used to celebrate or mark a special moment in their lives,