Body piercing

Body piercing is a form of body modification. It involves piercing a part of the human body and subsequently inserting and keeping a foreign object in the opening until the wound heals. This forms a tunnel of skin around the foreign object, thus creating a suitable place for wearing different types of jewelry. The term "piercing" also often refers to this jewelry. One example of the process is the common ear piercing[?]. But this procedure is so simple and mainstream that it is not commonly considered to be a body piercing.

The practice is common among many indigenous peoples, but was almost unknown in industrialized civilizations until the mid 1970s. Some cultures practice piercing as part of religious traditions. In industrialized countries, most piercing is performed for ornamental or sexual reasons.

Piercing the body carries with it a number of risks, most notably the risk of infection and the risk of delayed healing. The risk of infection varies; good sterile practice greatly reduces it, whereas the risk is considerable with "do-it-yourself" piercing. An infection in the cartilage of the upper ear[?] or of the earlobe[?], can lead to a permanent lump called a keloid. All piercing sites should be kept clean until they are healed. The piercing healing time (see below) varies depending on what sort of piercing has been performed.

Table of contents 1 The Origins of Piercing 2 Piercing in Industrialized Civilizations 3 Types of Piercings 4 Healing Times 5 Famous People Who Have/Promote Body Piercings 6 External links

The Origins of Piercing

Piercing has ancient origins. The oldest mummified body in the world discovered in an Austrian glacier was found to have ear-piercing 7-11 mm in diameter. Nose piercing is mentioned in the Bible. In Genesis 24:22 Abraham gave a nose-ring to Rebekah, wife of his son Isaac. Nose piercing reached India in the 16th century and rapidly became accepted. Tongue piercing[?] was popular with the Aztecs and Mayans and was carried out as part of a religious ceremony. In Dreamtime by Hans Peter Duerr[?], it is claimed that nipple piercing[?] became popular in 14th century Europe. On many websites it is claimed that the Romans invented nipple piercing and that soldiers attached their capes to the piercings. This is just a myth and in reality the capes were hung from rings attached to their armor.

Piercing in Industrialized Civilizations

In the United States, the practice was popularized by Jim Ward[?] and his piercing shop, The Gauntlet[?], which opened in 1975 in Los Angeles.

Some regard body piercing as a kind of artistic expression, others as a form of sexual expression and/or stimulation. Genital piercings are some of the most common, and some piercers report that the Prince Albert piercing is the most popular of all. Many wearers of genital piercings keep their jewelry in during sexual intercourse and other sexual activities, but others find it uncomfortable. It depends to a large degree on the design of the jewelry and the type of sexual activity.

In the United Kingdom, decorative piercings are legal but those done in a sexual context are not. In R v Brown 1994[?] the court held that sado-masochistic piercing was "violent" and "cruel", and that there was no public interest in allowing people to consent to it.

Types of Piercings

Facial Piercings:

• nose piercing
• nostril piercing
• septum piercing[?]
• ear piercing[?]
• lip piercing
• cheek piercing[?]
• tongue piercing[?]
• bridge piercing
• brow piercing[?]

Body Piercings:

• nipple piercing[?]
• navel piercing

Male Genital Piercings:

• apadrayva piercing
• ampallang piercing
• Prince Albert piercing
• frenum piercing[?]
• Guiche piercing[?]
• Dydoe piercing[?]

Female Genital Piercings:

• hood piercing
• labia piercing[?]

Specialty Jewelery:

• Prince's Wand[?]

Healing Times

Different types of piercing take different amount of times to heal. Below is a rough guide to the times taken for some different types of body piercing to heal.

• nostril piercing (6-12 months)
• septum piercing[?] (6-8 weeks)
• ear piercing[?] - lobe (6-8 weeks)
• ear piercing[?] - cartilage (2-4 months)
• lip piercing (8-10 weeks)
• cheek piercing[?] (10-12 weeks)
• tongue piercing[?] (4-6 weeks)
• bridge piercing (8-10 weeks)
• nipple piercing[?] male (2-4 months)
• nipple piercing[?] female (4-6 months)
• navel piercing (6 months)

Famous People Who Have/Promote Body Piercings

• Joan Osbourne[?] (nostril piercing)
• Fakir Musafar[?]
• Bob Flanigan[?]

External links

• http://www.all-body-piercing.com/