The Different Types of Body Piercing

Here's a short introduction to types of Body Piercings. You should get to know them before getting pierced. That way you can choose the type that is right for you.

Ear Piercing

Ear piercing is by far the most common piercing seen. Women have had their earlobes pierced for decades, and men have started to do the same within the last 40 years. The earlobe piercing is the most socially acceptable piercing. Most employers will allow at least one small earring in each lobe, barring safety reasons. This can be for simple decoration, or to show solidarity and a member of a social group. Military personnel, especially naval officers would pierce their left earlobe as a show of camaraderie Gay men used to pierce their right earlobe as a show of "gay pride." This is no longer case. Men and women now pierce one or both earlobe, either once or multiple times as a matter of self expression.

Also common is cartilage piercing in the ear. Lesbians have begun piercing the right upper corner of their ear cartilage for the same reason of solidarity. There is no widely known symbolism for piercings elsewhere in the ear cartilage. Most portions of the ear cartilage can be safely pierced by an experienced professional.

Nose Piercing

The nose is traditionally pierced in two places, the first being on the side of one nostril. Generally smaller studs are placed in this spot. The second is a cartilage piercing through the septum, or the center part of the nose. This piercing has been affectionately dubbed, "the responsible facial piercing", because if a small U-shaped bar is placed there, the piercing can be easily be turned back into the nostrils. This makes the piercing more difficult to spot.

Tongue Piercing

Tongue piercings run vertically from the upper to the lower surface of the tongue. This piercing is said to give increase pleasure during oral sex, but most people have this piercing for aesthetic purposes. With proper jewelry, this piercing will heal very quickly, but special consideration should be given when using metal jewelry. Metal can cause damage to the gums and tooth enamel.

Nipple Piercing

Nipple piercing is done equally by men and women. This is a piercing that is considered attractive. However, many also choose this piercing because it increases the sensitivity of the nipple, making sensation more pleasurable. Because individual nipple sizes vary, this piercing is more difficult for some than others. Smaller nipples are much harder to pierce. Those individuals with smaller nipples are encouraged to seek a professional with more experience in this area.

Naval Piercing

In ancient Egypt, this particular piercing was reserved solely for the pharaoh. In today's society, this is a common piercing. This piercing is usually sported by those that want to show off their mid-drift. This piercing is more common in women than men, solely because there are styles of women's blouses designed to show this area.

Genital Piercing

Genital piercing is popular in both men and women. Those piercing directly on or very near the sex organs amplify sensation to make stimulation more pleasurable. Some of the popular piercing sites for male genitalia include: the tip/head, at the base of the shaft at the public bone, and the scrotum. For women piercings can be placed on: the clitoris; the hood; the inner and outer labia; and the triangle.

Cheap Body Piercing - Get Body Piercing Done at a Cheaper Rate

Body piercing is thought to be an expensive affair. Many people think that it involves a lot of money. This is not true. You can get body piercing done at a cheaper rate too. You need not spend a lot of money for body piercing. You must know whom to approach to get body piercing done. You can get them at the best price. Find the hottest new body jewellery styles in the world at best prices online. No matter what kind of body piercing you are looking for, you can get them all at any body piercing store or even online.

Belly button rings, navel jewellery, tongue rings, nose rings or lip labrets, are different types of body piercings available at various stores. You can choose from a wide range of body piercing rings - sexy body jewellery, captive bead rings, ear plugs, tunnels, belt buckles, and gay pride jewellery. It is very easy to find a range of piercing jewellery at clearance prices. Body piercing involves a new set of piercing equipment for each customer. Hence, it may cost slightly high. While getting body piercing done, one must opt for the best quality of piercing. The kind of metal that is used for piercing must be sterilised. It is slightly painful. Piercing stings, like a quick jab. The healing takes hardly any time. A good choice of metal (e.g. Titanium), can help recover fast.

Many women find belly bars very attractive. You can also get cheap belly bars. Choose from belly bars, navel rings & belly button jewellery from various stores. Opt for rings made of sterling silver & surgical steel jewellery for navel piercings. You can also get amazing belly ring designs, high quality body jewellery and also a wide range of other jewellery including tongue bars, labrets & belly rings.

Belly bars, body jewellery and sterling silver belly jewellery designs include dangling silver heart belly bars which make an ideal choice for valentines day gifts, jewelled flower design belly bars, chandelier belly bars, diamond & square crystal belly bars, crystal belly bars, dropper and dangling belly bars with beautiful and unusual designs, also new tongue jewellery added including tongue bars & tongue studs as well as jewelled tragus studs & eyebrow bars. The range is unlimited. You are free to choose the one you wish to have. You can choose from a comprehensive range of piercing rings which are very easy to use. Look outstanding with these body piercing rings.

Body Piercing Places

Have you ever thought of going to one of those Body Piercing Places? Over the last twenty years, the popularity of body piercing has been renewed. A word of caution if your checking out Body Piercing Places and while their explaining how they perform body piercing, they tell you they will be using a piercing gun, You are not in a professional Body Piercing Place and you need to stay away from that shop because piercing guns can't be sterilized and your chances of developing an infection are statistically much greater.

Pierced ears or the most common, and usually the first piercing someone will get. However, trying to find the traditional one piercing per ear can be difficult. There are many other kinds of body piercing such as naval piercing, tongue piercing or the labret.

The labret is a piercing that is in the lower lip, but over the course of time, there have been many alterations to this form of piercing. The labret derives it's name from the type of jewelry worn, which is usually some kind of bead type jewelry. A couple of variations are the Vertical labret which is down through the top of the lip and out the bottom, The Lowbret is having the piercing done low on the chin, While the Medusa is placed in the upper lip between the center ridges.

When you start seriously considering Body Piercing Places, there are a couple things you want to keep in mind. Don't ever try to pierce yourself or even let a friend use one of the body piercing kits, your risk of infection is very high. The professional piercer puts their reputation on the line by doing body piercing and knows well the power of word of mouth advertising and will not risk their reputation with poor sanitary conditions.

If your unaccustomed with a Body Piercing Places watch how they interact with their customers and how they handle their equipment, the freshly sterilized tools should be kept in separate tray from the used and contaminated ones waiting to be sterilized. The use of contaminated piercing supplies has been known to cause HIV, Hepatitis are any number of serious infections.

While visiting different body piercing places look at their selection of jewelry. With a new piercing, you need to wear good quality jewelry applicable to the location of the piercing, body jewelry is intended to be worn in specific areas of the body for your comfort and ease. When you choose your jewelry pay close attention to the type of material it is made of particularly for new piercings.

Your new piercings will require some extra care in order to properly heal so if your on a budget, are just not sure which piece of body jewelry you really want, at least make sure to look for Implant grade stainless steel in your jewelry which is least likely to cause some kind of infection.

Ear Piercing

Ear piercing is one of the oldest practices. Ear Piercing is a technique of making a very small opening in your ears so that any thing, which is of length equal to needle's front, can be easily inserted in that part. Ear piercing is one of the oldest practices. Ear Piercing is a technique of making a very small opening in your ears so that any thing, which is of length equal to needle's front, can be easily inserted in that part.

Common areas of piercing

Common locations for piercing include the rook, tragus, and across the helix .The simple term "ear piercing" usually refers to an earlobe piercing, whereas piercing in the upper part of the external ear are often referred to as "cartilage piercing." Cartilage piercing is more complex to perform than earlobe piercing and take longer to heal.

Caring for pierced ears

You don't want germs with your newly pierced ears, so it's very important to keep your ears clean. For several days after the piercing, you need to clean your ears and put antibiotic ointment on them. Whoever is doing the cleaning should follow these steps twice a day: Wash your hands. Use a cotton ball or swab to apply rubbing alcohol to the earlobe or lobes. Gently rotate the earring in the ear.

Equipments

Only an ear piercing gun or a needle should be used to pierce an ear. The gun is recommended for use on the lobe of the ear only. The reusable ear-piercing gun should not come in contact with the ear. All equipment and jewelry used to penetrate the skin must be sterilized. The jewelry should not be handled when loading it into the gun or inserting it into the opening when using a needle. Disposable cartridges, which sit in the gun, are used to hold the jewelry in place for the piercing. Most jewelry comes in pre-sterilized packaging and should be intact prior to the piercing.

About Body Piercing

If you know your world history, you will see that Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans have all practiced body art such as piercing and tattooing. However, not all of those civilizations pierced their bodies for the same reasons. The reasons for body piercing in the old days may vary from body decoration (to show the role or rank of a person in the society) to protection against evil. In our present society, on the other hand, we now know more about the risks of body piercing. Punching a hole in your body is a serious decision. So, before you decide to drill a hole in your tongue or nipples or, worse, your genitals, ask your friends and family what they think.

If you have decided to have your body pierced, please do not do it yourself. Do not even ask a friend to do it. Body piercing is a delicate job that needs to be done by professionals. Most of all, do not get a body piercing for all the wrong reasons. Always remember that you do not have to have your body pierced just to belong.

Before you decide to have a body piercing, you have to consider the risks. Infections, allergic reactions, nerve damage, teeth damage, and bleeding are just a few of the risks that surround body piercing. Infections are the most dangerous of all the risks. It can be caused by HIV, hepatitis, bacteria, tetanus, and yeast. If the piercer is careful, if he uses gloves and sterile equipment, the risk of infection may be lessened. However, infections are unpredictable, as long as the wound is not healed; the risk of infection still exists.

You should know that you may acquire and/or spread serious infections if the piercing equipment is not sterilized properly. Bacterial infections can still get you, even if the wound has already healed. So, you should always clean your body piercing, even if it has already healed. If the studio that you have chosen to have your body pierced uses piercing guns, get out immediately. Piercing guns cannot be sterilized and are supposed to be used for body piercings.

The most common areas of the body that is usually pierced are ear lobes, ear cartilage, eyebrow, nostrils, nasal septum, nasal bridge, tongue, lips, nipples, navel, and genitals. Each of these areas of the body have different risk factors because of their location and the time it takes to heal. The ear cartilage and navel, for example, takes the longest time to heal. Therefore, the ear lobe is less risky than the ear cartilage because it heals faster.

Nose Piercings

Nose piercing is a custom which was prevalent in the Middle East and then taken to India by the Mughals in the 16th century. In the 1960s when the hippies made their way back from India, they brought back with them the custom of nose piercing more as a sign of rebellion against society than anything else.

There are three types of nose piercings: nostril piercing, nasal septum piercing and bridge piercing. In India, the nostril is usually pierced on the left side because, according to ayurveda, this helps eith easy childbirth and relieves pains during menstruation. Now, more and more people in the West want to experiment with piercing and nose piercing has become very trendy.

Nostril piercing is done by passing a needle through the tissue and replacing it with a piece of jewelry -- either a stud or a nose ring. Studs usually have a screw behind then to keep them in place. Septum piercing, though not as common, can be performed by puncturing the tissue inside of the nose, on the septum. Common jewelry for this sort of piercing includes rings, barbells, tusks or spikes. Most rare of all kinds of nose piercing is the bridge piercing, where the jewelry worn is usually barbells.

While selecting the jewelry for nose piercing, it is always better to keep the location of the piercing in mind and to select the jewelry which will fit well. Jewelry made of 14 or 18 carat gold, surgical steel, niobium or titanium is the best in the beginning while sterling silver jewelry is only advisable after the piercing has healed.

Nose piercing should never be performed by a piercing gun as it traumatizes the tissue and can cause infections like HIV. Utmost care has to be taken while the piercing is healing, which could take up to12 months. Never touch the piercing with dirty hands, keep it clean it with an antibacterial soap, and do not try to remove your jewelry before the piercing is healed unless absolutely necessary. These steps will help to safeguard a nose piercing from any dangers.

Why a Tongue Piercing May Not Be So Bad

Of all the body piercings available, tongue piercings without a doubt spark the most controversy. A search in Google will bring up a half a million hits, and if you were to go through them, you would think getting a tongue piercing is a risk just short of playing russian roulette. Some of the worst horror stories include brain abscesses, spread of deadly diseases such as HIV, large build-ups of scar tissue, "suicide disease," permanent nerve damage and fatal toxic shock syndrome. If that's not enough to scare you away, you'll notice that you could bleed excessively, develop speech problems, experience serious swelling, and or chip teeth. Sounds dangerous, right? Absolutely!

As with any popular matter that involves some risk (recreational drugs, extreme sports, etc.) the media loves to play them up. Any serious incident creates attractive headlines and prominent news stories, in turn creating a sort of media gossip. This gossip circulates through the popular mediums, and the result is that the public hears about "headline news", and never the full story.

In the case of tongue piercing, as an example, people may see that someone lost feeling in their tongue because of a botched piercing. A while later, they read that someone had a brain abscess, most likely caused from a tongue piercing. One thing leads to another, and the public comes to the conclusion that these piercings are very dangerous to get, and certainly outweigh any reason to get one. For most people it ends there.

What the majority don't realize, is that like anything that involves risk, there are ways to greatly minimize this risk. Tongue piercings are no different, and fortunately, it is possible to nearly eliminate the risks. The majority of the horror stories are either one-offs, or situations in which the people getting their tongue pierced did not make smart decisions. In fact, the only risk that is difficult to avoid and somewhat common is damage to teeth and gums. Dentists dislike tongue piercings because they receive patients coming in with cracked or chipped teeth, and/or receding gums. Again, smart and proper care greatly diminishes this risk, and with regular check-ups and advice from the dentist, this occurrence can also be minimized.

By no means are tongue piercings one hundred percent safe. There is always a slight risk involved if you get your tongue pierced, but nothing compared to what the media would have you believe. A tongue piercing is a fun, unique piercing and by doing your research and making smart choices, you greatly reduce the chance of a bad outcome.

So the next time you hear a horror story about tongue piercing, or any other thing that interests you, do some research. Find out for yourself if it's really such a major concern.

Lip Piercings

Lip piercing is a custom that goes back as far as ancient history. Some tribes believed that it would make their ancestors’ spirits happy. For some, it was a ritual or a status symbol. For some, of course, it was just a sign of beauty, of femininity, like the members of the Makolo tribe of Malawi. The Mayans and the Aztecs wore labrets or special lip pins made of gold, jade and obsidian. Among some tribes in Africa, the labrets could well be a disk, rather than simple jewelry.

Lip piercing is popular today in many parts of the world. The location of the lip piercing can vary from individual to individual. Lower lip piercing can be done anywhere from the center to the length of the lower lip and the choice of jewelry for the lower lip can be studs, rings, tusks or spikes. Upper lip piercing is supposed to be a mark of beauty and a small barbell or a stud is often worn. Labrets without a ring come in fishtail or disk backs. Fish tail backs have a wire that is twisted and lies perpendicular to the piercing unlike disks which have a metal screw or the end of a barbell that covers or caps the post.

There are various types of jewelry available for lip piercing like labret studs for instance, which are easy to remove. Make sure the jewelry is made out of titanium, niobium, surgical steel or 18 carat gold. It takes from two to six months for a lip piercing to heal completely. With lip piercing gaining popularity, there are few ground rules that one should follow. It is most important, though, to get the piercing done by a professional, so proper hygiene is ensured and the jewelry is of the right metal and does not rub against the gums.

After the piercing make sure that it does not develop an infection - either viral or bacterial. It is important to rinse your mouth with an antibacterial mouthwash, and keep away from smoking and alcohol. Some people recommend taking extra Vitamin C and Zinc in order to help the healing process, as well.

Piercing Jewelry - Body Jewelry

When you search the articles in the internet about Body Jewelry / Body Jewellery, it usually takes you to the website about Body Piercing Jewelry. Body piercing jewelry is jewelry produced specifically for use in body piercing. The materials used for production have grown from traditional precious metal such as gold and silver to widespread use of surgical steel as well as titanium, gemstone, wood, glass, even several kinds of plastics.

Body piercing is also becoming popular with both men and women. It's not just for a gang member who has tattoos and body piercing. It is considered fashionable for young adults as well as those in their careers to have body piercing in these days. Common places for them are ears, nostrils, eyebrows, lips, tongue, neck, nipples, belly buttons, even the genital areas.

Most piercing is done by a professional who uses sterile equipment for the process. He will gives you instructions on how to make sure your new piercing heals correctly and what to do if there is a problem. Always find out the risks involved in body piercing, and what is best to protect yourself from infections and other complications. The professional instruct the individual on the proper care for the piercing and send them on their way with signs of infection to watch for. It is your responsibility to make sure the place is very clean and sterile. The needle should be in a package and opened in front of you as well. If you are not satisfied with the sanitary process of the person doing the piercing then do not allow them to proceed.

A little fluid produced by the body when you get the piercing done. This is typically a milky white and it is created because there is a foreign object in the body, which is normal. Care should be taken if it turns into yellow or the pierced area turns to red, then you should seek immediate medical attention.

Be careful when you put the cheap body jewelry into your piercing since your body may reject it, or it could cause an infection. Saving a few bucks will mean nothing if you get sick. It might be the best to save the body jewelry until after you've had piercing for at least six months, even a year. Make sure it totally healed before you put anything in there. The cheap body jewelry can be okay after a period of healing is over. Anyway, you have to keep a close eye on things when you put the jewelry in for the first time. You should be able to see that the body jewelry they will be inserting is sterilized in front of you.

Nape Piercings

Nape piercings, informally called Neck piercings, are very new to mainstream culture. While it has been accepted for some time in body modification circles, people not stereotypically into bod-mod are getting their napes pierced. It is a great piercing for many people, because it can be exposed or covered according to a specific occasion with great ease.

This ability to hide or display the piercing is quite an attractive "selling point" to people, and when done correctly, this piercing can look fantastic. Nape piercings are surface piercings located on the lower base of your neck (although many people get multiple nape piercings that ascend up the neck) and they are usually pierced with surface bars. Sometimes barbells are used, but surface bars are de rigueur for this area of the body. Once you and your piercer have decided which piece of jewelry is best for you, you will most likely be asked to lay down on a table, cinch your shoulders together so that the piercer can clamp your skin at the base of the neck, and on your exhale the piercing will commence. Before the actual piercing occurs, you will be able to see where the piercer has marked you, and you can adjust the location from there if you so desire. Once the needle is through, the jewelry will be secured, and your piercing will be finished! The entire process takes about ten minutes, but the actual piercing action and jewelry insertion shouldn't even take a minute - it's very fast! Your first jewelry will be a bit larger to accommodate the swelling, but after a couple months (three months roughly, give or take) you can have the jewelry replaced to something that fits more snugly on your neck. There are many different types of jewelry for nape piercings, as any surface bar or barbell will do.

Nape piercings, being that they are on your neck, should not be attempted by amateurs. Even though the risk of nerve damage is practically nonexistent, you don't want to be jabbed in any of the nerves - or even worse, your spinal cord!- running down your back. A professional piercer will miss all of these nerves and you will not have any nerve damage. A drunken buddy with a sharp piercing needle, on the other hand, is nothing short of an accident waiting to happen. Besides, a professional piercer with experience in nape piercings will be more adept in proper placement of the piercing, and the depth they will pierce at will be more successful in staving off migration and rejection.

Migration (where the piercing moves from its original position) and rejection (where the body literally pushes out the piercing) are the two biggest threats of piercings in this area. All surface piercings are prone to migrations and rejections, and the neck piercings are no exception. However, if your nape is pierced at the right depth, and you follow all aftercare instructions and use common sense, you have a good chance of garnering a successful nape piercing. Besides cleaning it thoroughly, try not to sleep on it for the first week, don't wear helmet that rests directly on it, put on and take off shirts delicately, and just be very mindful of the area when using a towel to dry off. Many people report that the first week is the hardest - you don't realize how often the back of your neck is used until it is pierced, trust me - but after that the piercing does not hurt at all.

Body Modification Or Body Mutilation?

Today's society is full of people looking to push the boundaries in whatever way they can. This is true in just about everything, and body modification is no exception.

Body modification involves any permanent or semi-permanent change to one's body for a non-medical reason. When it´s done for aesthetical reasons, it is known as body art, which includes piercings and tattoos. One of the newer, more extreme piercings are horizontal tongue piercings, which are creating a lot of controversy, similar to when vertical tongue piercings first became popular.

So what's the big deal about this piercing? A horizontal tongue piercing is just like it sounds. A bar is pierced horizontally through the entire front tip of the tongue, with a ball on each side to hold it in place. It is an extremely painful piercing, and involves a lot of skill to be performed properly. Healing time is quite slow, and some people have found their tongue never healed fully until the piercing was removed. These reasons, combined with the lack of knowledge for this type of oral piercing, make it a rare piercing to get and some piercers will refuse to do the piercing.

The risks involved are similar to those of a vertical (standard) tongue piercing. However, some of these risks are more inclined to happen. One of the most common problems with a horizontal piercing is that people are often unable to speak without a lisp, due to the location of the piercing at the tip of the tongue. Chipped and cracked teeth are also relatively frequent, as they are with any oral piercing. Horizontal piercings also tend to flare up and become infected much easier than a vertical piercing, which makes proper aftercare imperative.

If you are wondering why anyone would want to get a horizontal piercing, you are not alone. To the majority of people, the piercing resembles body mutilation more than any kind of art. Nevertheless, to some people, having such a rare, extreme piercing is worth the pain and inconvenience. They enjoy the originality, and bask in the "wow" factor that they are bound to receive.

Whether you think a horizontal tongue piercing is a valid type of body modification or borders on body mutilation, it is a piercing growing in popularity. People continue to push the boundaries, and you can be sure this piercing will become more common in the future.

Risks of Breast Implants

Women wanting to enhance their breast size, lift their breasts, or otherwise have reshaping and contouring breast implant surgery want to know the real risks involved. With all of the conflicting information out there about whether breast implants are really safe, it's hard to tell fact from fiction sometimes.

The fact of the matter is, a staggering number of women are now opting to have this surgery to enhance their appearance and many times their self esteem, since many women view small or unattractive breasts as a detriment to their femininity and beauty. It certainly doesn't help that the female breast has become an iconic symbol of beauty and womanly attraction.

We are going to examine some of the risks involved in getting breast augmentation surgery from an objective perspective. This includes the risks of the surgery itself, as well as the risks of what may happen to you or your implants after surgery.

Breast implants have been on the open market for almost three decades now, and the FDA was charged with regulating them as medical devices in the year of 1976, when they had already been on the market for ten years. While it is true that breast augmentations have come a long way in the realm of safety and longevity, there are still some people who may just not do well with a foreign object in their body.

These are the people who normally will have the most issues with their procedure after it has been done, since their body esentially rejects the implant and fights hard to "mend" the area by creating excess amounts of scar tissue, causing a painful condition called capsular contracture, or hardening of the implant and tissue around it.

Saline implants are believed to be safer than their predecessor, the silicone implant, due to the fact that saline is simply a salt water solution that is harmless when released into the blood stream if the implant ruptures or leaks.

The contrary was true as contended by thousands of women with silicone implants, who claimed they suffered irreparable nerve and musculoskeletal symptoms that could not be explained by doctors after their silicone implants had either leaked or ruptured.

The risks involved with saline breast implants are as follows

1.) Capsular contracture, as discussed previously, this is the hardening of the implant and the excess formation of scar tissue around the implant resulting in a painful condition that usually requires a second surgery to remedy the problem.

2.) The "ripple effect". This is VERY common on women with implants. When turned to the side, many times you can see a clear rippling of the saline bag on the side of the breast clearly visible through the skin. This is usually a dead giveaway a woman has implants. Other related effects are dimpling, puckering, and wrinkling.

3.) Implants can change shape, move around and migrate to different areas of the chest area, making the breasts appear deformed. Many times a second surgery needs to be performed or the implants removed when this happens.

4.) The implant can rupture from too much pressure, or simply can rupture on it's own depending on the strength of the implant and the length of time in the body. It is recommended women with the devices get them replaced roughly every ten years to avoid rupture.

5.) Infection. This is one of the risks that can occur directly after the augmentation surgery. Infection of the surgical area may occur.

6.) Loss of feeling around the nipple and areola. This can especially be a frequent occurrence with women who choose areolar entry for the implant due to possible nerve damage(the implant is actually inserted through the nipple).

7.) The implant may interfere with the detection of breast cancer, and also can interfer with breast feeding, depending on the technique used to perform the operation.

There you have it. These are the most common risks and unpleasantries involved with surgical breast augmentations. If you want larger breasts, but don't find the prospect of these possible risks particularly inviting, there are other natural options for you to pursue that are effective and are 100% you.

A Brief History of Body Piercing

Body piercing is truly ancient with the earliest recorded piercing appearing on a frozen mummy found in an Austrian glacier in 1991. The body had several expanded ear piercings measuring between 7mm and 11mm.

Other early mentions of body piercing come from the bible itself especially Genesis 24:22 where nose jewellery (often misquoted as earrings) were given as a gift to Rebekah, wife of Isaac.

Roman soldiers are also said by many to have had their nipples pierced as some sort of right of passage but there is little or no evidence of this. In fact many articles will state that the piercing was used to somehow ‘hold their cloaks in place’. Anyone who has had a nipple piercing will tell you how uncomfortable this would probably be if worn for any length of time and let’s think about it, there would be far better ways to fasten a cloak. The story seemed to originate from pamphlets published by Doug Malloy in the 70’s to help drum up business for his piercing studio. Many of the pamphlets published by him contained inaccurate or fictional information although there is little doubt that he was one of the pioneers of modern day body piercing in the USA.

Many other cultures and civilizations have practiced piercing through the ages including the Aztecs, Mesoamericans and many Middle Eastern and African cultures. Few can have failed to see images from African tribes where lip and lobe stretching using enormous disks is common practice and often considered a sign of great beauty.

Piercing in Europe has been around since at least the 16th century with ear piercing being especially popular during Elizabethan times. More ‘exotic’ piercings grew in popularity during Victorian times. Prince Albert is said to have had his penis pierced to allow attachment so that less movement showed when dressed, although little hard evidence exists to support this. However, he still had one of the most popular male genital piercing named after him – The Prince Albert.

Apart from the ever-popular ear piercings, body piercing then lost popularity until the 1960’s when the hippy cultures and gay community began to take up piercing again. The advent of punk shortly afterwards gave it more mainstream appeal although it never became truly popular until recent years. We are now in the midst of an explosion caused in the main by the popularity of piercing with many of today’s pop icons.

With eyebrow piercing appearing on members of bands such as Take That and other popular musicians quickly following, the public were quick to jump on the bandwagon and a huge boom in facial and the ever-popular belly button piercing resulted. With the plethora of jewellery now available for all piercings to make many look truly stunning there seems to be no slowdown in its popularity in sight.

A Quick Guide to Body Piercing

If a man with a naval piercing were to come up to you on the street and ask for directions, would you think royalty? You would if you were in Egypt, 5,000 years ago. For only the pharaoh was to wear that sort of piercing. The Egyptians decorated themselves decadently with body piercings and jewelry. For them it was a status symbol. The Romans used body piercing for more practical things. Roman soldiers pierced their nipples to show that they were strong and viral. It turned into a symbol of solidarity for them. Even Caesar saw this as a way to unite his men, and pierced his nipples himself. Gladiators had the head of their penis pierced to make it easier to tie it back against their testicles to prevent injury. Many of the tribes in America would piece their tongues, because the felt that the blood-letting brought them closer to god. Body piercing continues to be popular today, for as many reasons as there are people getting pierced.

Body piercing is a form of body modification in which, one of punctures or cuts the skin in order to place jewelry there. Those punctures can be stretched over time to place larger jewelry. Today's piercings are done for many reasons. With so many big stars sporting body jewelry, body piercings are well on their way to being a fashion phenomenon. Many people use it for self expression. Some people use body piercing in their cultural and spiritual traditions. Others are simple fascinated with the aesthetic and sensual aspects of it. With the wide variety or jewelry types and styles available, there is something for everyone. The jewelry can range from elegant to surreal.

Some of the more popular fashions in body piercing can be as simple as pierced ears. Piercings in the earlobes and in some parts of the ear cartilage are so widely accepted that most employers and school dress codes allow them. Also commonly seen is the naval piercing. Entire clothing lines are now designed to show off the adorned mid-drift.

There are now many types of jewelry available to allow spectacular self- expression and aesthetics. Some of the piercings that are normally easily seen to that end are eyebrow, lip, and nose piercing. Piercings can also be done on the arm, wrist and webbing of the fingers. Piercings can be done in the form of patterns on the back. One of the most elegant designs uses a row of circular rings that vertically runs down both sides of the mid and lower back. A ribbon is then criss-crosses, going through each of the loops, creating a beautiful corset-like appearance.

Some of the more sensual piercings are that of the nipples, and the male and female genitalia. For females the clitoris, hood, inner and outer labia, and triangle can be pierced. Men can be pierced on the tip/head of the penis, at the base of the shaft, and on the scrotum. Piercings in these areas make the nerve endings more sensitive to sensation. This allows for a greater sensation of pleasure.

With all of the new advances that have been made with piercing techniques, jewelry, and equipment sterilization, almost any conceivable body piercing can be accomplished.

Taboo Body Modifications

Extreme body modifications are practiced by few in our community, however some become intrigued by it. Many examples of extreme body modification are scarification, branding, implants, and splitting tongues.

Scarification is preformed by pealing away layers of the skin, and allowing it to heal into the specific design. Some scarifications can be almost as intricate as a tattoo. Although most people who choose to get scarification done, do not get tattooed in the process. However, ink can be applied before the healing process begins allowing it to heal over. This does not usually become as vibrant as the tattoos you often see. There are also the options of waiting until the scar flattens, which can often take between one to two years to complete. After which, you would be able to introduce vibrant colors into the scarred design.

Branding, much like scarification is the removal of skin, allowing scars to form. However, the skin is burned away in designs allowing for a much darker hue of scar. This is by far one of the more painful body modifications, and should not be attempted by the faint of heart.

Implants consist of beads, Teflon that is cut into the size and shape of the design, and spikes for the head. They are surgically placed under the skin to allow for a raised design, or in the case of the spikes a "horned" effect.

Tongue splitting is the separation of the tongue into two halves. This procedure should be done by a certified surgeon. There are four ways that it is preformed, firstly the tie-off where the split is compressed with increasingly tight loops of thread, this process is preformed over a period of days or week. Scalpelled splits are preformed by using a scalpel, or other blade, it is usually followed up by using a cautery tool to control the bleeding. The cautery tool may also be used to preform the cut itself. Your surgeon can also use a surgical laser split the tongue in half, in a relatively bloodless split.

From needles, ink and tattoo machines to body piercing jewelry and equipment, we can provide you with all the info as well as current industy news and new products. Beginning with tattoo autoclaves, it's important to research the types of equipment that are out there and the pros and cons to using each type. Tattoo guns, tattoo products, tubes, tattoo starter set, machines, and power supplies are all key to starting a studio, shop, parlor or business. The guns and machines are usually hand crafted or homemade. As for the inks, it is crucial to carry a wide variety of colors so you as the artists can create rich and unique designs. More information: Tattoo photo gallery.

Body Art And Modification - An Introduction To Suspension

Suspension is one of the most taboo piercing acts. It is in itself, the act of suspending the human body from hooks pierced through the flesh on different parts of the body. There are several different reasons people choose to do a suspension, ranging from adrenaline, spiritual enlightenment, to get over fear. Though there are many more reasons, it usually boils down to a learning experience.

It among other things, are on the more "extreme" side of body modification. It is joined with surgical implantations, and play piercings.

Most often I am asked what it feels like to suspend. It is a burning, and pulling sensation. But, often times meditation takes over the pain receptors allowing someone to delve deep into their inner selves. Suspension allows the body to fall into a state of shock, letting the transition become quicker, and more apparent along with the "floating" feeling, in not being tied to the ground.

Many people show an interest in suspension, however you need to reach a mental readiness, more-so than a physical one. Any form of body modification must be thought out rigorously, you will need to think about the possible risks involved in suspension. Much like any other piercing, if it is done incorrectly there is an infinite risk for infection, and in this case severe tearing of the skin.

There are quite a few styles of suspensions, however the most common are the vertical back suspension (suicide), or the vertical chest suspension (o-kee-pa).

O-kee-pa: is accomplished by placing hooks upon the chest. This by far is one of the most painful , and difficult suspensions. Most risks include difficulty breathing, intense pain in the sternum and armpit areas.

Suicide: is accomplished by placing hooks in the back of the body, hanging vertically. The suspension is refered to "suicide" because the body appears to be hanging by a noose. This is one of the easier suspensions. It allows greater freedom of movement while suspended. The biggest side effect is lower back pain.

Scare crow (vertical chest suspension): This one is accomplished by hooks being placed in the upper back, and in the arms to force them to be held horizontally.

Superman (horizontal face down): Placing hooks in the back of the body, the hooks are often distributed into a larger area of the body. This is by far one of the easier suspensions, most newcomers are able to complete this without many adverse effects. However, most complain about the back of their legs aching afterward.

The aftercare of suspension piercings are the same as normal piercings. It is critical that you follow a strict cleaning schedule or face the conciquences of your actions.