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.