Body Piercing
The body piercing is a type of body modification. It involves puncturing a particular body part and inserting a piece of jewelry through the opening. The jewelry is not removed until the piercing is completely healed. The body piercing is generally meant for wearing the jewelry. Some people pierce for the cultural or religious reason. Some practice piercing for the ornamental, spiritual or sexual reasons. Body piercing is very popular among the models and celebrities.
Piercing was originated 4000 years ago in the Middle East. Then trend of nose piercing came to India from the Mughal emperors in the 16th century. The tongue piercing was practiced by the ancient Mayans, Aztecs and American Northwest native tribes to mollify the gods. The ear piercing dates back to about 5,000 years. The lip piercing was practiced by the Nuba tribe of Ethiopia and the Dogon tribe of Mali for the religious implications. Now-a-days, piercing has become the latest trend in the young generation.
The body piercing is applied for various body parts such as lips, nose, ears, tongue, eyebrows, nipples, navel, female genitalia and male genitalia. Every body part takes different time for complete healing. The duration is about few weeks to one year depending upon the hygiene, aftercare and healing ability of your body.
Body piercing should be done from the skilled, qualified piercer. The most commonly used method is the standard needle method. At first, the area is cleaned with the antiseptic solution. A hollow needle is pierced through a particular body part. Then, a piece of jewelry is placed in the puncture. Other method is use of scalpel to create a slit in the body tissue. The piercing guns are used for the ear piercing. The piercing equipment should be sterilized. The aftercare is very important in case of piercing. It should be handled after thorough cleaning of the hands. Wash the piercing area with the antiseptic solution.
Different kinds of jewelry are used for the body piercing. They include bars, rings, or studs. The jewelry should be made from the non-toxic metals like 14 or 18 carat gold, surgical steel, titanium, platinum or niobium.
The piercing may lead to some complications such as chronic infection, swelling, scarring, excessive bleeding, pain, some viral infections like hepatitis, HIV, abscesses, inflammation and skin allergies. In such cases, you should immediately contact the doctor. Practicing good hygiene will help the early healing of the piercing.
Recommended Reading
- Different Methods Of Body Piercing
- Body Piercing Jewelry
- Body Piercing Infection
- Tattoo And Body Piercing
- Body Piercing Aftercare