Piercing
Webpages concerning "Piercing"
|
The contents has been generating using technology developed by scientec.
Wikipedia-Article "Piercing"
Body piercing usually refers to the piercing of a part of the human body for the purpose of wearing jewelry in the opening created. Body piercing is a form of body modification. The word "piercing" can refer to the act or practice of body piercing, or to a specific pierced opening in the body.
Some people practice piercing for religious or other cultural reasons, while many individuals, particularly in the modern West, choose to be pierced for spiritual, ornamental, or sexual reasons.
Contents |
In ancient times
Evidence suggests that body piercing (including ear piercing) has been practiced by peoples all over the world from ancient times. Mummified bodies with piercings have been discovered, including the oldest mummified body discovered to date, which was found in an Austrian glacier. This mummy had an ear piercing 7–11 mm in diameter.
Nose piercing and ear piercing are mentioned in the Bible. In Genesis 24:22 Abraham's servant gave an ear ring and bracelets to Rebekah, wife of his son Isaac. Nose piercing has been common in India since the 16th century. Tongue piercing was popular with the elite of Aztec and Maya civilization, though it was carried out as part of a blood ritual and such piercings were not intended to be permanent. Ancient Mesoamericans wore jewelry in their ears, noses, and lower lips, and such decorations continue to be popular amongst indigenous peoples in these regions.
In Dreamtime by Hans Peter Duerr, it is claimed that nipple piercing became popular in 14th century Europe. It is sometimes claimed that the Romans invented nipple piercing and that soldiers attached their capes to the piercings (for example, see Doug Malloy). This is a controversial theory that seems rather implausible given the sensitivity of the area and the ease with which such a practice could have caused injury; it is much more plausible that capes may have been hung from rings attached to soldiers' armor.
Body piercing today
Modern history and societal attitudes
Ear piercing has existed continuously since ancient times, including throughout the 20th century in the Western world. However, in many cultures within the United States, it became a relative rarity from the 1920s until the 1960s. At that time, it regained popularity among American women, and was eventually adopted by men in the hippie and gay communities, and later the punk rock culture. Ear piercing, of either or both ears, has always been practiced by men in many non-Western cultures. By the 1980s, male ear piercing had become somewhat common in the United States, although men usually only pierced one of their ears. Today, single and multiple piercing of either or both ears is extremely common among Western women, and fairly common among men.
Less conventional forms of body piercing have also existed continuously for as long as ear piercing, but generally not in Western cultures. For example, women in India routinely practice nostril piercing, and have done so for centuries.
In the 1970s, body piercing gained popularity in the gay BDSM sub-culture. In 1975, Jim Ward opened The Gauntlet, America's first storefront body piercing operation, in Los Angeles.
Attitudes toward body piercing have grown more accepting in the West and in other parts of the world. In some areas, certain types of piercings, even those once considered radical, are becoming more accepted. For example, while ear piercing was long uncommon among middle- and upper-class Western males, today men with pierced ears can be seen working in banks and other traditionally conservative settings in some areas, though this is by no means universal. In other parts of the world, ear piercing is still considered inappropriate for males in many settings, as are multiple ear piercings on women.
Personal attitudes
Attitudes towards piercing can be divisive. Some regard the practice of piercing or of being pierced as spiritual, sometimes embracing the term "modern primitive", while others deride this approach as insulting, as cultural appropriation, or as faddish. Some see the practice as a form of artistic or self-expression, while others choose to be pierced as a form of sexual expression and/or for sexual stimulation or the perceived increase in sexual feeling that certain piercings are thought by some to create. For some people, piercing is part of an S-M lifestyle or relationship, or is incorporated into S-M play.
Some people choose to be pierced for symbolic reasons. For example, some survivors of sexual abuse have said that they experience piercing as allowing them to retake control over their own bodies. Some people choose to be pierced to symbolize certain relationships. For gay men, piercing has historically been viewed as a form of public self-identification or "coming out". However, the current popularity of piercing among many different groups has diluted much of its specific cultural identification and symbolism.
While some people consider body modification to be a sign of non-conformity, others deride body piercing as faddish. This can at times lead to prejudice or cognitive bias against those with piercings or visible signs of past piercings.
Contemporary piercing procedure
Permanent body piercings (as opposed to play piercings) are created by creating an opening in the body using a sharp object through the area to be pierced. This can either be done by cutting an opening using a needle (usually a hollow medical needle) or scalpel or by removing tissue, either with a scalpel or a dermal punch.
Contemporary body piercing studios generally take numerous precautions to protect the health of the person being pierced and the piercer. Tools and jewelry are sterilised in autoclaves and non-autoclavable surfaces are cleaned with sterilising agents on a regular basis and between clients. Sterile, single use gloves are worn by the piercer to protect both the piercer and the client.
Standard Needle Method
The standard method in the United States involves making an opening with a hollow medical needle and then following the back of the needle with the initial jewelry to be worn in the piercing. It should be noted that hollow medical needles do not actually remove any flesh, rather, they cut a slit and hold it open in the shape of a circle.
Indwelling Cannula Method
Many European (and other) piercers use a needle containing a cannula (hollow plastic tube placed at the end of the needle). The needle is partly withdrawn, and the jewelery inserted into the other end of the cannula. The cannula is used to pull the jewelry through the newly created opening.
Pierce and Taper
Similar to the standard method, this is a more advanced technique, sometimes used to pierce where large gauge initial jewelry is desired. In this method, after the needle is inserted and the opening is created, a tapered steel bar (usually one gauge larger than that of the needle at the large end) is inserted instead of initial jewelry. Then the jewelry is pushed through the opening, following the tapered bar. The success of this method is dependent on the elasticity of the skin in the area being pierced, the skill of the piercer and the type of piercing being done.
Scalpelling
In this method, a medical scalpel is used to cut a slit, allowing for the insertion of large gauge jewelry. This method is often used in the creation of large gauge ear piercings. Scalpelling can also be used to correct an improper placement on piercings. Scalpelled piercings tend not to shrink or close over time and unwanted piercings may have to be surgically repaired. Scalpelling is most commmonly used on earlobes, but can be used anywhere where large gauge piercings are desired.
Dermal Punching
In this method, a dermal punch is used to remove a circular area of tissue, into which jewelry is placed. It is usually used to remove both skin and cartilige in non-lobe ear piercings, where cartilige must be removed to relieve pressure on the piercing to ensure proper healing and long term viability of the piercing.
Piercing Guns
Piercing guns are commonly used by non-professional body piercers in retail settings to perform ear piercings. These gun-shaped devices force a blunt stud through flesh via mechanical means, causing much greater trauma to the body than any other piercing method. They are often used by untrained personnel and as they cannot be properly sterilised, they place both the operator and the client at much greater risk for infection and the transmission of bloodborne pathogens than any of the methods used by professional body piercers. Most professional body piercers do not use or reccomend using these devices for any purpose. Currently there are efforts by manufacturers to develop improved versions of these devices, for use in other body parts than the earlobe, as well as devices that lessen or eliminate the exposure of client and operators to bloodborne pathogens.
The healing process and body piercing aftercare
A new piercing will be sore, tender or red for several days up to three weeks. Complete healing normally takes several weeks or more. Below are more specific healing time estimates. During this period, care must be taken to avoid infection. Touching--or, for genital and oral piercings, sexual activity--is usually discouraged.
Healing times:
- Septum piercing: 3 – 6 mos
- Eyebrow piercing: 2 – 4 mos
- Tongue piercing: 6 – 10 wks
Over time, after the piercing, the resulting wound is allowed to heal, forming a tunnel of scar tissue called a fistula. When the piercing has fully healed, the initial jewelry may be changed or removed for short periods.
Behaviors which tend to support successful healing
- Revisiting the piercer for an evaluation at any time, if needed
- Practicing good hygiene
- Following the recommended aftercare guidelines
Behaviors which tend to contribute to unsuccessful healing
- Contact between the new piercing and another person's skin
- Touching the piercing, unless cleaning it, in which case only with washed hands
- Smoking and drinking alcohol(in the case of oral piercings)
- Contact between the piercing and bodily fluids, perfume or cosmetics
- Oral sex and genital intimacy, where this could cause one of the above
- Swimming in public swimming pools, lakes, rivers, streams, and oceans as they may be too harsh to promote skin cell healing. Chlorine in swimming pool water may be an irritant. Bacteria, protozoa, and parasites found in non-chlorinated water can lead to infections.
Cleaning
Oral piercings
For tongue, lip, cheek and labret piercings, it is recommended to rinse the mouth after eating and drinking (except water). One should also not smoke while having an open wound in their mouth. Some piercers recommend using Listerine, while others, claiming that Listerine is too harsh on the piercing thereby hindering the healing process, recommend a non-alcoholic mouthwash such as Oral-B Non-Alcoholic or Biotene, or a diluted saline solution. Kissing and oral sex are advised against for 4-6 weeks after the piercing, as are excessively cold, hot, or spicy foods.
Changing of initial jewelry to allow for swelling
For some piercings (in particular tongue piercings) changing the initial jewelry is an essential step. In the case of tongue piercing this is because the initial jewelry is significantly longer than the jewelry for a healed piercing, to allow for swelling.
Risks associated with body piercing
Body piercing is an invasive procedure and is not without risks. When properly performed, these risks can be minimized, and most individuals who receive their piercing from a professional piercer, and who take care of their new piercing as recommended by their piercer, will enjoy a safe and healthy piercing experience.
Risks of note include:
- Allergic reaction to ingredients of products used to clean the new piercing, or of ancillary products used in proximity to the piercing (e.g., soap, hydrogen peroxide, isopropyl alcohol, antibacterial products, antiseptic medicines, makeup, hairspray, swimming pool chlorine, etc.). This risk can be minimized by cleaning the piercing as recommended by a professional body piercer (different piercers will have differing recommendations), by not contaminating the fresh piercing with irritating products, and by not swimming in chlorinated water.
- Allergic reaction to the metal in the piercing jewelry, particularly nickel. This risk can be minimized by using high quality jewelry manufactured from surgical stainless steel or similar inert metals.
- Bacterial infection, particularly from Staphylococcus aureus. However, this risk is greatly reduced when the piercing is performed by a professional body piercer using best practice piercing techniques, and when appropriate steps are taken during the aftercare period to avoid infection. Blunt force piercing, such as that associated with the use of ear piercing instruments, increases the chance of a bacterial infections. For that reason. among others, piercing guns should never be used to pierce any part of the body other than earlobes.
- Parasitic and protozoan infections may occur by swimming in lakes, rivers, streams, and oceans during the healing period. The best way to reduce this risk is to avoid swimming in these locations.
- Trauma to a fresh piercing, usually associated with unintended entanglement of the piercing jewelry with another object. This risk is always present, but can be reduced by using jewelry appropriate for the piercing, and covering or taping over jewelry during sports activities. Also, larger gauge piercings will tend to resist tearing better than smaller gauge piercings.
- Viral infection, particularly from hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV. However, it is important to note that although hepatitis has been transmitted through the practices of ear piercing, body piercing, and tattooing, there has not yet been a case of HIV transmission associated with these procedures (see CDC Fact Sheet: HIV and Its Transmission). As with bacterial infections, the risk of viral infection is minimized when proper piercing techniques are used, particularly by the use of autoclaved disposable piercing needles and the autoclaving of jewelry prior to installation.
List of piercing types
Facial and oral piercings
- Bridge piercing
- Cheek piercing
- Earlobe and ear cartilage piercings
- Eyebrow piercing
- Lip piercing
- Nostril, septum, and bridge piercings
- Tongue piercing
- Tongue frenulum piercing
- Lip frenulum piercing
- Uvula piercing
Body piercings
Male genital piercings
- Ampallang
- Apadravya
- Hafada
- Foreskin piercing
- Deep shaft piercing
- Dolphin piercing
- Dydoe
- Frenum ladder
- Frenum piercing
- Guiche
- Lorum
- Prince Albert piercing
- Pubic piercing
- Reverse Prince Albert piercing
- Transscrotal piercing
Female genital piercings
- Christina piercing
- Clitoris piercing
- Horizontal and vertical clitoral hood piercing
- Triangle piercing
- Fourchette piercing
- Isabella piercing
- Inner and outer labia piercing
- Nefertiti piercing
- Princess Albertina
See also
- Body modification
- Body piercing jewelry
- Body piercing materials
- Ear piercing instrument
- Earring
- Scalpelling
- Tattooing
- Famous people with piercings