A craze during the early 1980's led to a piercing mania. Body piercing is something that people get done for their enjoyment. They aren't for anything else, but are known to tell people who a person is. They are not necessarily a bad thing, nor do they make you a bad person. They bring out personality , nature and being. Piercing's take little time to do, although the after care is a very lengthy process. Body piercing's are a fun way of self-expression.

Piercing's which were the fastest growing trends in 1996, boomed with the tongue, navel, eyebrow, nose, and other piercing's. (Trebay 18). Traditionally, many piercing's were performed for religious reason's, or even spiritual (Leo). African people believed that demon spirit's would fly up your nose, so they wore rings in their nose to ward off evil. Piercing back then weren't done by professionals. The head of the group often pierced them with a sharpened stick or what not. The piercee would stand there while the head of the group would shove one end of stick through that part of body wanted pierced. Wood jewelry was used instead of metal. Back then, infection's were rare, although if one arose, the person would get another part of their body pierced, to ward off the demon.(Leo) People in those days like women, would get their nose pierced also, as a symbol of marriage.

Today piercings are done in a more sanitary way. Every piercing should be done by a carded professional. Important tissue, muscle, and organs could be damaged. (Dalaney 19). In this process it is very important to use sterilized materials such as the needles, clamps, and any other material the pro is using. Piercings take as little as a minute to do, but safety is the key. In some instances, and also depending on the place, they might use an anesthetic, which would numb the part wanted pierced! Piercing guns are used primarily on the ears, although they could be used on other parts, which is totally up to the piercer. The rest of the piercings are done with such a thing as a hollow needle, using these makes it easier to put the jewelry on after pierced. Most jewelry is Gold, Titanium, or even Silver. Unlike the ear, jewelry for the tongue, eyebrow, navel, and so on, are sized in gauges, the littler the gauge, the bigger the jewelry. Such as 0-22 and on up!

As everyone knows, the after care is all-apart of the healing process. A new piercing can take anywhere from 6 weeks to 6 months to heal, depending on what kind of piercing it was. The body could also totally reject it, which means in time it could rip out, or tear through the skin. Cleaning is easy depending on type it is. A personal experience of mine led to a ripping out of the piercing. I wanted my eyebrow done for a long time, and finally on my 16 birthday dad gave in. We made an appointment, and he took me in to get this done. They cleaned my eyebrow off, marked it near the end of my eyebrow, and got the needle out. Out of the corner of my eye I could see it, then he took a clamp, and clamped my skin, so that it would glide through easy. He then stuck the needle through, and I only felt a little pinch, something like a bite from a spider. He said OK your deep breath is done, and so is your piercing, I was still sitting there, and he said well, all I have to do is put the ball on the end and it is done, so that is what he did. I was on my way. I was Happy, within 2 weeks I changed the gauge from 16 to 14 and I think in that process it might have stretched out, and caused it to rip. This is why they tell you not to mess with it till it is healed. On the outside it may looked healed, but on the inside it is raw, and as if it was just pierced. I cleaned it everyday with Dial, which was prescribed by my piercer, and it kept it clean. Many people I know since have got theirs pierced, and haven't had a problem, I guess it all depends on the person, and their body. Well as I said, later on it ripped out, and there isn't much of it left there, not even much of a mark at all. Any outer surface piercing should be cleaned with an anti-bacterial soap. Dial is preferred. (wattenburg 166). Any inner surface such as tongue, should be cleaned with listerine, never use alcohol, it dries the piercing out.(Howard 4).

Side affects of your new piercing can easily happen. Piercing the body is an open chance to get infection, cause a nervous twitch, which can be with you for life. It is uncontrollable, and will never go away. (Eckert 19) Also, many people catch Hepatitis B, Tuberculosis, and even AIDS. This is why sterile materials are needed in the process. If you do the piercing yourself, you have a 78% chance of getting infected. (Alexander). Body piercing lead to first impressions. These include that you are a freak, punk, and troublemaker. Piercings don't make a person any of the above. They fancy up the body and personality and style. They add originality to you. Piercings have drawbacks as does everything else. People say they are intensely painful and fairly expensive. Some cost up to $100.

People sometimes don't get accepted into the workplace because they are considered unprofessional. (Alexander) Piercings are definitely a sign of originality and 56% of piercer's and people say that teens and adults alike get body piercing's just to test pain tolerances (Thomas)

. Body piercings are a life time commitment. With or without jewelry they are still there. There will always be a mark, scar or even rip, where the once piercings were. Before you get it done, think of the process, after care, and mark it leaves in the future, and think twice about getting the piercing you want now. Your decision for that piercing could defiantly change with time and also age. Be safe, and think it through.