Note: Images of human genetalia contained within this article.
Body Piercing refers to the piercing of a part of the human body for the purpose of wearing jewellery 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, or as a form of rebellion in punk, heavy metal, and alternative culture.
Body Piercing dates back to thousands of years ago and has evolved into part of a bodyart culture that is no longer a taboo in socierty today. With enthusiasts continually experimenting and piercings becoming more extreme, Body Piercing covers many areas around the body, including the following…
Nose Piercing…
Nose piercing is very attractive, and can accentuate the face, because the nose is the face’s most prominent feature according to Leonardo Da Vinci.
Nose piercing was first recorded in the Middle East aproximately 4,000 years ago. It is mentioned in The Bible in Genesis 24:22 Abraham requested his oldest servant to find a wife for his son Isaac, the servant found Rebekah, and one of the gifts he gave her was a “golden earring” the original Hebrew word used was Shanf, which also translates as “nose-ring”.
In the west nose piercing first appeared among the hippies who travelled to India in the Late 1960’s. It was later adopted by the Punk movement of the late 1970’s as a symbol of rebellion against conservative values, and conservative people like parents and employers still don’t react well to it, so consider their reaction carefully before getting it done.
Nowadays nose piercing is gradually becoming more socially acceptable, and many celebrities have their nose pierced i.e. Madonna, Lenny Kravitz, Sinead O’Connor, and Slash from Guns & Roses.
Tongue Piercing…
Tongue piercing was practised in a ritual form by the ancient Aztecs, Mayas of Central America and the Haida, Kwakiutul, and Tlinglit tribes of the American Northwest. The tongue was pierced to draw blood to propitiate the gods, and to create an altered state of consciousness so that the priest or shaman could communicate with the gods.
Tongue piercing is one of the most popular piercings, it’s shocking, provocative and fantastic for oral sex (for both sexes), but at the same time no one need know you have it. Janet Jackson, Keith Flint from Prodigy, Mel B from the Spice Girls and Malcolm Jamahl Warner from the Cosby show all sport pierced tongues.
Navel Piercing…
Navel piercing is a modern invention and has never been recorded in primitive cultures; however the navel has long been recognised as an erogenous zone, because of the difference between men’s and women’s stomachs. Women’s stomachs differ from men’s in that they are more rounded in the lower part, are longer than men’s, have a greater distance between the navel and genitals, and are more deeply recessed than men’s; these features are often exaggerated by artists to make women appear more feminine in paintings.
The invention of the Bikini in 1953 caused a big stir because the navel was seen as being sexually provocative because of it’s similarity to the female genitals. The Bikini revolutionised women’s lives, along with the liberation of their clothes their lives in general became more liberated. The process was completed when Madonna started the craze for showing of the midriff in the 1980’s. The ability to flaunt their sexuality in public gave women more power and confidence in themselves.
Nipple Piercing…
Roman Centurions wore leather armour breast plates which were shaped to fit the body and rings were sometimes placed in these breastplates where the nipples appeared to be, the rings were used to hang a cape from. This has led to the belief by some people that the actual nipples were pierced to hang a cape from, but anybody who has had their nipples pierced would tell you that this would be a very uncomfortable practice.
In the late 1890s the ‘Bosom Ring’, came into fashion briefly, and sold in expensive Parisian jewellery shops. These ‘Anneux De Sein’ were inserted through the nipple, and some women wore on either side linked with a delicate chain. The rings enlarged the nipples and kept them in a state of constant excitation…the medical community was outraged by these cosmetic procedures, for they represented a rejection of traditional conceptions of the purpose of a woman’s body.” “Anatomy & Destiny” Stephen Kern
Nipple piercing was once practised by the Karankawa indians of Texas adn is still practised in the Mountains of Algeria, by women of the nomadic Kabyle tribe. In the west nipple piercing has made a resurgence, with many famous people having their nipples pierced ie. Lenny Kravitz, Jaye Davidson (The Crying Game), Gerry Connelly (Comedian), Tommy Lee (Drummer Motley Crue- Husband of Pamela Stephenson Baywatch) and Axl Rose (Guns & Roses).
The benefits of having your nipple pierced are the same today as they were for the fashionable ladies of Paris and London in the 1890s. It makes the nipples larger, more sensitive, more sexually attractive, and provides a constant stimulation of the nipples, one friend of mine describes his nipple piercing as “a lightswitch for an erection”.
Nipple piercing is very effective for increasing the size of small nipples (especially men’s), and can stop nipples from becoming inverted by pulling them out. In fact, it was recommended by doctors in Victorian England to increase the size of the nipples to make breastfeeding easier. It provides greater sexual pleasure because it gives your partner something to play with during sex.
Clitoris Piercing…
The word Kleitoris was used over 2,500 thousand years ago by the ancient Greeks to describe a part of the female genitals, most probably the Labia Minora or Inner lips of the Vagina. In 1593 at the trial of a woman accused of witchcraft, the inquisitor (a married man) discovered a Clitoris for the first time. When he saw this “little lump of flesh sticking out to the length of half an inch” he decided that it must be the “Devil’s Teat”.
The other inquisitors, likewise astounded, agreed and on this fact the woman was convicted and executed for witchcraft. The word “Clitoris” first appeared in the English language in 1615, it was used in an early anatomy book to describe a small, sensitive organ located underneath the upper apex of the Labia Minora.
Prince Albert Piercing…
The Prince Albert piercing is named after Prince Albert who was the husband of Queen Victoria of England. He was reputeded to have had this piercing done prior to his marriage to the queen around 1825, at that time Beau Brummel started the craze for ultra tight mens trousers.
Because the pants were so tight, the penis needed to be held to one side or the other so as not to create an unsightly bulge. To accomplish this some men had their penis pierced to allow it to be held by a hook on the inside of the trousers, this piercing was called a “Dressing Ring” at the time because tailors would ask if a gentleman dressed to the left or the right and tailor the trousers accordingly, tailors to this day will ask if you dress to the left or right.
Note…
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.