To some people the idea of sticking needles through a layer of skin is horrifying, but to others it’s simply a way of self expression. Present day, you can pierce almost any part of your body, but wrongs in piercings can potentially be life threatening.
Self piercing has become a huge problem due to the fact that unsanitary infected needles can carry any blood born disease. These diseases range from hepatitis, HIV, and tetanus.
No matter how sanitary the piercing and needle is, there is always the risk of an allergic reaction to the nickel or brass. This can be avoided by making sure the body jewelry is made of stainless steel.
In California, the legal age to get pierced with a parent or guardian’s consent is 16. Without consent, you must show a form of identification verifying you are 18. To avoid any infection of a piercing, follow the guidelines your piercer provides and never hesitate to clean it more than suggested.
The number one response given by students while asked about why they had piercings was simply because they liked the way it looks, or for self expression purposes. “I got my bellybutton pierced not because everyone else has it, but because I like the way it looks. I did it for me.” responded Sierra Lewis a freshman when asked about her piercing.
Years ago, it was a rare and frowned upon to have a piercing but today 1 out of every 10 people in the United States have some sort of piercing according to Working World Online. Different places in the world use piercings for cultural purposes.
In northwest India, the Megwhal women show their social status by the size of their nose piercings. As well as in Africa, where the women in the Maasai tribe stretch their ears with things such as stones, thorns, and branches to show willingness toward their religion.
This is also relatively common today, but for no such reason. “Gauging” or “plugging” the ear is when the ear lobe is stretched to fit a round piece of plastic or stone. This is mainly a way of self expression, and has many consequences and dangers such as “splitting.” This is where if you stretch your ears wide enough, the ear lobe breaks in half and breaks apart.
Piercings should be properly taken care of or one must face the consequence
