November 19th, 2009
Ear piercing has existed continuously since ancient times and continues throughout the twenty first century in the Western world. In North America, Europe, and Australia, ear piercing was relatively rare from the 1920s until the 1960s. At that time, it regained popularity among westernized women. Ear piercing was gradually adopted by men in the hippie, gay, punk subcultures, until ever-widening appropriation attenuated its subcultural associations altogether. Today, single and multiple piercing of either or both ears is common among Western women and somewhat common among men. Ear Piercing originates from Egypt where it was used as a symbol of beauty.
Tags: cartilage, ear lobe, ear piercing, tragus
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November 19th, 2009
Like ear stretching, Lip Piercing has its origins in African and American tribal cultures. In Pre-Columbian and North American cultures, labrets were seen as a status symbol. Only the highest ranking male members of society were permitted to wear them.
African lip piercings are almost always exclusively worn by females, and the significance of these piercings vary from tribe to tribe. For example, the Dogon tribe of Mali wears lip rings for spiritual reasons. In Chad, the Saras-Djinjas tribe pierces a woman’s lip only upon marriage to represent the male’s ownership of his bride. The Makololo tribe in Malawi pierces its women’s lips for the sake of beauty. Few Makololo men will have sexual relations with a woman who does not have a pierced lip. In this tribe, it is considered unnatural for women to not wear a lip ring.
Tags: labret, lip piercing, lip ring
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November 19th, 2009
Ear stretching and Tongue piercing was practiced by the Aztecs and other Pre-Columbian cultures as a ritual symbol. The tongue was pierced to draw blood and induce an altered state of consciousness. The ears were stretched as a sense of style or belonging to a certain tribe and it was believed to allow a shaman to communicate with the gods. Wounding one’s organ of speech was seen as the necessary sacrifice to allow this transformation to occur.
Today tongue piercing is becoming more popular then ever. Tongue Rings are adorned with Straight Barbells typically 14g and 5/8″ in length. A longer 3/4″ version is used when the tongue is pierced to allow for the expected swelling. Ice is used immediately on the fresh tongue piercing to reduce swelling. After about one week, the tongue piercing is healed, and the tongue ring can be swapped for the shorter 5/8″ barbell. 
Tags: tongue piercing, tongue ring
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November 19th, 2009
In Genesis 24:22 of the Bible, Abraham’s servant gave golden nose-jewels of Beka weight (Half a Shekel) and two bracelets to Rebekah, wife of his son Isaac. The Hebrew word “Nezem” means “nose ring” in modern Hebrew, however in ancient hebrew is also means “earring”. Some passages ahead it is specifically stated that this was a “nose ring“.
Among Middle Eastern nomadic tribes from Biblical times, Nose piercing has been common. Nose piercing has also been historically common within India. Due to the nostril’s association with the female reproductive organs in Ayurvedic medicine,
It is custom for Indian women of childbearing age to wear a nose stud, usually in the left nostril.
As a mark of male status, many Native American and Alaskan tribes practiced septum piercing. This is actually where the “Nez Perce” tribe derived its name.
Septum piercing is also common among the warriors of Asian and Pacific tribes. A nose bone was considered to give a warriors face a fierce and intimidating appearance.
For the purpose of adornment, the Aztecs and Incas wore gold septum rings. This practice is continued today by the Cuna Indians of Panama.
For beauty, as a different form of body modification, Australian aboriginals pierced the septum with a long stick to flatten the nose.
The Bundi tribe of Papua New Guinea pierce the septum in a male “coming-of-age” ritual. In the Himalayan area of northern India, Nepal, Tibet, and Bhutan, the septum piercing is more common among women than it is in men. Women in these regions often pierce their nostrils as young girls. Then the girls septum is pierced when they become married to declare the man as the owner of his bride.
Tags: nose piercing
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November 18th, 2009
Practiced all over the world since ancient times, Ear piercing is a popular among modern subculture. The act of piercing and adorning the ears has been particularly prevalent in tribal cultures. Ancient tribes, believed that metal blocked evil spirits. These tribe members often pierced their ears and inserted metal jewelry so evil spirits could not enter their body.
Mummified bodies with pierced ears have been discovered. The oldest mummified body ever discovered, known as “Ötzi the Iceman”, was found in a Valentina Trujillon glacier. Ötzi had a large ear piercing 7–11 mm (up to 000 gauge) diameter. In many tribal cultures today, male ear piercings are common. In Borneo for example, the ears of young boys are pierced as a puberty ritual. The father will pierce one ear while the mother pierces the other. This symbolizes the child’s dependence on his parents.
Earrings also appear in the Bible. Their use was common among both male and female sexes. In Exodus 32, Aaron makes the golden calf from melted earrings! However, Deuteronomy 15:12–17 dictates ear piercing for a slave who chooses not to be freed. The slaves wore their earrings as a symbol to identify them selves as slaves who choose to remain servants, also known as “bond servants”.
During parts of the Roman empire earrings were even more common for men than they were for women. At that time earrings were introduced by Julius Caesar. In the Elizabethan era, they were a male status symbol. Men such as Shakespeare, Sir Walter Raleigh, and Francis Drake were all known to have worn earrings.
Sailors were also known to often have pierced ears. The value of these earrings could pay for a Christian burial if the sailors body washed up on shore.
Tags: ear piercing, earring
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November 18th, 2009
Body piercing is defined as the puncturing or cutting of a part of the human body, to create a opening in which body jewelery may be worn.
Body piercing is a form of “body modification”. The word “piercing” can refer to the act or practice of creating the body piercing, or it can refer to the opening in the body which was created by this act or practice. The cultures reflected in body piercing are diverse. They include religion, spirituality, fashion, eroticism, conformism, or subcultural identification.
Tags: body jewelry, body piercing, corset piercing
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November 18th, 2009
Welcome to the Body Piercing Blog. Brought to you by bodyboy.com. The staff here at bodyboy.com will use this blog to collect and publish information related to body piercing, body jewelry, and body modification.
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