Body Piercing
Body Piercing-A Form of Self-Expression
Body Piercing 2
It seems as if everywhere these days, someone has a part of the body pierced. Body piercings, also known as body modifications, are showing up on celebrities, athletes, classmates, friends and coworkers. Whether it is located on their face, tongue, or ears, body piercing is becoming a popular way to stand out from the rest of the crowd. Because body piercing is growing in popularity, more information needs to be provided about health risks and workplace dress codes, for those considering this form of self-expression.
Body piercing has been around for centuries. Body piercing is nothing new. However, the reasons for why people get pierced have evolved into something somewhat different these days. The history of body piercing comes from many different cultures. Different piercings have different heritages and backgrounds. Nose piercings were first discovered in the Middle East about 4,000 years ago. Tongue piercing was first practiced by the Aztecs. Navel piercings do not have a history but are very common to have these days. Roman soldiers would pierce their nipples to show bravery and strength. According to Laurel A. Van Buskirk (2005), statistics show that the majority of people, who are getting body piercings, other than the earlobes, are within the ages of 25-29 years old (36%). The second age group was 30-39 years old (28%) and the third was 13-24 years old (25%). The most popular choice of piercing in these groups is the tongue, followed by the navel. The percentages of the genders that are getting pierced came in at half for males and half for females. When these people were asked why they chose to get pierced, a majority stated simply that the piercing looked good (83%). Some people get pierced for self-expression and some do it just because they want to. Seeing an unusual piercing on someone brings up questions like, “Did it hurt?” or “How long did that take to heal?” A popular
Body Piercing 2
It seems as if everywhere these days, someone has a part of the body pierced. Body piercings, also known as body modifications, are showing up on celebrities, athletes, classmates, friends and coworkers. Whether it is located on their face, tongue, or ears, body piercing is becoming a popular way to stand out from the rest of the crowd. Because body piercing is growing in popularity, more information needs to be provided about health risks and workplace dress codes, for those considering this form of self-expression.
Body piercing has been around for centuries. Body piercing is nothing new. However, the reasons for why people get pierced have evolved into something somewhat different these days. The history of body piercing comes from many different cultures. Different piercings have different heritages and backgrounds. Nose piercings were first discovered in the Middle East about 4,000 years ago. Tongue piercing was first practiced by the Aztecs. Navel piercings do not have a history but are very common to have these days. Roman soldiers would pierce their nipples to show bravery and strength. According to Laurel A. Van Buskirk (2005), statistics show that the majority of people, who are getting body piercings, other than the earlobes, are within the ages of 25-29 years old (36%). The second age group was 30-39 years old (28%) and the third was 13-24 years old (25%). The most popular choice of piercing in these groups is the tongue, followed by the navel. The percentages of the genders that are getting pierced came in at half for males and half for females. When these people were asked why they chose to get pierced, a majority stated simply that the piercing looked good (83%). Some people get pierced for self-expression and some do it just because they want to. Seeing an unusual piercing on someone brings up questions like, “Did it hurt?” or “How long did that take to heal?” A popular
References: Kiss Me Goodnight: Article Series (2006) Body Piercing: Less is More Retrieved-January 20, 2008, from www.kissmegoodnight.com RGIS (2007) The Auditor’s Handbook Retrieved-January 16, 2008, from www.rgisinv.org So You Wanna (2007) So You Wanna Get an Unusual Piercing? Retrieved-January 20, 2008, from www.soyouwanna.com Van Buskirk, Laurel A (2005) New Developments on Tattoos and Body Piercing in the Workplace. Retrieved-January 20, 2008, from www.gcglaw.com Wickell, Carly (2006) Body Piercing Healing Times Retrieved-January 20, 2008, from www.about.com Women’s Health Care Topics (2004) Body Décor such as Piercing or Tattooing Should Not Be Considered a Sign of Deviant Behavior Retrieved-January 20, 2008, from www.womenshealthcaretopics.com