Piercings and everything that comes along with it
A common definition of an earring is an ornament used to decorate a person’s ear. No more, no less. This has been used for many generations. Earrings are for women and earrings, as the name implies, are for ears alone. However, the world continues to evolve to accommodate inclusivity and liberated thinking. Fresh perspectives on various aspects arose, especially in the fashion and art industries. Piercings are normalized especially for the younger generation. Almost all parts of the body can now be pierced. The more unusual the part is, the cooler it would be.
Piercings and everything that comes along with it
Breaking the stigma
They say your body is a temple. We must take care of it and keep it as it is until we die. Such thinking comes from the older generation. Our society still has the tendency to have rampant conservative, stereotypical, and dare I say, prejudiced ideologies. For them, to have a piercing is to ruin one’s body. To have it as a man is to be queer. To have a pierced body part is to disrespect God.
Obviously, this kind of thinking hinders the intellectual evolution of people. A body piercing should never be a basis of respect. If anything, those who connote a person with it as disrespect only show how narrow-minded they really are. No material thing can be the basis of respect for a person.
Likewise, the idea of it being only for women dates back way before they were even born. Indigenous people have started wearing body piercings as an ornament. Whether it be for men, women, children, or elders, they have integrated ornaments into their culture. So, wearing one today should not be such a big deal.
Lastly, people should understand that piercing is a work of art and that art should be free. Our body is indeed a temple, but it is our temple. We can do anything about it – alter it the way we see fit. We are of autonomy to paint it with tattoos and decorate it with wherever we want.
Tattoos and piercing go hand-in-hand
On a lighter note, let us talk about the topic itself. Tattoos and piercings mostly go with each other. A person with a tattoo has a higher chance of having a piercing as well. Just like piercings, tattoos have become a significant part of one’s historical culture. The Philippines’ Apo Whang Od is a great example of that.
Furthermore, just like tattoos, piercings can also be placed in almost any part of the body. There are about a dozen different piercing styles across the ears alone. There is a helix, industrial, conch, orbital, and rook, to name a few.
Aside from the ears, other parts of the body can also be piercing spots. On the face alone, there are piercings for the nose, chin, lips, eyebrows, and even tongue. Moreover, several body parts are also targets of pierces such as belly buttons, nipples, and even private parts. To be more elaborate, there are also different kinds of earrings in each part. This is how versatile a piercing is.
A piece of jewelry is how a piercing should be looked at. It is not a basis of respect but of art. We are all entitled to have one if we want to; to have as many as we want if we want to, and to not have one if do not want to.
There are always options and remember: your body, your choice.
