The Most Common Type of Ear Piercings

For many, an ear piercing is the gateway to other piercings. The ear piercing also happens to be one of the most common forms of body modification in the United States. While some many not take it as far, there are those who have actually pioneered new styles of ear piercings. Today, there are 10 common types of ear piercings.

Helix Piercings

The helix piercing is the second most common type of ear piercing. It is located on the upper cartilage of the ear. This type of piercing can be done with either a stud, a hoop or a cuff style of piercing. The healing time for this piercing is lengthy at 6 to 8 months and any early removal can lead to premature closure of the piercing.

Industrial Ear Piercings

The industrial ear piercing is quickly growing in popularity. It features a bar that goes through two holes in the upper cartilage of the ear. Unfortunately, this piercing takes an extremely long time to heal: up to twelve months. Any removal, poking or prodding can lead to serious infections.

Dermal Punches

The dermal punch is generally more popular with men than with women. This piercing actually punches out a piece of the ear from the piercing. They can be located on either the lobe or the cartilage in the flat area of the ear. They can be stretched to fit larger gauge piercings, but cartilage is more difficult to ‘stretch’ than a lobe dermal punch. Healing time varies based on the location of the piercing itself.

Rook Piercings

Rook piercings are known to be troublesome piercings and their position can vary from ear to ear due to high migration rates. They also have a frequently high rejection rate and most piercers will not pierce someone who does not have enough space for the piercing. These piercings are located on the area of the ear known as the anti-helix and are often referred to as anti-helix piercings. Their rate of healing varies by individual as well as spacing of the piercing.

Conch Piercings

There are two types of conch piercings for the ear: the inner and outer conch. The inner conch piercing is located toward the center of the ear cartilage and uses a hoop piercing sized to fit the ear. The outer conch piercing sits farther out on the ear, on the same center cartilage. These piercings heal within 8 to 10 weeks.

Tragus Piercings

The tragus piercing is located on the cartilage flap directly in front of ear canal. There is also a piercing known as the anti-tragus piercing which is located on the flap of cartilage above the ear lobe, but below the tragus piercing. These piercings are similar in care and can both be extremely painful. Most tragus and anti-tragus piercings heal within eighteen weeks.

Ear Lobe Piercings

The most common form of ear piercing is the lobe piercing. The lobe is the bottom-most tissue on the ear. Generally, these piercings heal within 4 to 6 weeks and are considered to be the least painful of all ear piercings.

Daith Piercings

The daith (pronounced day-th,) piercing is located on the cartilage on the innermost part of the ear, closest to the head by the ear canal. The word daith is a variation of the hebrew word, daath, which translates to ‘knowledge.’ These piercings take approximately 6 to 8 weeks to fully heal and jewelry can be switched out at this time.

Proper care of any piercing is extremely important to prevent infection and migration as well as premature closure. Piercings are a great way to show off a person’s individuality.

source : Jennifer Gittins

Religious Extreme Body Piercings Festival

The Queen Of Body Piercings

Billed as the world's most pierced woman, Elaine Davidson, who has 1,093 piercings, from Brazil and resident in Edinburgh, and the man with the world's longest tongue, at 9.6cms from top lip protrusion point, Stephen Taylor from Coventry, England, pose at London's Tate Britain gallery to celebrate the book of Guinness World Records 100th millionth copy in print,  - Reuters

Sri Lanka Religi Body Hanging

Kataragama is a common place of worship for both Buddhists and Hindus. Hindu devotees fill the precincts of the Kataragama devale to participate in the numerous offerings and seek the protection of God Skanda, to whom the devale has been dedicated. Buddhists too partake in the 'poojas' offering 'pooja vatti' – mainly filled with fruits, and also conduct their own devotions at the Bo tree and the temple within the devale premises.

There has always been a close relationship between Buddhist and Hindu faiths to the extent that in most Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka, there are also devales dedicated to different deities.

Close to the Kataragama devale is Kiri Vehera, the imposing stupa built in the 1st century B.C., which the Buddhists venerate as one of the sixteen places in Sri Lanka visited by the Buddha.

According to the legend, King Dutugemunu (161 – 137 B.C.), who unified the country having won the war with Elara, the South Indian king ruling in Anuradhapura, was the first patron of Kataragama. It is said that he had made a vow to construct a shrine in honour of God Skanda if he succeeded in winning the war against the South Indian invaders. He kept to his promise and built the shrine which then dates back to the 2nd century B.C. God Skanda is considered Sri Lanka's guardian deity and is identified as one who can bring prosperity and protection.

As he is described in the popular Sinhala verse – 'Muhunu sayaki – ath dolasaki – Mayura pita vaahane' – meaning he possesses six faces and twelve hands and his vehicle is the peacock. He is depicted in this form in paintings and drawings.

The offerings to the deity can be made at specific times during which the religious observances are conducted. Devotees gather in numbers with the baskets of fruits in their hands to be handed over to the 'kapurala' (he is addressed as 'kapu mahattaya') – the lay official in charge – and his assistants all clad in white. The offerings are taken inside and a portion is returned for the devotee to consume.

The 'kapurala' applies ash on the forehead of each devotee who also picks up a little coconut oil from the tall brass lamps and applies on the head. Many believe this oil helps to cure illnesses. Many, in fact, collect the oil into small bottles to take home for use later.

Kataragama is one place where the devotees observe strict discipline. This is possibly because in the old days, it was an arduous journey. The area in and around was jungle. Wild animals roamed the countryside. There were hardly any proper roads.

Most devotees walked the distance. In fact, one could not be certain whether he would return home safely. The saying went 'Denagena giyoth Kataragama – Nodena giyoth ataramaga'. (If you know the way you will reach Kataragama – if not, you will be stranded). The result was that devotees developed a feeling of fear.

To get over this fear, the 'nade gura' (head of the pilgrim party) would lay down some strict guidelines. Abstain from eating fish or meat. Be strict vegetarians. Alcohol is forbidden. Above all, guard your tongue – you are going to the 'deviyange rata' – land of the gods. Beware! This code of conduct is followed to this day.

Once you reach Kataragama, all the devotees are advised to take a dip in the Menik Ganga which flows alongside the shrine and cleanse themselves.

They then proceed to the devale clad in white clothes. As you enter the devale premises, it is a common practice to break a coconut on a stone fixed on the soil for the purpose.

Fire-walking and self-penance

Fire-walking is one of the highlights during the Kataragama festival. Hindu devotees perform the act. They walk on a pile of logs which keep burning for around two hours when the embers are evenly spread out to cover an area of around three to four metres in length and about two metres in breadth.

Some tend to run or hop along but others walk leisurely to prove that their feet don't get burnt. Often this is to fulfill a vow.

Mild or extreme forms of penance are commonly at Kataragama. It is a common sight to see devotees with silver needles piercing their cheeks and tongue. Some can be seen with a cobra made of silver foil protruding from the mouth.

There are others with small silver spears pierced through the skin in the upper portion of the body. This is in addition to small hooks. Another form of penance is walking on nail hooks.

A not so common sight is a pilgrim hanging on a tall scaffold with eight hooks. The scaffold is made of iron poles and fixed in the shape of two triangles, one placed on top of the other so as to form a diagram of Skanda.

source : kataragama.org

Extreme body pierced-hook hanging

The hooks are connected by a rope to a bar that is connected to a pulley. Him starts walking forward and backward, stretching the skin around the hooks, until he’s on his tiptoes. Then he is hoisted 2 feet off the ground. He dangles.
(Body suspension, as it’s known in the sport.)
This still isn’t the worst part.
He’s trying to break the record held by rock star-magician Criss Angel, who used a totally wussy eight hooks for his five-hour, 42-minute record.
Angel did it as a stunt for his TV show. he is doing it as a stunt for latest pierced hanging .
Speaking of food, the skin on his back looks like pizza dough draped over fingertips. His back is covered in tattoos like the markings on an ancient gateway to an unspeakable evil not born of this world.
“That is disgusting,” a passer-by says. “That’s just ... there’s something so wrong about that. How could he do that?”
Adrenaline and endorphins help, says Steve Joyner, a member of a small team helping him.
The hole around the hook is stretching. Too much and it will tear and maybe rip out.
him is helped by his physical condition. He prepared with four weeks of meditation, sleep, yoga, health food, cardio workouts and abstinence.

THE HAFADA (SCROTUM) PIERCINGS HISTORY

The Hafada piercing is a scrotum piercing on the side of the scrotum, where there is a crease. It is supposed to have originated in Arabia and spread through Northern Africa and the Middle East. The piercing is carried out as a puberty ritual, it is generally done on the left hand side. The piercing was supposedly bought back to Europe by French Foriegn Legionares when they were stationed in what is now Lebanon and Syria.

Scrotum piercings aren't practised by any primitive tribes, at least I can't find any evidence of such practices, it's really a modern western invention. Some people have an incredible number of piercings through their scrotum, Sailor Sid one of the early piercers had 120 scrotum piercings at the time of his death, and he planned to have more.

sources : painfulpleasures.com

              st17.flashecom.com

GUICHE (geesh) PIERCING HISTORY

The word "Guiche" is supposed to mean an opening in French, the actual translation is "window". This piercing is supposed to be a Samoan puberty ritual, but Derek Freeman Professor Emeritus of the Anthropology Department of The Australian National University, one of the world"s foremost authorities on Samoa informed me that he had no experience of this practice in Samoa. The puberty ritual practised in Samoa is subincision, this is where the underneath of the foreskin is cut down to the fraenulum. Professor Freeman stated that this practice has never existed in Samoa, and if it had in the past he would have been aware of it.

Doug Malloy Travelled to Tahiti just before WW2, where he met an Australian sailor who had jumped ship named Reggie Jones. Reggie told Doug about the piercing, and performed the piercing for him.

Doug Malloy said that this piercing originated in Tahiti, the piercing was done at age 12-14 and a leather thong inserted into the piercing, a small weight either a rock or a shell was hung from the thong once the piercing was healed. The procedure was performed by a "Mahu", in Tahiti a Mahu is a transvestite male who has taken on the role of a women, they are highly respected members of society, and they were said to possess magical powers by adherants of the ancient Tahitian religion. However, again I can find no evidence of this practice in any literature about Tahiti.

The ancient Polynesian mariners used to judge their direction by the movement of the waves, the best way to do this was to squat down and feel this movement through the swinging of the testicles. The Raphe Perineum where the Guiche piercing is done is the site of a large amount of nerves, and having a weight hanging from the piercing could possibly have helped the ancient mariners derive their direction, but this is only speculation on my part.

sources : painfulpleasures.com

              st17.flashecom.com

PALLANG AND APADRAVYA "MR P" PIERCING HISTORY

The piercing of the Glans of the Penis for the insertion of jewellery is a very ancient practice, the Apadravya piercing is mentioned in the Kama Sutra (700AD) and the Palang piercing has been practised in South East  Asia for several hundred years. Several genital piercings originate in Asia where piercing has been practised since antiquity, the following quote, from "The Kama Sutra" describes the process for the piercing of an Apadravya, or a vertical barbell through the glans of the Penis.

"The people of the southern countries think that true sexual pleasure cannot be obtained without perforating the Lingam, and they therefore cause it to be pierced like the lobes of the ears of an infant pierced for earrings."

The Palang (often incorrectly called Ampallang) is a piercing that occurred among the Kayan, Kenyah, Kelabit, Dayak, and Iban tribes of Sarawak on the Island of Borneo. It involves piercing the Glans of the Penis horizontally, and the insertion of a barbell. The term "Palang" translates as "Crossbar" in Iban and can be related to the timber roof supports of the longhouses of the tribes of the area, and symbolises the protective power of the male over the family.

"the operation is performed only on adults. The skin is forced back, the penis is placed between two small planks of bamboo and for ten days and it is covered with rags dipped in cold water. Then the glans is perforated with a sharp bamboo needle; a feather dipped in oil, is placed in the wound until it heals. Wet compresses are used all the while. When the Dayaks travel and work they carry a feather in this canal. As soon as they grow desirous, they pull the feather out and replace it with the ampallang. The ampallang is a little rod of copper, silver or gold, four centimetres long and two millimetres thick. At one end of this rod is a round ball or pear-formed object made of metal; at the other end a second ball is placed as soon as the ampallang is affixed. The whole apparatus is, when ready, five centimetres long and five millimetres thick.... Von Graffin has seen one Dayak who had two ampallangs, one behind the other! The perforation was always horizontal and above the urethra.... The women of the Dayaks say the embrace without this ornament is like rice, but with it, it tastes like rice with salt. Mantegazza, Sexual Relations of Mankind

"The function of this device is, superficially, is to add to the sexual pleasure of the women by stimulating and extending the inner walls of the vagina. It is, in this, in my experience decidedly successful." Tom Harrisson, The Sarawak Museum Journal Vol VII, December 1956.

sources : painfulpleasures.com

              st17.flashecom.com

THE FRAENULUM PIERCING HISTORY

The piercing of the Fraenulum is probably the second-most popular male genital piercing, it is usually incorrectly referred to as a "Frenum" piercing but this an abbreviated version of the true word Fraenulum . The Fraenulum is the small ridge of flesh joining the foreskin to the Glans of the penis, in most cases circumcision removes or destroys it, however in rare cases it still exists after circumcision. I can only find one account of it occurring amongst tribal people.

"Amongst the Timorese of Indonesia, the Frenulum beneath the glans penis is pierced with brass rings, the function of the ring is to enhance stimulation during sex."

Die kunstlichen Verunstaltungen des Korpers bei den Batta. Zeitschrift fur Ethnologie 16:217-225 1884.

FORESKIN PIERCING (INFIBULATION)

The practice of piercing of the foreskin for the insertion of jewellery is as old as circumcision, and is of immemorial antiquity, going back far beyond the earliest recorded history. During the games of Ancient Greece, the athletes performed nude, and to prevent their penises moving about they bound the foreskin with a ribbon and tied it to the base of the penis. This ribbon. or leather thong was called the "Kynodesme" from the Greek "Kuon" foreskin, and "Desmos" fastening band. This temporary practice probably led to the permanent piercing of the foreskin, either to prevent slaves and athletes from having sex, or to prevent them from having erections. The Roman's used a practice called Infibulation, it involved two piercings going through the foreskin (or Labia in women) and a lock (Fibula) being placed therein.

The Roman historian Mensius declares that Infibulation may be traced back to the time of the siege of Troy (12th Century BC) for he points out that according to "The Odyssey" (Bk. VIII, Line 477) Agamemnon departed for the Trojan War, and left his wife Clytemnestra, in the care of the singer Demodecus, seeing that he had been infibulated.

The prevalence of the practice is attested to by the number of references to it, to be found in ancient writings. The roman writers Juvenal, Martial, Strabo, Fallopio, and Hieronymus Mercurialis all make mention of the practice. The piercing process is described in detail by the famous 1st Century Roman physician Celsus, in his treatise on medicine "De Medecina"

sources : painfulpleasures.com

THE HISTORY OF 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.

SEXUAL EFFECTIVENESS

The Prince Albert Piercing is very effective for sex, that is why it is the most popular male genital piercing. It provides greater stimulation to both partners during sex, and it has the added allure of being being somewhat kinky, people always have to wonder what it would be like to have sex with someone with a genital piercing. On top of all that it makes the penis more aesthetically attractive, in the same way as jewellery worn on the fingers.

THE CLITORIS HOOD PIERCING HISTORY

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.

sources : painfulpleasures.com

              st17.flashecom.com

THE GREAT HISTORY OF NIPPLE PIERCINGS

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 middle of the 14th century...Many women suddenly wore 'such low necklines that you could see nearly half their breasts', and among the upper classes in the same century, Queen Isabella of Bavaria introduced the 'Garments of the grand neckline', where the dress was open to the navel. This fashion eventually led to the application of rouge to freely displayed nipples, those 'little apples of paradise' and to placing diamond studded rings or small caps on them, even to piercing them and passing gold chains through them decorated with diamonds" "Dreamtime" Hans Peter Duerr

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

"For a long time I could not understand why I should consent to such a painful operation without sufficient reason. I soon, however came to the conclusion that many ladies are ready to bear the passing pain for the sake of love. I found that the breasts of those who wore rings were incomparably rounder and fuller developed than those who did not. My doubts were now at an end...so I had my nipples pierced, and when the wounds were healed, I had rings inserted...with regard to the experience of wearing these rings, I can only say that they are not in the least uncomfortable or painful. On the contrary, the slight rubbing and slipping of the rings causes in me an extremely titillating feeling, and all my colleagues I have spoken to on this subject have confirmed my opinion." London socialite writing in "Vogue" 1890

Nipple piercings 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).

BENEFITS

The benefits of having your nipple piercings 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.

sources : painfulpleasures.com

THE HISTORY OF NAVEL PIERCINGS

Navel piercings 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.

"It is easy to pinpoint the moment when body piercing went mainstream. Christy Turlinton came out at a London Fashion show, and in the middle of her navel was a ring! The next day Naomi Campbell showed the world that anything Christy could do, so could she. A gold ring with a small pearl pierced her navel. And then at Isaac Mizrahi's show the two came out together, navels bared and beringed: body piercing as a Supermodel totem" Suzy Menkes The New York Times September 1994

"I have the most perfect belly button - an inny. When I stick my finger in my belly button, I feel a nerve in the centre of my body shoot up my spine" Madonna Time Magazine 1985

"I like it, I think it's fun!" Naomi Campbell. "I always thought it was a pretty feminine thing to do - and you can always take it out" Christy Turlington.

Shortly after Naomi and Christy had their navels pierced no one was surprised when Madonna, Cher and Janet Jackson were seen wearing navel rings. Now anybody can joins the ranks of Celebrities and Supermodels by having their navel pierced.

sources : painfulpleasures.com

THE HISTORY OF LIP LABRET PIERCING

The piercing of the lips for the insertion of objects into them is very widely practised throughout the world, however only two tribes pierce the lips with a ring; the Dogon tribe Of Mali, and the Nuba of Ethiopia. Among the Dogon the piercing of the lip has religious signifigance, they believe that the world was created by their ancestor spirit "Noomi" weaving thread through her teeth, but instead of thread out came speech. All the other lip piercing that is practised in the world is done with labrets, which can either be a pin of wood, ivory, metal, or even in one case quartz crystals. Among the tribes of Central Africa, and South America the Labret piercing is stretched to extremely large proportions, and large wooden or clay plates are inserted.

Among the ancient Aztecs and Mayans labret piercing was reserved for male members of the higher castes, they wore beautiful labrets fashioned from pure gold in the shape of serpents, golden labrets with stones inset and ones of jade or obsidion (labret in Aztec "Tentetl"). The Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest, and the Inuit peoples of northern Canada and Alaska wore labrets fahioned from walrus ivory, abalone shell, bone, obsidian, and wood.

The Makololo tribe of Malawi wear lip plates in the upper lip called Pelele. The African explorer Dr. Livingstone asked a chief the reason for this, in surprise the chief answered "For beauty! They are the only beautiful things women have. Men have beards, women have none. What kind of person would she be without Pelele ? She would not be a woman at all."

"The plug of wood in the lips, which became little by little a disk, and then a real plaque, was in some manner a sign of possession of the husband of the Djinja woman. It is the man who is to marry her, and very often him alone who operates, transfixing the lips of the young girl with a blade of straw forms the first sign of the deformation to which she will be subject as an adult. It is in sum, a betrothal rite."

Dr. Muraz reffering to the Saras-Djinjas tribe, who insert lip plates up to 24cm in diameter in both lips. Chari River South of Lake Chad in "Nudity to Raiment" Hilaire Hiler London 1929

SEPTUM PIERCING HISTORY

The piercing of the septum is probably the second most common piercing among primitive peoples after ear piercing, it's even more common than nostril piercing. It's probably so popular for the same reasons as nose piercing, with the added attraction that the piercing can be stretched and large pieces of jewellery can be inserted, i.e. pig's tusks, pieces of bone, feathers, pieces of wood, etc.

The septum piercing is particularly prevalent among warrior cultures, this probably has to do with the fact that large tusks through the septum give the face a fierce appearance. The use of septum tusks is very prevalent in Irian Jaya, New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, pig's tusks being the most popular. Among the Asmat tribe of Irian Jaya the most prestigous septum tusk is the "Otsj" this is a large bone plug, which can be as thick as 25mm. They are usually made of the leg bones of a pig, but occasionally they are made from the Tibia bone of an enemy slain in battle.

The Septum piercing was beloved by the Aztecs, the Mayans, and the Incas. They wore a variety of jewellery, but jade and gold were the most popular because of their religous associations. The modern day Cuna Indians of Panama continue this practice by wearing thick pure gold rings in their septum.

The piercing is also popular in India, Nepal, and Tibet, a pendant "Bulak" is worn, and some examples are so large as to prevent the person being able to eat, the jewellery has to be lifted up during meals. In Rajasthan in Himachal Pradesh these Bulak are particularly elaborate, and extremely large.

Septum piercing was widely practised by many North American Indian tribes, the name of the Nez Perc, tribe of Washington state, stem from their practice of piercing the septum, Nez Perc, is French for Nose Pierced, and was given to the tribe by the French fur traders. Australian aboriginals pierced the septum and passed a long stick or bone through the piercing to flatten the nose, they believed a flat nose to be the most desireable.

Among the Bundi tribe of the Bismarck Ranges of Papua New Guinea the piercing is performed using the thin end of the Sweet Potato plant (Ogai Iriva), usually at age 18-22. The age at which the piercing is done varies greatly between different tribes, some tribes perform the rite at age 9-10.

"You were lost in the bush and now you have come back. You have come back mature; you are men. When you return to your hamlet many girls will come after you. But if you have lived well, and if they come after you, all the well. You will now have your noses pierced to allow you to sing with girls and lead a life like that of your elders. Your (Kangi Poroi) caused you to go to all this trouble, now it will be over."

Source: Address by tribal elder to young men undergoing the (Kangi Poroi) manhood ritual. Source: Field notes of David G. Fitzpatrick 1977 in "Bundi, the culture of Papua New Guinea people" Ryebuck Publications, Nerang Queensland Australia 1983

sources : painfulpleasures.com

EAR LOBE PIERCING HISTORY

The ear-lobe was probably man's first attempt at body piercing due to the ease with which it can be pierced. The oldest mummified body in the world was found frozen in an Austrian Glacier in 1991, tests showed the body to be over 5,000 years old. The body had pierced ears and the holes had been enlarged to 7-11mm diameter.

Ears were probably first pierced for magical purposes, very many primitive tribes believe that demons can enter the body through the ear, because demons and spirits are supposed to be repelled by metal, ear-piercing prevents them entering the body. Sailors used to have an ear pierced to improve eyesight, and if the bodies washed up somewhere it would pay for a christian burial. In many societies ear piercings is done as a puberty ritual, in Borneo the Mother and Father each pierce one ear as a symbol of the child's dependance on their parents.

Ear piercing is an almost universal practice for men and women, it's only in western society that it's deemed effeminate. At various times in history men wore elaborate earrings; during the Elizabethan era many famous men such as Shakespeare, Sir Walter Raliegh and Francis Drake wore gold rings in their ears.

"As the Roman Republic grew more effeminate with wealth and luxury, earrings were more popular among men than women; no less a he-man than Julius Caesar brought back to repute and fashion the use of rings in the ears of men."

"Jewels & Women; The Romance, Magic and Art of Feminine Adornment" Marianne Ostier, Horizon Press, New York, 1958

sources : painfulpleasures.com

THE TONGUE PIERCINGS HISTORY

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.

sources : painfulpleasures.com

The History of " Nose Piercings"

Nose piercing is very attractive, and can accentuate the face, because the nose is the face's most prominent feature; Leonardo Da Vinci believed that the nose set the character of the whole face.

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.

This practice is still followed among the nomadic Berber and Beja tribes of Africa, and the Bedouins of the Middle East, the size of the ring denotes the wealth of the family. It is given by the husband to his wife at the marriage, and is her security if she is divorced.

chain, and in some places both nostrils are pierced. The left side is the most common to be pierced in India, because that is the spot associated in Ayuvedra (Indian medicine) with the female reproductive organs, the piercing is supposed to make childbirth easier and lessen period pain.

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.

sources : painfulpleasures.com

Parents so Freaked out When Their Teen" Gets piercings"

Terri is the mother of a 13 year-old girl who just got her navel pierced. About the claims that piercings are signs of rebellion, she said, "I can say that such blanket statements are ludicrous...I can't speak for all, but in my case, my daughter is a mature, gifted...girl who is very comfortable and expressive about her own body. She is an honor student. She is artistic and creative, which probably helps explain her being drawn to piercings...It was a beautiful bonding experience when I took her to the parlor to get pierced. I was so proud of her as she overcame her fear and, when it was all over, exclaimed: 'I'm so proud of me!' What a powerful statement from a girl at this age - when life is so confusing and full of insecurities."

On the Other Hand

In my attempt to keep this article diplomatic, allow me to play Devil's advocate for a moment. It is possible that children who are already inclined toward bad behavior may also desire to be pierced and/or tattooed.

It is possible that kids who are already in a gang or trying to get into one will get tattooed or pierced to show support for that gang.

It is also possible that children with a predisposition to rebel might choose to act on that desire by getting tattooing or piercings. Why? Because adults are already against it, which makes it a perfect way to rebel - not because there is anything deviant about bodyart. If adults were opposed to fuzzy bunny slippers, rebellious kids would be wearing them.

The Bottom Line

The bottom line is that getting tattooed or pierced does not automatically mean a teen is involved in drinking, smoking, drugs, sex, gangs, animal sacrifice or conspiring with extra-terrestrial aliens.

But that doesn't mean parents or schools are going to stop assuming the worst of our kids. And unlike adults, teens don't have the option to walk away from a school that doesn't allow them to be who they are. The next article in this series will deal with what students and parents can do to support each other in this fight for freedom.

sources : about.com

The Controversial Issues Tattoos and Piercings

Many Christians these days are getting tattoos, piercings, and doing other "looked down upon" activities like smoking, and while a number of Christians see nothing wrong with these things, there are a great number that do. In this article series I'm going to explain why I believe that we as Christians should rather keep away from such things.

In this first article, I'm going to be talking about tattoos and piercings.

Biblical Discussion

28Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.

Leviticus 19:28

1The LORD said to Moses, 2"Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: 'Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.

Leviticus 19:1-2

19Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

15But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."

1 Peter 1:15-16

Many people have avoided getting tattoos or various piercings because of the first verse listed here. This is one of the laws that God laid down for the Israelites as they settled into the Promised Land. While this might sound like a silly command, with not much sense behind it, God had a reason for it.

Many of the nations surrounding the Israelites used to tattoo their bodies or cut and pierce themselves as a form of worship to their gods. One of God's main aims in all His laws of the Old Testament was to cause the Israelites to behave differently from the nations around them. God wanted to use the Israelites as an example to all the people of the earth, and thus He needed people who would form a good example by the way they lived and the things they did, much like God calls us as Christians to be different in order to witness to those around us.

Obeying God's laws was also the way the Israelites showed that they were dedicated to God. They wanted to please God and show Him that they wanted to live life His way, and the best way to do that was to obey His laws.

God calls us to be different, just like He was calling the Israelites to be different. In addition to this, our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, and God instructs us to look after our bodies, and to respect them.

I myself will not be getting any tattoos because it's a way of showing people that I'm dedicated to God. It's a sign of respect for my body, and toward God, and it's a way of being holy for God. I'm His property, not my own. If I get a tattoo, it's not my body I'm drawing on, it's His.

One has to also remember that tattoos are still used as a form of worship today. Satanists often mark their bodies in obediance and worship to Satan.

1 Corinthians 6:12

32Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God — 33even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.

1 Corinthians 10:32-33

I've come across a number of reasonings as to why it's OK for a Christian to get a tattoo, and I'd like to discuss some of them here, and why I believe that they are not in accordance with the Scriptures.

Well, most folks don't have tattoos, and it's such a nice design, I'm sure I'll be adorning my body.

As great as that reasoning sounds, it has a problem: Most folks these days still regard tattoos as wrong, unbiblical, or instantly write you off as "belonging to the wrong crowd."

As Christians we have to be very careful of the image we convey to others. We need to be blameless in other people's sight, we need to be a Godly example to others. Walking around in today's still fairly anti-tattoo culture is more harmful than helpful to your image as a Christian. So while it might be permissible, is it beneficial?

Also remember that not everyone is a seasoned, mature Christian. We need to take other's maturity and backgrounds into account in our interactions with brothers and sisters in Christ. We don't want something we've done to cause someone else to go and sin.

 Christian tattoo and use it to witness to others.

This is a very noble reasoning, one that will have folks hard-pressed to refute. A "Christian" tattoo can sometimes be useful, but it can also be very harmful. I think that unfortunately most times this falls into the "harmful" category more than the "useful" category.

Another factor to take into account is the "worship" factor. I mentioned that cults and religions in modern times still use tattoos in a spiritual sense, so it may be unwise to try to use a tattoo as a method of evangelism.

Finally, while this reasoning is filled with good intentions, living your life according to God's laws is a bigger and better witness. You will have more opportunity to tell folks what you believe when you don't lie, cheat, swear or get angry.

Because of Jesus, all those Old Testament laws don't apply anymore.

Unfortunately, this reasoning shows a lack of Bible knowledge on the part of the reasoner. Jesus Himself told us that He hadn't come to abolish the Old Testament laws, but to fulfill them.

17"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:17-20

Jesus makes an interesting point here - He basically says that God's law is still valid. In fact, He says that those who keep God's law will be rewarded in heaven. There are certain traditions that we as Christians no longer need to practice (like the sacrifices, for instance) because Jesus fulfilled them (He became the ultimate sacrifice), but a large portion of God's law is still valid and still applicable today.

sources: raoulsnyman.co.za

Tips And Warnings Before to Get a" Nose Piercings"

                                            

*Go with the jewelry that your piercer offers, provided that it's titanium, stainless steel or niobium, the metals least likely to promote infection. The properties of gold may not mesh with your body chemistry.

*If you're not ready to take the plunge, consider magnetic jewelry as an alternative to an actual piercing.

                                                                                                     

!**The nose and brain share the same blood supply. If you slack off in post-piercing care, an infection may make its way to your brain.

!**Should you experience excessive swelling, prolonged redness, throbbing pain or sensations of heat in the pierced area, seek immediate medical attention.

!**Never remove your nose ring, barbell or horseshoe if you suspect infection, unless under a physician's recommendation. The bacteria causing the infection may get trapped in your system as the hole begins to seal.

!**Piercing can cause nerve damage if the jewelry is positioned improperly, and communicable diseases can spread during the procedure if it's performed with unsterilized or used equipment.

Sources:ehow.com

Tips to Get a" Nose Piercings"

You've got quite a few options when it comes to piercing your nose. Depending on your style, you may consider a barbell at the bridge, a horseshoe between your nostrils or a simple stud. Read on to learn how to get a nose piercing.

*Seek the skills of a professional piercer. This is not the time to rely on the enthusiasm of friends or to test the skills of a street vendor.

*Choose a piercer who is licensed or has apprenticed for many years. Confirm that he or she works with sterilized equipment and disposable hollow needles, wears new latex gloves for each client, offers only piercing-quality jewelry and is accessible post-treatment should you have any questions or concerns.

*Let the piercer know what you're interested in, but trust him or her to make the final decision on placement. In addition to aesthetics, one must consider thickness of tissue, type of tissue and position of veins.

*Close your eyes and focus on taking long, steady breaths once the procedure begins. The piercer's experienced hand should guide the needle through effortlessly and with surprisingly little pain.

*Follow the care instructions your piercer provides. Prepare for a small amount of puss or discharge and schedule time for two daily cleanings.

sources:ehow.com

Tongue Piercing Options and Style Choices

*Midline Piercings-Correct Positioning is critical with tongue piercings. The correct place is in the midline, on the front third of the tongue far enough back so that the jewelry does not hit the teeth when speaking but not so far back that the piercing is stretched when swallowing or yawning. The further back the piercing the worse the swelling and pain during the first week.

         * Side Piercings

            Piercings at the side of the tongue should only be undertaken by very experienced piercers.

         *Horizontal Piercings

            These are very likely to cause nerve damage and are never recommended.