Body piercing, alongside tattooing, has become more common over the last few decades, especially made popular by the hippy culture of 1970s America. Body piercing is related to other forms of body modification such as branding, cutting, binding, inserting implants, etc in an attempt to change the appearance of the individual’s body. More broadly, body piercing can be grouped along with appearance enhancing cosmetic surgeries and gender change operations. People give several reasons for undergoing such alterations to their body parts. Those who undergo form changes usually do it for improving their appearance or to bolster their identity. Psychologists and cultural commentators, on the other hand, tend to view body art as an expression of deeper emotional disturbance with respect to the person’s self-esteem and self-identity. This essay will explore and present different viewpoints on the subject, by way of citing appropriate evidence from scholarly sources.
Body piercing involves the injection of a needle into the body surface so as to make an opening in which jewelry made of various metal alloys may be worn. Apart from the earlobe, common piercing areas include “eyebrows, tongue, nose, tragus, nipple, navel, and the genitalia”. Body piercing is more commonly obtained from tattoo parlors and exclusive piercing studios, although some of these shops might employ unlicensed, unregulated practitioners. Further, some individuals even get pierced at their homes, which can potentially lead to serious complications (Aizenman & Jensen, 2002).
Adolescence is a phase in which the individual at times struggles for identity and control over her developing body. During this period, it is particularly appealing for the adolescent mind to pierce their bodies. In the United States of America, it is estimated that one in five adolescents either pierces her body or gets a tattoo. The phenomenon of body piercing is more prevalent among adolescent girls when compared to adolescent boys. Many research studies support this fact. According to a study conducted by the team of Aizenman and Jensen,
“The involvement in body piercing differed based on gender and race. Specifically, females and White students were significantly more likely than males and non-White students to report ever having a piercing. Such differences may be due to the impact that societal messages send to different gender and racial groups regarding body piercing. Although negative stereotypes and taboos against male piercing have loosened somewhat in recent years, it may still be considered a more acceptable practice for females than males. In fact, body adornment practices (i.e., makeup, jewelry, nail polish, etc.) are often considered to lie within the “feminine domain; and previous studies have similarly found females to be more involved in piercing than males” (Aizenman and Jensen, 2007).
Males and females also differ in the part of body they choose to get pierced. For instance, the navel is the most common area for a piercing for girls and young women. Females were found more likely than males to have their piercing located on an area that is easily visible for an onlooker like navel or nose, while males were more likely to have their piercing in a less obvious and more sexual location like tongue, nipple, or genitalia. Such differences go on to underline the gender-based differences in body piercing (King and Vidourek, 2007).
Debates go on about the underlying motivation for people who engage in these practices. The view of cultural commentators differ from the one forwarded by the individuals undergoing piercing themselves. For example, according to scholars Lynne Carroll, Roxanne Anderson, “these components fit into the postmodern world of fashion where anything goes and had obtained their piercing in late adolescence and were motivated to do so by the desire to improve appearance and because they perceived it as a viable art form” (Carroll and Anderson, 2002, p.629). In other words, the scholars are of the view that the value derived from a piercing is carries symbolic associations.
As to the reasons for piercing their bodies, the participants of the study gave a wide range of answers. Close to 30 percent of participants (who are university students) reported having a piercing recently. The locale in which they live is also found to be a significant factor. For example one in two of University students in New York were found to have piercing, whereas this number is lower in states in the Mid-West America.
Moreover,
“32% of university students currently had piercing while 13% had removed their piercing within the past year. Each of these studies indicates that a sizeable percentage of college-age individuals are involved in body piercing. Regarding reasons for obtaining a piercing, females were more likely to state that they obtained their piercing to be fashionable and because “they always wanted one.” The wish to be fashionable has been identified in previous studies as a common reason for piercing. In today’s fashion world, females frequently wear shirts that expose the midriff, thereby allowing navel piercing to be readily observed”. (King and Vidourek, 2007)
People from other walks of life see the trend in a different perspective. Experts have forwarded alternative explanations for this practice among young people. Some suggest that for young people, body art represent a mechanism of control and ownership over their own physiques. In the neo-liberal globe of the early 21st century, with its attendant consumerist culture and individual alienation, resorting to such drastic measures of expressing individual identity has become inevitable. In other words, beyond the obvious external appearances, such behavior might indicate a deeper emotional imbalance that can lead to more serious behaviors such as self-mutilation (Carroll and Anderson, 2002, p.629).
In recent years, clinicians have identified correlations between body piercing and the prevalence of self-injurious activities such as cutting, burning, and biting. The exising literature on the subject cites psychological origins for this behavior has pointed to its causes, characteristics, and treatment. In addition, anecdotal reports from student counselors suggests that
“Some students who cut, bite, burn, or pick their skin also choose to undergo other painful but more socially acceptable body-altering procedures, such as tattooing and body piercing. This finding was also reported in non-college populations. This phenomenon raises questions as to what, if any, motivations or characteristics those who tattoo or body pierce may share with those engaging in behaviors more typically regarded as self-injury. However, there has been limited research comparing these areas of body modification; instead, the majority of studies have focused exclusively on one or the other type of body-altering behavior.” (Aizenman and Jensen, 2002)
Researchers have also identified socio-economic factors that play a role in driving an individual to pierce her body. A combination of low socio-economic background and a male-dominated society impels young women and girls to pierce their bodies. Hence, such behavior is an offshoot of the status of women in general in contemporary American society, where they see themselves as powerless and “are reared to hate their bodies or mold them to the requirements of male sexual culture” (The Washington Times, p. B01, October, 22, 2002). Further, young people who pierce their bodies were found to be prone to indulge in other anti-social or self-destructive behaviors such as joining a gang, delinquency, using recreational drugs, etc. The earlier an adolescent pierces her body, the greater the chance for antisocial behavior. All these findings go on to suggest that body piercing might be an external manifestation of some inner psychological or emotional inadequacy in the individual, and that the enduring solution to her problems may not lie in such external changes to her appearance.
Body piercing practice is not just confined to the realm of psychological health, for many general physicians in the United States have expressed their concern over its health implications. Since the area in and around the mouth is where most young women like to get piercing, dentists are of the view that many cases of damaged teeth and gums alongside local infections are attributable to piercing in the proximal areas. According to a pediatrician dentist from the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, adolescent girls these days are “piercing their lips, their tongue, their cheek, even their uvula. The uvula is the fleshy mass of tissue suspended from the center of the soft palate” (The Washington Times, p. B01, October, 22, 2002). With such piercing there are greater risks of infection. What usually results in swelling and pain in the infected area, can at times even lead to life threatening outcomes. Piercing in the uvula, for instance, can potentially block air passages, predisposing the individual to asphyxiation.
In summary, people generally undergo body piercing in order to improve their external appearance and as a way of marking their individual identity. Experts in the field of psychology and medicine express their own concerns with respect to this phenomenon among young people. Statistics pertaining to body piercing also reveals a disparity across gender and racial lines although its broader significance is yet to be learnt.
References:
Carroll, L., and Anderson, R. (2002)., Body Piercing, Tattooing Self-Esteem, and Body Investment in Adolescent Girls., Adolescence, 37(147), 627+.
Piercing Questions; Doctors Warn of Health Hazards. (2002, October 22)., The Washington Times, p. B01.
Body Piercing: A Guide for Teens, retrieved on January 31, 2009, from …
What are the Real Risks of Body Piercing? — Advice for Parents, retrieved on January 31, 2009, from …
Aizenman, M., & Jensen, M. A. (2007)., Speaking through the Body: The Incidence of Self-Injury, Piercing, and Tattooing among College Students. Journal of College Counseling, 10(1), 27+.
King, K. A., & Vidourek, R. A. (2007)., University Students’ Involvement in Body Piercing and Adherence to Safe Piercing Practices: Do Males and Females Differ?. American Journal of Health Education, 38(6), 346+.