BODY MODIFICATION & PIERCING

Body modification (or body alteration) is the permanent or semi-permanent deliberate altering of the human body for non-medical reasons, such as: sexual enhancement; a rite of passage; aesthetic reasons; denoting affiliation, trust and loyalty; religious reasons; mystical affiliations; shock value; and self-expression.

Body modifications started as tribal art in Africa, South America, Asia, and Australia with lip plates, ear plates, and cheek rods. They had different meanings and significances. Tribe status and rite of passage ceremonies are two reasons for primitive modifications. Warriors, puberty, marrage, etc. all are considered rites of passage. It can range from the socially acceptable decoration (e.g., pierced ears in many societies) to the religiously mandated (e.g., circumcision in a number of cultures), and everywhere in between. Body art is a modification of any part of the human body for artistic or aesthetic reasons.

Piercings can be a great way to go about displaying body jewelry if you opt for facial piercings, neck piercings, or ear piercings. They can also be decidedly more intimate if you choose nipple piercing, navel piercing, exotic piercings, or genital piercing.