The Different Body Piercings That You Can Have

Body piercings have been around for centuries. Whilst it all started as a tradition for some countries and status for others, it has now become very trendy to have a body piercing. Most body piercings should be done using a needle and not a nail gun as most might think. Using a nail gun to pierce ears causes more trauma than doing it by hand with a needle. Remember, if you're considering a piercing in your body, to research the piercer carefully and if at all possible, to go to a recommended place. If you do not look after your new piercing, the chances are higher for piercing rejection and infection.

The top ten body piercings

• Ears - ear lobe piercings are very common but now we have the tragus which is the cartilage just at the opening of the ear.
• Belly button piercing also known as a navel piercing - this is very popular among teenagers but there are also men who have their navels pierced too (just take a look at Sisqo, the RnB singer).
• Nostril piercings are very popular as well especially with the growing Asian community where it all started. When deciding to have a nose piercing I would advise not to get it during winter or summer. During winter you might develop a cold and trying to blow your nose will be very painful. The same applies for summer you may suffer from hay fever. I’ve known a few friends who have made this mistake. Alyssa Milano, Pink and Kelly Clarkson have their nose pierced.
• Oral piercings such as tongue piercings are also very popular due to the short time it takes to heal. Healing time for tongue piercings are said to be 10-14 days. At first there will be some swelling then after 5 days this should go down. This is my least favorite piercing as the piercing can damage teeth such as chipping and cracking them. Pink has her tongue pierced.
• This brings us onto Labret piercings - they can be done in various sizes and Christina Aguilera has hers done.
• Eyebrow piercings used to be increasingly popular 5 years ago. However I find that the popularity of eyebrows pierced are steadily declining. I have a friend who had one done at 15 and took it out at 18. Tommy Lee and Fergie form Black Eyed Peas have their eyebrow pierced.
• Hand piercings are a new and unusual piercing that is becoming popular. You can get the back of the hands pierced or the skin in between the fingers pierced. The most preferred hand piercing is the skin between the thumb and index finger.
• Men and women both enjoy the sensations that come from the nipple. This is probably why having a nipple piercing is enjoyable in the long run. The bad thing about nipple piercings is that if they get infected you can lose the nipple forever. Celebrities who have had their nipple pierced are: Janet Jackson, Britney Spears and Sisqo.
• Male piercings are most popular than female piercings. This can be due to the fact that there are more male piercers than women.  Male piercings include penis piercings, frenum, scrotal piercings and foreskin. These are just a handful of what’s available. To find out more, speak to a professional piercer.
• Female genital piercings are still not really talked about a lot but celebrities that are known to have them include Christina Aguilera and Janet Jackson. There are many different places and variations of genital piercings.

Although great care is taken when piercings are done, you can still develop piercing infections. The most common infected piercings are:

• Navel piercings
• Cartilage piercings (usually the ears)
• Eyebrow piercings

To make piercings just a little bit unique, why not try a different variation of the style. Such as piercing off centre or at an angle. If you’re not brave enough, then just go for the ‘normal look’.

Not ready to have a piercing?

If you're unsure about a body piercing, why not fake it? You can simply by self adhesive gem stickers and stick onto your nose, ear or labret. This might persuade your mum/dad that they don't look so bad. Faking it is also sensible because you can be sure you won't get an infection or scar. If gem stickers are not for you, then clip on body jewellery are widely available for navels, eyebrows, ears and lips.