For
as long as I can remember, there is a trend I have been unable to muster
courage for, Additional piercings. The only hole on my head is the one put
there when I was a baby. Growing up, I always admire when I see children,
ladies, and women with more than a single ear or nose piercing. The pressure
got worse in the higher institution when almost everyone had an extra piercing
and there was a person in the hostel who could easily give you a piercing,
wherever you want. I mean “wherever”. In the higher institution, I saw
ladies with eyebrow piercing, tongue piercing, and piercing on the ear up to
the helix and on the tragus (the normal ones I was used to seeing were multiple
piercings on the ear lobes). I saw piercings that I considered really weird
like piercing on the lip and different parts of the mouth that I would never
imagine seeing a hole like the upper side of the tongue, the tiny connection
between the lower lip and the gum called the inferior labial frenulum, the
uvula (that very tiny blob-like organ you see when you open your mouth really
wide hanging above the throat). I found it fascinating though, the mindset that
gives one the courage to put holes in such delicate parts of the face. I didn’t
really encounter anyone with body piercings probably due to the fact that I
didn’t ask around and body piercings aren’t as visible or easy to brag about as
face piercings. First, let’s learn more about piercings, shall we?

As common as body piercing may
seem today it must have begun somewhere at some point in time as part of culture
or Religion and was passed down through generations till it got to us. According to Wikipedia, Body
piercing is a form of&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_modification">body modification</a>. It is the practice of puncturing or cutting
a part of the human body, creating an opening in which&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewelry">jewelry</a>&nbsp;may be worn, or where an&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Implant_(medicine)">implant</a>&nbsp;could be
inserted. The term "piercing" can be used to describe either a
physical opening made as a result of body piercing, or it can refer to the act
itself. In some instances, it may also refer to the finished ornamentation or
the jewelry worn for decoration.

There is ample evidence to suggest
that piercing has been practiced in different forms by both sexes since ancient
times throughout the world. Particularly prevalent and well-represented in
historical documents and burial goods are piercings of the ears and nose. The
presence of earrings on the earliest mummified bones ever found attests to the
existence of the practice more than 5,000 years ago. There is evidence of nose
piercing dating back to 1500 BCE. While lip and tongue piercings were
previously common in African civilizations and many others, they are actually
Middle Eastern in origin. Body piercings on the other hand like nipple piercing
date back to ancient Rome and the history of navel piercing is quite obscure.
That’s it for the history lesson.

All you need to know to get new
piercings or more piercings

People
pierce for many reasons. Implant piercings change the profile and/or look of
the skin and/or body. Some people have body piercings for religious or
spiritual reasons, while others do it for sexual pleasure, self-expression,
aesthetic appeal, culture conformity, or even to protest against it. Most of
the ladies I encountered in higher institutions did various forms of piercing
for self-expression and aesthetic appeal. Though piercing is not as permanent
as tattoos, they still make a statement as part of one’s identity which is why
there are only a number of acceptable facial piercings in Nigeria and that is
for adults, not teenagers. The acceptable norm for teenagers is piercings on
their earlobes only. That said there are several places you can pierce, if you
are a novice like me and you are feeling a bit apprehensive here are a few tips
that can help

Do
not get your piercing done by just anyone: we don’t have
many official places that offer piercing services here in Nigeria except for a
few establishments in Lagos and Abuja. So, most people I know actually result
to using new pin earrings for the local ones, piercing pins, and guns for the
more experienced and formal ones. You should insist on the use of sterile and
clean instruments in any situation.

Prepare
for the pain during piercing and healing: The actual piercing
will come with a fast sharp pain that varies depending on the part. Additional
piercing on the ear lobes is more like the feeling of getting an injection,
sharp and fleeting. Other harder parts of the ear will definitely hurt more
just as getting one on the nose or lip. The tongue will hurt more than all the
aforementioned.

Take
good care of any new piercing and leave it for a few weeks to heal:
Clean non-oral piercings with mild products at least twice a day for fast
healing. And for oral piercings, you should avoid that hot pepper soup and
spicy food in general so you don’t cause yourself unnecessary pain or infect
the part.

Piercing
is associated with different levels of pain and periods of healing. The common
ones on the lobes and nose heal faster than those on parts of the body like the
navel, nipples, and genitals. There are also certain risks associated with the
different forms of piercing.

Infection;
this can occur when the instrument used for piercing is not sterile and clean.
The aftercare of a piercing can be tricky since pain and a certain level of
discomfort are expected. So, the pierced part may not be given maximum care and
attention which can lead to infection that can be very serious if not tackled
especially for those on sensitive parts of the face like the tongue, frenulum,
and on most body parts like navel, nipples, etc.

Allergic
reaction; as with anything regarding the skin, it is possible
for you to get an allergic reaction to piercing. So, before you go ahead to
make that choice of getting that part of your body pierced, it is important to
know your body and probably start with the common less risky ones.

Finally,
think it through before getting a piercing done, make sure the instrument used
to pierce is sterile and clean, and take proper care of the pierced body part
so it heals well without infection. So off we go to get that dream piercing we
have only admired from afar till now.

Uncover the fascinating insight into overcoming your piercing anxiety and getting those piercings done the right way.

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