Body Piercing is Oldest Forms of Body Art

Body piercing is one of the oldest forms of body art, and modification and examples of piercings exist among museum antiquities. Piercing the human body has a long and varied history dating back to prehistoric times, ancient Greek, Asian and Egyptian art include statues and sculptures of men and women with multiple ear and facial piercing.

Modern so-called 'civilized' man has discovered the benefits that piercing can bring, the reasons being many and varied. For many it is purely fashion, for others a sign of status in society and for some a means of heightening sexual pleasure. These days “Body modification” has moved from the fringe to the mainstream and body piercing is rather popular among young people, both boys and girls.

In some instances, piercing and tattoos are seen as a fashion statement, while others take part to enhance their self-esteem and peer image. Whatever the reason, body piercing is racing around the world, heightening the demand for both piercing and piercing equipment. The stereotypical biker crowd is not the largest, and certainly not the exclusive, customer base for body piercing. Instead, CEOs, politicians, state troopers, clergy, teens and soccer moms alike are lining up under the needle.

There are many different areas of the body that can be pierced, some safer than others. Body piercing is the insertion of jewelry into an opening made in the ear, nose, eyebrow, lip, tongue or other area of the body. According to the Guinness World Records, Elaine Davidson is the most pierced woman. A former nurse from Brazil, Davidson has 720 piercings. If you want to get more ideas for piercing or you just want to see how a particular piercing looks in "real life", check out our gallery.