In recent years, jewelry has begun appearing in places on people's body that have been traditionally left undecorated. Ever wonder about piercing? Jewelry constructed of precious metals and gems, surgical steel and even ceramic is on display in the eyebrows, navels, nipples and tongues of many thousands of members of our community.

Piercings available for the ear include, clockwise from top: Upper ear (cartilage), conch, stretched lobe, and tragus. click for larger photo

     The boom in body piercing is by no means a local phenomenon; it can be seen across the United States and other countries. Body art, including piercing, can be seen anywhere people are looking for a way to express themselves by adding something artful, ornamental, or striking to their physical beings. Josh Bryant is entrusted with helping people who come to High Priestess Piercing here in Eugene in search of body art; he manages the piercing salon.

      If he could tell everyone one thing about piercing it would be this: "That everyone gets it done. From teenage girls, to lawyers, to eighty year old grandmas." The most common piercing done at High Priestess is a female navel (60-80 per month). The second most popular is the tongue, common among both men and women. People from all walks of life, with many different backgrounds and personalities get pierced. Josh says that they often have the same misconceptions about the process.

      "People are surprised by how much it doesn't hurt and how much attention they have to give to the piercing afterwards."

This piercing on the nape of the neck uses two horizontal surface bars just below the skin, each bar has two of the shiny balls attached, one at each end. Click for larger photo.

      The aftercare is a very necessary part of the piercing process. Piercing generally produces an open wound somewhere on the body. In order for the wound to heal properly, it must be kept clean until the body can heal the area. If not treated properly, the site can become infected, and any infection is a major health risk. Body piercings need to be cleaned once or twice a day (using an antimicrobial medicated soap), every day, until the piercing is healed. People who experience excessive redness, tenderness, swelling or fluid discharge for an extensive period of time (healing times vary greatly with the location on the body) should consult a physician. Such cases are rare, however, and one of the advantages of being pierced in a salon rather than at a party or fair is that the piercing technician can typically offer their expertise about the healing process after the piercing is done.

      The Oregon State Health licensing office requires that individuals wishing to obtain a License as a piercing technician complete paperwork and pay a $35 fee. There is no practical evaluation or examination. There are 700 registered body-piercing technicians in Oregon. Common sense, along with industry practice indicate that individuals who are considering getting pierced closely examine the establishment where they are considering being pierced, and ask their piercer any questions they have about the procedure, especially health risks and safety. As Bryant stated "You just have to ask a ton of questions and if you're uncomfortable about anything, you shouldn't get it done."

      In addition to the safety concerns, people with body piercing are often judged because of the outward appearance of their body art. Often times, individuals find it difficult to keep an open mind when their first reaction to a striking piercing is one of shock or repulsion. People know that it is narrow minded to judge others based on outward appearance, but staying open-minded is often a difficult task. "If you think it looks weird, that's fine, but don't think people are bad just because they have piercings, don't judge their personalities."

For more information about piercing and body art, call the UO Health Education Department at 346-4456, or log onto http://www.hdlp.hr.state.or.us/bphome.htm and www.bodyart.com