Every era has its fad. Recently, piercings seem to be the latest fad.
Not only can piercings be painful, but many people feel that they make personal statements.
On a recent hunt to find out why more and more everyday people are putting holes in their bodies, answers can be found in pop culture. Famous people such as Janet Jackson, A.J. from the Backstreet Boys and Lenny Kravitz are all caught up in the piercing craze.
A tattoo parlor called the Red Queen in Chattanooga Tenn., sees up to 20 people a day who usually want piercings instead of tattoos.
“Even though this is mainly a tattoo shop, we do more piercing then tattoos. A tattoo could take up to four hours depending on what you get and a piercing is only about 50 seconds, so I’m not complaining,” said an employee at the Red Queen.
One of seven tattoo parlors in the Johnson City area also say more people come to have piercings done.
“It’s the latest fad and it’s not forever. I have a couple of them myself,” said the manager of the Saint Tattoo parlor.
People debated on ear piercings, and now eyebrow piercing, nose rings, cartilage rings, nipple rings, tongue rings, chin rings, navel rings and many more locations have become the “it” thing.
One customer with a ring in her cheek expressed her opinion.
“I just wanted to be different, and besides if I decide I don’t like it later I’ll let it close up,” said a female customer of Saint Tattoo.
Some feel that piercings are safer than a tattoo because a tattoo is permanent, and a piercing could be forever – or for only a week – depending on the wearer.
One young lady, who recently received a tongue ring, was asked by onlookers if it the process was painful. She shook her head “no” and smiled.
Piercings can be dangerous if left unkempt.
“Yes, if you don’t take care of them they will get infected, like any other sore,” said piercing technicians at the Red Queen and Saint Tattoos. “In cases like that (of strong infection) we strongly recommend that you don’t try to take the ring out yourself. Let us do it because we know what we are doing and have the proper equipment to help stop infection.”
People of all ages are interested in getting pierced.
“When I first saw one, I knew I had to get one, and when I was younger having your ears pierced before you were 18 was a sin,” said one customer. “Now I’m 40 and have an eyebrow ring, I’m just keeping up with the times . it stings for about 10 seconds then its fine unless you don’t take care of it.”
Another student with a belly button ring talked about how easy it was to get rid of it if you didn’t want it, and how her parents never knew she had it.
One of the main reasons that people pierce is to prove that an outside appearance means less then the inside appearance.
No matter how many piercings one has, they have nothing to do with who you really are. It deals with what you stand for.
In the 80s, hair makeovers were big. In the 90s, clothes were made over. And now the year 2000 can clearly be described as the makeover of the body.
When this fad grows old, who knows what the next one will be.

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