By Melissa Sutaris –
As we all know, we live in a society that sometimes condemns things such as tattoos and piercings. However, throughout the last decade “body art” has become much more acceptable, varying from generation to generation. Older generations may not accept body art the same way a younger generation may, because there are a majority of younger people who are deciding to get themselves pierced.
The piercing process itself is one of healing and care-taking. I have a few piercings myself, and I know what it is like to have to clean and disinfect one. Once a piercing is healed, however there is a sense of relief because you do not have to worry about it anymore. The key element to a fast healing process is careful observation and moderate cleaning. If you clean the piercing too much, you are at a higher risk to be prone to infection. When and if a piercing does become infected, it would be in your best interest to remove it.
The cost for piercings depends on where you have it done. Facial piercings such as nose, lip, tongue, etc can cost anywhere from twenty-five dollars to as much as sixty. Regardless of the price, your main concern should be that the needle is examined prior to the piercing, covered and taken out of a sealed package in front of your eyes.
The cleanliness of the shop is imperative because you want to make sure that everything goes well for your experience and there is no chance for infection. If the needle is not sealed in a package, do not get the piercing. You could be at risk for a variety of diseases, including HIV/AIDS, and who wants to take that risk?
In my opinion, your piercings should be for your benefit only. Some people get pierced because they like the way it looks; others may get pierced because they enjoy the rush. Other people should not peer pressure you into getting a piercing, nor should you go out and get one because you think “it’s cool.” If you do not like needles, you definitely do not want to be sitting there watching one pierce through you in front of your face. The whole idea is to remain calm because the pain is over in an instant.
There are different pros and cons that come along with body piercing; however I cannot say that I have experienced many difficulties myself. If you take care of your piercing the right way, you should have no problems. The pain which comes along with piercing is quick and tolerable because it is only for a brief moment. Afterwards, you may experience some swelling and minimal bleeding as well because of the puncturing of your skin. The only negative experiences someone might have with a piercing are if it does get infected, or if they have to deal with people staring at them or asking questions.
For example, when I changed the stud in my nose to a hoop, people have made comments because it is more noticeable than a tiny diamond. I do not feel as though people look at me differently because of my piercings, however I suppose if someone has multiple piercings all over their face that they would be subjected to confused stares. Society is always going to judge us for something, so why bother with what other people think? If people stare, then people stare.
