People have been piercing their ears for many decades and while the practice used to be almost exclusively the domain of females, in the 1960s males began to embrace the piercing of one ear. Meanwhile as the decades and social norms progress, many people are piercing other parts of their bodies and are doing so for various reasons. And for individuals who have only ears pierced or no piercings, they frequently wonder why people get body piercings. This is an interesting question and it can be approached from various perspectives and the answer to it can also come from different orientations.
The face and ears are still the most common place to find piercings. Lips, the nose and the tongue follow behind the ears in popularity but are also extremely common. The reason many people choose to get a piercing beyond their ears is almost as various as the personalities that exist under them. It is extremely common to get a piercing to mark an important life event or anniversary of a major achievement or event. In addition, one of the most common reasons for people to choose to get a piercing is for personal aesthetic reasons and as a manner of self-expression. Some of the reasons are similar to those for which a person will get a tattoo.
Sometimes a piercing, particularly a non-conventional though extremely visible one is intended to express an opposition to traditional conservative viewpoints. Political statement oriented reasons may fall into the category of self-expression, though they do not occur as commonly as the others stated. The actual practice of body piercing dates much farther into history than the accepted trend of the 20th century and it has actually been a common and even celebrated occurrence in many cultures throughout history. One of the most important things to keep in mind if you are considering getting a piercing is the importance finding a qualified technician. Safety and professionalism is of the highest priority if even you only plan to have your ears pierced.
