People always say, “Never judge a book by
its cover,” but a first impression is a different story. When meeting a person
for the first time image is everything, almost as if the person is a product.
Although one cannot tell a book by its cover, we often look to physical
appearance to give us clues about a person’s sanity, morality, intelligence,
and abilities. Because appearance can be a fairly reliable indicator of one’s
behavior, it is no surprise that in society physical image is very important.
Today people can change any aspect of themselves; their clothing, hair, teeth,
face, and body. Most of these changes are met with a level of tolerance, some
more socially expectable than others. Taking action to change one’s appearance
is often approved or at least accepted as a way of retaining youth, keeping
current with the times, or boosting of one’s self-esteem. However, when a
person chooses to make a radical change that may be quite original and or go
against society’s standards, there is usually some sort of backlash. This is
seen currently with the trend of
body piercing, tattoos, branding, and other
forms of body adornment.
Nudity, sexual freedom, and yes even
body alterations
are highly conservative issues in America. In the nineteen fifties a girl
having each ear pierced was okay, but not at a young age. In those times it was
unheard of for a young man to have any type of ear piercing. Society has once
again proved the times do change and so do the standards of society. Most
Western cultures have looked down upon some sort of body modification and the
people who support it throughout time. Sometimes the persecutions of these
people who love their modifications have disturbed their lives in many ways.
More often than not a person with piercing, ears excluded, or a visible tattoo
are often shunned from jobs or in some cases social events (Beaker). In an
interview with a manager of radio shack he stated that “It’s not that I find it
at all, but there are a lot of my customers who have somewhat biased opinions
about people who have body art”(
Body Art).
When one treats there body as a
Canvas safety must always be taken into account. As with any form of body
modification there will always be some chance of heath risk. Heath risks are
more likely to accrue with piercing then tattooing, but both carry risk of
infection. Most infections are usually caused by person being pierced not the
person doing the piercing. If one fails to follow the aftercare rules it is
their own fault if it becomes infected. Where one chooses to go to become
modified is just as important as the aftercare. When looking for a tattoo or
piercing studio one can never be too careful. In terms of the world Western
society is a conservative one, especially America. “The jewelry used in these
guns (
ear-piercing guns) are usually steel, plated with gold, and frequently
under-plated with nickel or copper. This can result in a metal reaction and
infection for the pierce when the thin plating chips off. Furthermore, rather
than being pierced with a surgically sharp needle, the tissue is brutally torn
by the blunt backing of the stud. This is not an easier way to be pierced. The
style of jewelry is less than ideal for even earlobes, but on other body parts,
it can be dangerous, debilitating and permanently scarring. It is not unlikely
that the body part pierced with an ear stud may lose all nerve sensitivity.
People always say, “Never judge a book by
its cover,” but a first impression is a different story. When meeting a person
for the first time image is everything, almost as if the person is a product.
Although one cannot tell a book by its cover, we often look to physical
appearance to give us clues about a person’s sanity, morality, intelligence,
and abilities. Because appearance can be a fairly reliable indicator of one’s
behavior, it is no surprise that in society physical image is very important.
Today people can change any aspect of themselves; their clothing, hair, teeth,
face, and body. Most of these changes are met with a level of tolerance, some
more socially expectable than others. Taking action to change one’s appearance
is often approved or at least accepted as a way of retaining youth, keeping
current with the times, or boosting of one’s self-esteem. However, when a
person chooses to make a radical change that may be quite original and or go
against society’s standards, there is usually some sort of backlash. This is
seen currently with the trend of body piercing, tattoos, branding, and other
forms of body adornment. 
Nudity, sexual freedom, and yes even body alterations
are highly conservative issues in America. In the nineteen fifties a girl
having each ear pierced was okay, but not at a young age. In those times it was
unheard of for a young man to have any type of ear piercing. Society has once
again proved the times do change and so do the standards of society. Most
Western cultures have looked down upon some sort of body modification and the
people who support it throughout time. Sometimes the persecutions of these
people who love their modifications have disturbed their lives in many ways.
More often than not a person with piercing, ears excluded, or a visible tattoo
are often shunned from jobs or in some cases social events (Beaker). In an
interview with a manager of radio shack he stated that “It’s not that I find it
at all, but there are a lot of my customers who have somewhat biased opinions
about people who have body art”(Body Art).
When one treats there body as a
Canvas safety must always be taken into account. As with any form of body
modification there will always be some chance of heath risk. Heath risks are
more likely to accrue with piercing then tattooing, but both carry risk of
infection. Most infections are usually caused by person being pierced not the
person doing the piercing. If one fails to follow the aftercare rules it is
their own fault if it becomes infected. Where one chooses to go to become
modified is just as important as the aftercare. When looking for a tattoo or
piercing studio one can never be too careful. In terms of the world Western
society is a conservative one, especially America. “The jewelry used in these
guns (ear-piercing guns) are usually steel, plated with gold, and frequently
under-plated with nickel or copper. This can result in a metal reaction and
infection for the pierce when the thin plating chips off. Furthermore, rather
than being pierced with a surgically sharp needle, the tissue is brutally torn
by the blunt backing of the stud. This is not an easier way to be pierced. The
style of jewelry is less than ideal for even earlobes, but on other body parts,
it can be dangerous, debilitating and permanently scarring. It is not unlikely
that the body part pierced with an ear stud may lose all nerve sensitivity. 