The oldest piercing ever was found in a mummy dating back to 3,000 BC in the mountains of Austria. It belonged to a man named Ötzi and likely indicated his high status. However, he wasn’t the only one belonging to ancient piercing culture. Historically speaking, piercings were used by people around the world to signify a religious or tribe affiliation, as well as social and marital status. These jewelry pieces were the most popular in the Middle East, the Americas, India, and Africa. To this day, Indian masters recommend wearing nose piercings for women to make the childbirth process easier. For Indigenous peoples of the Americas, a piercing has been a part of the Sun Dance ceremony, as well as many other rituals. In some remote Nepalese villages, a nose piercing is a must-have for every woman who is innocent and prosperous.
We know about different types of piercing from ample archaeological evidence. Of course, the oldest type of piercing was earrings that date back to 5,000 years ago. The history of body piercings is somewhat more recent and goes back to 3,500 years ago. What’s interesting is that many modern pieces are similar in shape to the jewelry found in ancient tombs. What has really shifted is the purpose. Nowadays piercings are rarely used for religious and ritualistic purposes and have become mostly a means of self-expression. In this vein, piercing culture gained special popularity in the ’80s and ’90s – the times associated most with the spirit of rebellion.
Nowadays, piercing culture unites people from all walks of life and it’s a stereotype to think that it only appeals to immature teenagers. Even today, some senior people disapprove of these jewelry pieces thinking that those wearing them are superficial people who would do anything to stay trendy. Of course, we don’t subscribe to this point of view but rather encourage people to explore their individuality through all kinds of custom jewelry. Even a simple piercing becomes much more than a pretty accessory once you assign it meaning.
Most of the piercings are relatively painless. However, the level of discomfort depends on the individual pain threshold. Naturally, if you’re a sensitive person you are most likely to find wearing a piercing unpleasant. This being said some piercings are considered more painful than others, for example, those worn on cartilaginous tissue of an ear (i.e., daith and rook piercings). Nose piercing falls somewhere in the middle of the pain spectrum. Of course, the least painful of all are earrings, as well as brow and oral piercings. A thin line between pleasure and pain comes with genital and nipple piercings. Choosing to wear those requires the most discretion because these areas are known to be the most sensitive in the human body.
According to the Guinness World Record, the person with the highest number of piercings has over 15,000 pieces and doesn’t intend to stop. As you can see, it’s very subjective what different people find aesthetic and pleasant.
Whatever the number of items you choose to wear, we will support your every choice as a piercing enthusiast. It’s okay if you’re still considering whether to get a custom piercing or not, however, if you have already made up your mind, Olertis will be there for you to make your jewelry journey a success.
