Pierced for Beauty

Traditionally, jewelry was worn in the ancient times to express the bearer's power and social standing. It traditionally was a symbol of exclusivity and no common person could wear them. For instance, in ancient Egypt, only religious figures and political leaders were allowed to wear jewelry. During this time, jewelry were more than special symbols of wealth and power. They were used also as talismans and important pieces for rituals. Perhaps as a way of rebelling against this age-old tradition of the symbol of jewelry, certain alternative groups in society have decided to make a statement in the way they wear jewelry by allowing themselves to undergo non traditional body piercings to be able to adorn body jewelry. In the not so distant past, these individuals with many alternative body piercings were called punk. These individuals were often societal outcasts and would traditionally be in tattered, non-traditional outfits there were usually in the color black or in other austere and subdued colors. These individuals had body piercings and jewelry in areas of the body that were once considered to be absurd. It all perhaps began with multiple ear piercing to be able to accommodate multiple earrings in one ear. But then, we started to see nose rings, tongue and even eyebrow rings as these individuals pushed expectations further. Those particular body piercing and jewelry are only the ones found on the face. However, body piercing encompasses the whole body and body jewelry has been known to adorn other body parts like the nipples via nipple rings and other piercing in sensitive areas of the human body. While these types of body piercing and jewelry were once considered taboo, present society has been more forthcoming of these types of adornment. While it is still considered daring and different to sport body piercing and matching jewelry, it cannot be denied that it has gained more acceptance and popularity as more and more singers, rappers and artists display their alternative body piercing and jewelry. Because of this phenomenon, body piercing and jewelry have become part of pop culture and enjoys better acceptance in society. Because of the popularity of body piercing and jewelry for these, much more variety in jewelry designs are available in the market. Other than the old "punk" look, body piercing jewelry now comes in different shapes, sizes and designs that allows the most popular pop icon to adorn a fashionable belly ring on her flat belly and look very attractive because of this. While it may still be impossible for traditional jewelry stores to carry jewelry for body piercing, it is quite easy to find the body piercing jewelry that will fit your sense of style and preferences. If the process of body piercing scares you, just remember that if you do it in a hygienic way with qualified individuals then there shouldn't be a problem with infections or those sorts of concerns. It is also important to maintain proper hygiene after a piercing to make sure that the piercing heals properly. You can also opt to take vitamin C regularly while the wound is healing so that it mends faster and properly. If it happens to be the pain factor that's stopping you from getting a body piercing, just remember that some body parts are more susceptible to pain than the rest. For instance, more fatty areas of the body are less painful when pierced as opposed to more bony or cartilage based areas.

Be Jeweled

Jewelry has a long and interesting history in the human civilization and evolution. In the ancient times, the use of jewelry was used to symbolize the social and religious power of citizens that wore them. It was also used a means to store wealth, which is why special pieces of jewelry were passed on as heirlooms and used by some cultures as dowry or for transfer of wealth. In some tribe cultures, jewelry were used to modify one's body. In some cases, neck rings were added slowly on a female's neck until the appendage grew to abnormal lengths and became dependent on the neck rings for support. The tribe's women did this as a status symbol as well as a decorative piece as females with longer necks were considered to be more beautiful than their short-necked counterparts. Although the use and history of jewelry seem varied and diverse, the most common denominator in all of these is the fact that jewelry was used to express a certain message. Whether it was for beauty, power or status, jewelry were the easiest way to convey this. In these modern times, jewelry and its use has evolved along with the times, finding creative expression in today's body jewelry. Body jewelry is no longer confined to traditional jewelry items like the usual earrings, rings, necklaces and bracelets. The term body jewelry now connotes any sort of decoration that can be adorned on the body and usually expressed through more than usual body piercings like belly rings, and the like. Nowadays, jewelry no longer needs to be made of precious materials. Modern body jewelry are often made of semi-precious or even non-precious materials. Some body jewelry are made of plastics and other metals, but some are even just imitations of precious stones that can be individually glued to preferred body parts in patterns of choice. For instance, there are body jewelry kits available with suggested patterns to follow when adhering to the body. This of course is a temporary display and will either fall off eventually or come off when washed. The nice thing about body jewelry is that absolutely anybody can wear them. Unlike in the olden ages where only a select few can officially wear jewelry, in this day and age, even children or individuals of any sex, age or race can opt to display these body jewelry. Body jewelry nowadays are used to express individuality in the way that they are worn. Some individuals go all out and radical in the way they use body jewelry. In some cases, being very blatant and "out there" in displaying body jewelry have become so popular, it can be coined as the norm rather than the exception. For instance, it is customary for gangs and gang members to use body jewelry that is termed as "bling-bling" but since popular artists, rappers and pop singers have been displaying the same fashion, it has become part of pop culture. So instead of promoting exclusivity, it has become a fashion statement to adorn oneself with this particular type of body jewelry. Whatever the case, it seems that body jewelry is here to stay. Perhaps it is this generation's way of saying, "out with the old" as they constantly challenge old tradition of how jewelry is worn and who can wear them.