Artinem

In America, women have long turned to adornment with jewelry, as have men to a lesser extent, to accentuate their beauty. Piercing the body to allow for repeated wear of special jewelry has been a part of human culture for thousands of years, and American women continued this tradition with pierced ear lobes. In the 1990s, it became increasingly common for men to have one earlobe pierced, in which they usually chose to wear a small, discreet stud. More extensive, varied piercing and exotic jewelry have been popular among counter-culture groups for decades, but in the past ten years these less conventional piercings have become more acceptable to the mainstream concept of beauty.

Male ear piercing probably began this trend, which has continued at an ever-faster rate. Certain some types of piercings, or choosing to display a certain quantity of them, is still considered a badge of outsider status. Be that as it may, over half of all college students in 2002 had what were considered ‘non-traditional’ piercings. Women have embraced body piercings more quickly than men, with greater numbers having their upper ears pierced multiple times and displaying jewelry in navel and nostril piercings.

Fashion and beauty industries have responded, with body jewelry displayed alongside traditional earrings at the jewelry counter in department stores, and various products for healing and maintenance offered by nearly every cosmetic company.