The Story Behind Piercing: “Pain in beauty or ?”
Piercing
In the world today, body piercing has become more than just a fashion, style and trend.
For most people, it is a form of self expression, a form of rebellion, or a form of healing from past experience.
Behind every stud or ring lies a personal story waiting to be heard.
The News Spectacle in an interview with some Lagos residents, asked why they decided to pierce their body.
A 20-year-old, student, Miss Pamela Oko, said “I loved the way it looked on me and the beauty they portrayed”.
“It makes me feel comfortable,” she said.
Bimbo Adeola, 23, a sales girl said “I got piercings cause they looked really cute”.
“It enhances my appearance and that is why I embrace the trend,” she said.
On the other hand, for others the story is deeper than the style.
A 25- year-old, up and coming musician, Jonn Steven, known as “Siifa” said it is a trend in the music industry both at home and abroad.
“I just wanted to know what the pain felt like for me.
“I was told by my manager to do piercing and tattoos, plus plating of hair to look trendy, so I did that,” he said.
He noted that it served not only as a vice of beauty or fashion but also to differentiate what one does.
“Once anyone sees you in all that, they would know what you are into,” he said.
Miss Amira Ogundele, 29, a hair maker and makeup artist, said that her favourite piercing was the nose ring.
“It serves as a confident booster, cause it makes me feel confident about myself and my abilities.
“What a lot of people see is just a trend, in reality it can be of big importance to one,” she said.
However, a 33-year-old, Mr Peter Odibo, a music producer, said that perception of piercings differs from one to another.
He said “Body modification do not influence how people are viewed socially or professionally.
“I disagreed to this statement. No it does not influence the social or professional view,” he said.
While, a 34-year-old, teacher in a private school, Mr Eno Bassey, agreed that piercings has affected his sister professional relations with people.
“The first place she got a sales job, she was told to remove them, she rejected the job.
“Second one, her madam grumbled but let her be but passes comment most times about it,” he said.
He said that piercings should not affect or hold a barrier to building friendship or career opportunities. It is an individual thing.
“Even in formal settings like school competitions or job interviews, piercings should not be a disadvantage.
“One can be of great value and still have a piercing. One can also be intelligent and outspoken and still have a piercing,” he said.
Mr Alex Uwem, 45, a music manager and social commentator, said looking at the societal view towards people with piercings, a better job needs to be done in communicating with such people.
“Because they are done for different reasons not just to be in vogue, so before criticism can take place there should be better and deeper conversation which should be made.
“Because words only can cause an emotional scar on the people concern and cause them to decide to withdraw from their once fragile social state of mind,” he said.
He noted that body modification is not just about decoration.
“It is about choice, confidence, pain, managing situations, and self expression.
“For some it is indeed fashion but for others it is therapy. For many, it is a personal story carved beneath the skin,” he said. (Spectacle)