Brief History and Current Popularity

Various forms of body modification including piercing have been practiced in almost every society throughout history.²¹ Preserved bodies of people who lived 4000 to 5000 years ago have piercings. Anthropologists consider body modification to be a way for an individual to identify with a group (religious, tribe or gang), denote financial or marital status or beautify the body.^11,22 To demonstrate courage or virility, Egyptian pharaohs pierced their navels, Roman soldiers pierced their nipples and Mayans pierced their tongues.^11,17 As a rite of passage into puberty, Inuit and Unagan pierced the lower lips of boys. As part of a purification ritual, they pierced the lips of infant females. A variety of materials have been used as jewelry: wood, metal, pottery, ivory, bone and stone. The introduction of Christian influences led to a decrease in the cultural practice of piercing.⁹

Recent years, beginning in the late 1980s, have seen a renewed popularity as well as social acceptance, especially in young adults.^5,25 Motivations to obtain a piercing include expression of individuality, body beautification, fashion statement, pleasure, physical endurance, group affiliations, resistance, spiritual or cultural tradition or sexual motivation (Figure 15).^2,9,18,25,28

Figure 15. Multiple facial piercings.

Figure 15. Multiple facial piercings.

The average prevalence of oral piercings is estimated to be 5.2% with a high prevalence in women. Geography, groups participating in the study and differing definitions of a piercing create a range of 0.8-12%.