THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 15, 1994 TAG: 9406150063
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MONIQUE WILLIAMS, SPECIAL TO THE DAILY BREAK
DATELINE: 940615 LENGTH: Long
In 1990s Hampton Roads, body piercing is fast becoming as common as tattoos.
{REST} The piercing often is done at tattoo parlors such as American Tattoo in Carollton, where the owner reports doing about 15 to 20 piercings a week.
At the Factory, a retail operation at the Oceanfront in Virginia beach, 24 year-old John Blanchard does about 15 piercings a week. At $20 to $40 a piercing, most young adults can afford it.
And while most of those pierced are the twentysomethings who want to distinguish themselves from their boomer parents, it is not unusual to find minors (who get it done without their parents consent) and others in their late 30s going with this trend.
And it seems there are no body parts that are sacred. Piercings are done in the navel, eyebrows, ears, nostril and septum, ear cartilage, lip, tongue and genitals of both sexes.
For women, the preferred area is the navel, while men, Blanchard says, tend to favor their nipples.
Like those who go in for tattooing - which still gets some raised eyebrows in certain circles - those who get pierced are passionate about it.
And you'll have to be, because it is something you'll need to live with the rest of your life.
Is this body beautification or masochistic mutilation?
``It's not unlike an initiation rite in primitive cultures,'' says Dr. Dean Parmelee, chairman of the child and adolescent psychiatry department at Virginia Commonwealth University. Parmelee sees the trend as being the result of peer culture status.
Others see it as exotic, different and original,
``I think it's beautiful,'' says Selina Lambert, a 22-year-old retail store manager from Virginia Beach who recently had her navel pierced while on vacation in Daytona Beach, Fla.
Whether it is a thing of beauty or not might be questionable to some, but what makes a man or a woman pierce a nipple, eyebrow or navel is without question vanity.
Some may argue that this form of body alteration is no different from, say, a nose job. What distinguishes piercing from a nose job is that the latter is done with the intention of fitting in and gaining social acceptance while the former's sole purpose is to stand out. Piercing makes a statement; a nose job doesn't.
``It's something to set yourself apart,'' says Blanchard, who has pierced his own eyebrows, tongue, nipples and ears.
``It's an easy way to be different without having to commit,'' he says, ``because you can still take it out.''
Although easier to undo than tattooing, which requires major laser surgery, the holes will remain long after any rings or other ornaments are removed.
Vanity and beauty, as women or men who have undergone plastic surgery will tell you, come with a price.
Done without anesthesia, piercing isn't for the faint of heart. In fact, it is better suited for those whose threshold for pain is higher than most.
Strangely enough, pain is part of the appeal. In a culture that says accepting pain without flinching is a sign of toughness, many view the pain as a minor inconvenience of the piercing ritual.
``It's a sign of being mature enough to suffer gracefully,'' says Parmelee. Body piercing isn't like your standard earring piercing. The posts are much thicker, meaning the holes must be bigger. And the needle used to pierce isn't your standard skinny injection needle either - it's what's commonly known as a ``horse needle''.
``I didn't enjoy it,'' says Brent Flannery, a 20-year-old retail sales clerk from Virginia Beach who had his navel pierced recently. ``It's a lot of discomfort.''
Besides the pain during the piercing, discomfort is felt during the next few days. Tongue piercing will cause the tongue to swell, preventing ingesting of solid food for at least four days. Navel piercing is particularly difficult for those who sleep on their stomachs. They are told to sleep on their backs with a pillow between their legs.
Piercing is also high-maintenance. The area must be cleaned at least twice a day, and it can take as long as nine months to a year to heal.
If mistreated or neglected, infection can set in. Those with metabolic disorders such as diabetes or people with skin that tends to form keloids (scarring) - especially African-Americans and those with olive skin tones - will have difficulties healing or will not heal at all.
``It's like having a pet,'' says Flannery. ``If you can't take care of it, you shouldn't have it.''
That's what happened to Patti and Mike Gotte's 16 year-old son, Michael, a student at Salem High School who got his bottom lip pierced. On the fourth day, infection started to set in, and that's when his angered father made him remove the post.
``Kids should not succumb so quickly to wanting to be `in' at the risk of damaging themselves,'' says Parmelee.
Beyond the pain and dangers associated with it, piercing is still viewed as radical by many employers, who prefer that their employees look mainstream and be clean-cut.
Earrings on young male adults are a common sight in many cities, but not many wear them on the job.
Many young adults, however, do not think beyond the now and do not realize that one day, they too, will have to get a job.
``I have two earrings (in his ears) and I get discriminated against,'' says Flannery.
Many choose to pierce their navel or a nipple because it's discreet and easier to hide under a garment than an eyebrow or septum.
But the whole idea, of course, is to flaunt it. Lambert, whose navel is pierced, says, ``I can't wait to wear short shorts and a swimsuit.''
by CNB