Tattoos and piercings have been around since before many of us could speak, and now, they continue to take over campuses and kids with their allure—bringing with them their respective pros and cons—from customization and confidence to the discourse they get, connecting them to criminals and crimes.
Why do people get them in the first place?
Most people have different reasons as to why they decide to modify their bodies, with the main answer being for either looks or a deeper meaning. When considering tattoos, as Tattooing101.com mentions, many choose to mark their bodies with a message. Whether it’s a memory or a motto, those who do commit to the process tend to ingrain some sort of significance into it.
As for piercings, recent patterns in adolescents as according to onlinelibrary resulted in, “40% report[ing] aesthetics and fashion among their reasons for getting a piercing, transgression (16%) and curiosity (15%).”
Still, no matter the person or reason, the rise in their appearance is doing anything but stopping. Especially within high school students, many display piercings on areas of their body other than their ears, with an increasing prevalence in facial piercings in the nose, eyebrows, or lip.
Pros
Many students and teachers alike can agree that body modification can have its benefits, especially when it comes to personalization, self expression, and meaning. Arguably, while they do have their negative connotations, connecting them to delinquents and criminals, their appeal brings with them a sense of danger and defiance, as well as aesthetic.
Presence
As previously mentioned, the increased sightings of earrings have only prevailed, making themselves known especially among young adults and teens.
Samantha Ordanes, a senior at Mt. SAC Early College Academy (MECA), notes how, “They’re slowly becoming more normal as… our generation gets older, and goes into the adult world.”
With time comes acceptance, and many more people are seeing the effects of this in society, followed closely by the emergence of tattoos, which continue to carry a heightened, almost mysterious interest to them, as celebrities, average people, and everyone in between seem to have some relation towards them. Whether it’s through a friend or family member, body modification is no longer an enigma, but rather a way of life.
Customization
Many people who choose to undergo these processes are mainly driven by the need for self expression, might that be with an extra accessory or an inked piece on their arm. With either of the two, the options for placement are limitless, as long as you’re willing to endure the pain that comes with it.
“They’re a conversation starter. People ask me about them all the time, like what size I am, or like, how did I get them?” said senior Alonzo Galino.
In a sense, they can change a person’s way of life, whether the change is severe or not. Rather, the ability and feeling of control over the way you look can be incredibly motivating, whether it boosts confidence or, like for Galino, works as a talking point.
Options
For those who do have body modifications of any kind, variety is never in question. From the thousands of styles of earrings to the millions of pictures, phrases and characters, the only limit is your imagination.
Amazon and other stores such as Hot Topic and Spencers also boast a wide array of earrings, ranging from dainty beaded fruits and flowers to plastic dinosaurs and outright plastic figurines. Whether you prefer more simple styles or eye-catching pieces, the options of earrings know no bounds.
Levi Mesa, a senior, stated, “I love them. I think they’re an expression of yourself an expression or art and what you love”
Following close behind are tattoos, with the most common ones being chains, flowers, and other such designs, permanently inked on people’s bodies in varying arrangements. However, that’s not to say that all tattoos are the same, as each one carries their own story and with it, the individual personality of its owner.
“We got into the car and drove to Old Town Tattoo… looked at the walls, and I pointed to the Hammerhead shark… now permanently on my right calf,” said ASB and world history teacher Gabriel Nichols.
Meaning
More specifically towards tattoos, those who put intention behind them truly do enjoy having them. Whether to commemorate a big change in their life or to go into something deeper, most purposeful tattoos are sure to have a story.
For those like Ordanes, the markings can have a significant psychological effect to them, as she notes how, “I feel more liberated, more in control, and just, I think grown up, which is weird because I have the most childish tattoos…[but] It’s very freeing”
Cons
Despite the benefits that body modifications can bring to a person, they can come with their own warnings, especially when it comes to the maintenance and outward appearance they project towards others.
As the overall action of getting either a tattoo or piercing requires the intrusion of a needle to the skin, infections can be quite a consequence, especially if the affected area isn’t properly maintained. As such, precise measures of sterilizing the body are incredibly vital to the procedure.
Studs.com notes that piercings should be healed, “once any…swelling, redness, flaking, or soreness stops. In general, your piercing should continue to feel better with time and a consistent aftercare routine”
On the other hand, many can experience differing sensitivity towards specific metals, opting for only pure silver or gold earrings. Reactions to other metals can range from mild irritation to infections, depending on the type of earring and the cleanliness of it.
In an interview on StoriesandInk.com Dr. Nicholas Kluger states that, “Broadly speaking the healing takes two to four weeks…if the tattoo hasn’t healed within the month there is another problem”
Taking that into consideration, the cleanliness of the site can be a very important, determining factor of the healing process, preventing those with recent scars and healing skin from swimming, or any other incredibly strenuous activity.
Stereotypes
Unfortunately for some, the social ideologies connecting body alteration to gangs and delinquents can lead to the very frequent misjudgement of people because of their changes.
As Galino said, “I think a lot of people like, view me as like, either like, I’m a delinquent or I’m kind of dumb, or people don’t believe that I can do something”
Such behaviors may lead to the distancing of people with piercings and tattoos as ‘other’ or incapable, especially when it comes to school. In some cases with adolescents similar to Galino, they’re underestimated and not taken seriously on account of their outward appearance.
“Take what your family says in consideration, but also, you’re living for you, you’re not living to please others” Ordanes states.
Much of the older generation seems to continue holding their wariness when it comes to marking up your body, always warning you in one way or another of its permanence.
“Tattoos kind of have more of a like a tough person connotation or more of a negative connotation” Nichols states.
Many of the changes that can be made to the body do remain permanent, and can leave their mark, whether it’s with the connections they have or the scars they leave. Others like Nichols are aware of this, and push against the negativity, supporting those who do want to commit while leaving them with a warning.
Painful to get
Tolerance to pain can vary immensely per person, and as such, it’s vital to understand that each person’s experience can differ. Whether it’s on a ‘less painful’ spot or not, pain is always expected when it comes to these procedures, and as such, it scares a lot of people away.
“It wasn’t my choice… I don’t really want them,” freshman Mimi Bautista said.
For those like Mimi who have been pierced as a baby, the experience can be hard to remember, but can come with a different kind of pain nonetheless. As mentioned earlier, at times, the effects of a piercing are irreversible, and can leave many with regrets, similarly to tattoos.
