Body Art: Body Piercing

By Catherine Liu Translated by Cara Steenstra

Young people enjoy chasing trends. Changes in clothing fashions and hairstyles no longer satisfy some people, and more and more youngsters are getting into body piercing as a way of setting themselves apart from the crowd. The more unusual the piercings--the more bizarre or painful the location--the more the wearer is admired for his or her courage.
Body piercing is painful not only at the moment the hole is made, but also later, throughout the recovery period. The worst-case scenario is that the piercing fails, and the effects might be difficult to repair. It's no wonder, then, that some people have described body piercing as a kind of beauty linked with misery. Mixed emotions of desire and fear still haven't deterred many, as the rapid growth of the "pierced" population shows.
The number of businesses offering piercing services is increasing, too. In addition to streetside operations, there are several established piercing shops with branches throughout Taiwan. In piercing, technique and professionalism is highly important, and most clients find the artist they use through word-of-mouth recommendations.
Body piercing is not yet considered a medical procedure in Taiwan, but the undesirable effects of piercing are well known to doctors. Infections, keloids, gangrene, and deformations are all possibilities. To prevent such tragedies from happening, it is important to listen to the advice of professionals, and to pay attention to one's own body and physical reactions. Most important of all, do not do anything rash without serious consideration.
Most piercings do come off successfully. Here are some examples for reference, divided according to location:
1) Ear Lobes
This is the least painful part of your body for piercing. The soft tissue in the earlobe area has good circulation, and after-effects are less likely to occur. Ear piercings only take a second to do, and about two weeks to heal. Just make sure the area around the hole is kept dry and clean.
2) Ear Cartilage
The healing period is longer, with one month or more required for full recovery. These piercings are prone to infections, mostly caused by the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa. These types of infection can spread easily, causing infections in the ear cartilage. In serious cases, the skin surface must be cut open to drain the pus and remove dead cartilage. Even when healed, deformities may occur. Special care must be taken, with daily applications of medicated cream for at least a week. Ear cartilage piercings are also more painful than earlobe piercings.
3) Navel
With low-cut hipster jeans still in fashion, more and more people are getting their navels pierced. Especially popular with ladies, this procedure takes only five seconds; the healing takes around a month. Professionals advise that not everyone is suited for navel piercing. It depends on how your navel looks naturally, and if it isn't the best looking belly-button in town, it's best not to draw any further attention to it. There have also been cases where navel piercings have gone wrong and caused internal infections.
4) Nose
For nose piercings, location is very important. Professionals advise that people with fleshy noses are more suited for this kind of piercing. If your nose is on the skinny side, but you still want to get it pierced, discuss it with a piercing artist. Piercings usually look better higher up, away from the tip of the nose. As it is more difficult to keep nose piercings dry, the chances of infection are quite high. Occasionally, nasal discharge may leak from the piercing, which can be rather troublesome.
5) Eye Brow
Depending on the "depth" of the piercing, piercing artists decide the precise position according to the brow shape. Such holes take around two weeks to heal.
6) Tongue
Tongue piercing involves more risks, and are not often recommended. The pain and swelling in tongue piercings are often very obvious. Speech, chewing, and swallowing abilities may all be affected. Oral hygiene is important in these cases, as the risk of bacterial infection is high. The pins used in tongue piercings are rather long, and it is recommended that they be changed to normal tongue-piercing pins after a week or so.
The importance of professionalism cannot be overstated. Whether you end up looking cool, or getting yourself into deep trouble, all depends on how carefully you chose your piercing artist. Streetside accesories vendors who offer piercings are not recommended. It is better to pick an established shop. Here are some in South Taiwan:
_Chyh Jiun Silver
JueJiang Branch: Room D1, BeiCu 4th St., Building A, XinJueJiang, Kaohsiung City, (07) 215-2167
Wenheng Branch: 22, Lane 167, Wenheng 2nd Rd. Kaohsiung City, (07) 211-0017 website: www.925.com.tw
Chyh Jiun do not offer piercings by hand; everything is done by piercing guns. Ear piercings cost NT$150 (which includes two British-made stainless steel pins). Other piercings cost NT$250. Anti-infection ointment can also be purchsed for NT$50.
_R Caersu
Tainan Main Branch: 249, JhongJheng Rd., Tainan City, (06) 241-1299
Kaohsiung Branch: B38, 2, JhongShan 1st Rd., Kaohsiung City, (07) 241-4388
_David's
YuJu Branch: 22, Lane 17, YuJu 1st St., SinSing, Kaohsiung City, (07) 261-8809
BaZhungZhou Branch: 118/119, 167, WuFu 2nd Rd., SinSing, Kaohsiung City
Piercing Center: 2F, 22, Lane 17, YuJu 1st St., SinSing, Kaohsiung City www.david-s.com.tw
Accessorising has been part of human culture for centuries, and has often been a status symbol. Many young people nowadays strive to express their individuality by accessorizing. Persuing beauty and individuality without doing harm to one's body is perfectly fine. Whether it is tattooing, piercing or weight loss, make sure it is done under safe and hygienic conditions. Don't suffer misery just for the sake of beauty!

Tattoos: Body Art for Life--or is it?

Tattoos are very fashionable at the moment, but remember that your tattoo is going to be with your forever unless you pay dearly to get it removed. Bad tattoos can sometimes be modified to become something new, but this is difficult when they feature poorly translated, drawn, or improperly spelled words or characters.
One such sad case concerns an eighteen-year-old British hairdresser who got a tattoo that he thought had the characters for Love, Honor, and Obey, but which actually read, "At the end of the day, this is an ugly boy" in Mandarin. For more stories on character tattoos please visit www.hanzismatter.com and www.engrish.com.
Removal methods can be classified in two ways. The fade-away method is probably the least expensive and painless, but it requires time and patience. By this method creams and rubs are absorbed into the skin. They breakdown the ink and help the body naturally dispose of the foreign waste element--the tattoo itself. In time, and if done effectively, the tattoo can be completely removed. Most importantly, this method does not leave any scarring, but it could involve health risks of a different sort such as allergic reactions, lesions, and other skin problems.
Surgical methods are done in several ways. How effective the removal is depends on size, location, age of the tattoo, colors, and type of ink used. Laser methods break up the inks and use the body's natural disposal methods to dispose of them, but can also result in scarring and pain. Cryosurgery involves freezing the skin prior to removal, resulting in less blood loss. Dermabrasion involves removing all of the skin and the ink of the tattoo; it can cost thousands of US dollars, and it can be bloody and very painful as the tattoo is essentially sanded off. Excision involves cutting off the tattoo and suturing the skin around it together. Scars result and for large tattoos skin grafts from another part of the body can be done.
Consult a dermatologist when considering tattoo removal. A great site for research is www.tattooremovalinstitute.org.