Body Piercings & Tattoos - I.M.O.

Ever since I was 12, I've had a love/hate relationship with body piercings. I remember loving the Spice Girls and first taking notice to a tongue ring. It not only freaked me out but intrigued me. Scary Spice, of the Spice Girls had her tongue pierced. I remember wanting one when I was merely 12 years old! My mother, of coarse, said I can't get that or ANY piercing done. I decided to take things into my own hands and pierce myself.

Now, before you think I was crazy enough to pierce my tongue... I was not. I started piercing my ears. I became addicted to it, actually. From age 12 to 15 I pierced my ears, here and there. I ended up having a total of 12 at one point, but had to take one out because I did it wrong. I have 5 on each side, and one cartilage piercing on my left ear. At that point, I decided I liked the way they looked, but wanted to change them. I began gauging them. I didn't gauge them much, just to the biggest being a 12 and the smallest, a 16.

At age 15, I took on a new liking to the belly button ring. My mother, of coarse, said no. Once again, I pierced myself. I was careful and clean about it, but still managed to get it infected and had to take it out. Finally, at age 16, I got it professionally pierced. My mother, still not liking the idea, so my cousins mom let me do it. She signed the paper saying she was my mother and I got it pierced. I later ended up ripping it out at work when I was 17. Bad habit of climbing shelves and hopping down!

Finally, age 18 had arrived! I decided to get my lip pierced out of a dare. A few months past and I also got my first tattoo, also. I only have 3, so I never went overboard with those! After I got my lip done and my first tattoo, I remembered an old piercing that I wanted, the tongue piercing. Me and my boyfriend of the time got ours done together. It didn't hurt at all, but the healing process did! I was taking a painkiller around the clock to reduce the swelling and pain. I couldn't eat anything other then mashed potatoes and applesauce for 4 days. This went on for about 14 days, and I could finally speak without a slur. Mind you, I was a beauty advisory and have to talk a lot at work!

I couldn't stop there either. When I was 19 I decided to get my eyebrow pierced, just for the heck of it! I loved all my piercings but eventually, my eyebrow bar got rejected, as did my lip ring and I was left with just a tongue ring. I then read about the dangers of having metal or plastic in your mouth 24/7 and decided to take it out.

I sit here, with 3 tattoos, and only my ear piercings left. Once again, I am intrigued. I decided to take my niece to get her lip pierced and I also decided to get mine done as well. She's been wanting a labret for awhile now, and I am curious as to how I would look with one, so we will both be getting them done tomorrow.

Many people look down on piercings and tattoos. If it is not over done, I see it as a beautiful way to make one's body a living art piece. I won't ever fully agree with the idea of having 10 face piercings or huge gauges but I can't knock someone for trying to be different. While tattoos have always caught my attention, especially tattoo sleeves on men, I don't think women should be covered in them. A few here and there, nice clean ones are beautiful. When a women covers her body in tattoos she almost messes up a perfect work of art. For some reason I find it just the opposite on men. I find it adds to them, a certain spoken, yet unspoken story. You can tell a lot about a man according to his tattoos.

Needless to say, I love tattoos and I have a love for certain piercings, and that will never change.