Ear cuffs and chains are a great way to accessorize and give a body-artsy impression without having to get any freakish piercings. If you are not planning on getting your ears pierced but you love the look of metal hugging them, you could buy an ear cuff with a chain, available in most accessory stores, and experiment.

In the following picture, an ear with multiple piercings is further adorned with an ear cuff with a chain. The chain is threaded through the existing earrings to achieve that “metal hugging ear” effect. I call this The Mechanical Ear — it’s bold, it’s metallic, and it’s overdone.

From Visual Compendium

Final verdict: I find ear cuffs to be one of the smartest inventions of accessory makers. Truly a revolution. You should try them some time.

I generally love corsets and think they’re beautiful. This makes me wonder if I would like to wear one at all times — if I can handle making it with my own flesh. I don’t know yet but the concept is very tempting.

I still love this:

I have decided it was time to remove the bellyring as I don’t think it could have held up three more days. I feel helpless and sad because I had no other choice but to lose it in order to avoid rendering the area unpierceable in the future. My goal right now is to get re-pierced as soon as I have healed.

Farewell red vision, my precious 16th hole. I’m sorry I lost you.

On June 28th, 2007 (almost six months ago) I got my belly button pierced. This is the story of that day.

I had been in New York for almost a week, shopping and having the time of my life. Before even going there, I had wanted to get a navel piercing done by a professional as opposed to having it done in a random accessories store in Amman. So I researched the procedure and what it involves, and then decided to get it done in NY. I looked for a reputable body art studio in the area where I was living, and found it after sifting through many many names and reading many many reviews.

This was a huge step for me because while it is true that I had 15 piercings (ear, nose), all of these were discovered by my parents. My mother was strongly opposed to my getting a belly ring, but I wanted it so bad that the idea possessed me. When that happens, I know there is no turning back and it must be done.

My mother was set to arrive on June 29th to join me in NY. I stayed up all night on the 27th deciding on the studio to go to, getting their address from google maps, and thinking of a way to convince my brother’s wife to drive me there. If I was going to get my virgin navel pierced, it would have to be on the 28th before my mother comes. Either that or nothing.

The next morning, I talked my hostess into driving me to the studio. I told her that my mother was OK with my getting this piercing and that everyone knew about it (lies, of course). Because she was such a good hostess, she believed me and we headed to the studio at around 11:20 AM.

We got lost for a bit then found it. I was wearing a gray pajama top with an owl on it (didn’t bother to wear a regular top on such a big day), a short beige jacket, and low-rise jeans. My haircut was very new so I looked pretty “femininely boyish,” and my ears were shining with metal and my fingers with black nail polish. The studio, Big Joe & Sons, had an imposing black sign with the letters written in maroon or red and studded somehow. It looked like a real body art studio. I was very nervous.

The weather that day was exceptionally pleasant, I remember thinking how lovely it was on the way to the studio. When we got there and parked the car, I discovered that I would have to go inside on my own. I pretended to be brave and walked towards the dark brown door only to find a note that says the studio opens at 12 PM.

What a bummer! After all that gathering of strength and whatnot I found the studio to be closed. I went back to the car and we spent the next 20 minutes in a Sears nearby. My memories of those 20 minutes are a complete blur. I don’t remember anything that happened during this time, as I was too absorbed in thinking about what sort of pain I will have to endure shortly.

Twenty minutes later, we returned to Big Joe’s. This time it was open and there was no question about it. I walked in and sat down on one of the seats in the waiting area. Three seconds later a heavily tattooed, petite, Gothic girl came out asking me how she can help me. I told her I was in to get a navel piercing.

“Bri-aaan! You have one navel comin’ up!” — she shouted.

She told me to wait a little bit since the artist was busy with other clients. I waited, looking at the flashes covering the walls of the waiting area, watching the girl arrange some in frames, and reading a sign that says “Remember, a cheap tattoo is not a good one. And a good tattoo is not cheap.”

My heart was pounding like an African drum beat. All I could think about was a thickish needle poking a hole in my belly button, and whether or not I will feel it and to what degree it will hurt. I figured that since I have an impressive tolerance of pain then it is not supposed to be a big deal. Then again, that needle is a thick bastard…

Minutes later, the clients who had Brian Demaio engaged came out and it was my turn to go get stabbed. Brian, the artist, came to me and said hello and was very friendly. I expected to be greeted by a human personification of the words “tattoo” and “piercing” but this guy only had his sleeves tattooed and did not have a single piercing that I could see. He asked to see some ID to make sure I am over 18 (I looked exceptionally young with that boy haircut, which was generally good). I gave him my drivers’ license. Then he had me sign a paper which basically stated that the studio has nothing to do with any complications that may occur after the piercing procedure is over.

I signed, we talked a little bit about Jordan and I told him I was only visiting NY for the summer. He complimented my English and then proceeded to guide me towards a glass cabinet full of piercing goodies. I was supposed to pick the “ring” or banana bell that was going to break my skin in a few moments. I picked one with red stones.

At this point I realized there was no joking about this. It was happening, and I was finally doing it. Me. For real. We went into a small room which had a giant mirror on the wall next to a dentists’-like chair where I was supposed to sit. I sat down, asked Brian some questions such as if he was going to give me aftercare instructions, if he was using sterile equipment, if he was certified, and things of the sort. Everything was very comforting and his personality really helped calm me down. He said it won’t hurt any more than my other dozen-plus piercings.

So after the belly button sterilization process, it was time to get pierced. I could not see anything because my head was sort of tilted backwards on the chair and the mirror did nothing to help. That was a gigantic bummer to me because I wanted to watch what was going on,and I wanted to videotape it if possible but I had nobody with me. I felt something clasp my belly button for a moment, and then the artist said he will count to three and it will be over. On the count of three, I felt the needle.

I can’t really say how that felt but it was not painful at first. The needle got stuck halfway through.

Brian: Oh, looks like you have thick skin.
Me: Yeah. I was an elephant in another life.
Chuckles.

I don’t really know why I was being funny but that’s how things happened. When the needle continued its journey, I felt like someone was pulling my belly button tightly inwards. That’s exactly how it felt, and I bit my lower lip and sucked it in. Then it was magically over!

I stood up, looked at my beautiful belly ring in the mirror, and thanked Brian a hundred times. I also told him that my mother will probably kill me because of it, at which point he said “It’s easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.”

I paid him and left the studio the happiest body art lover that ever walked this earth.

Since nostril piercing happens in the cartilage of the nostril, it is considerably easy for the hole to close if the jewellery falls off or is taken out of place for some hours.

Wikipedia defines nostril piercing as follows:

Nose piercing is the piercing of the skin or cartilage which forms any part of the nose, normally for the purpose of wearing jewellery; among the different varieties of nose piercings, the nostril piercing is the most common. Nose piercing is one of the most common varieties of piercing after earlobe piercing.

I woke up yesterday to the grim discovery that my nose stud had fallen off. I searched for it, and I found it. I did not know how long my nose stud had been out of place, because it could have fallen off at any point during the night. When I tried to re-insert it in its place, I found considerable difficulty.

The “hole” was still visible, and the nose stud went almost halfway in, then stopped. I think the internal cartilage must have closed up. Do not be concerned though, I would never let any such thing cost me my precious nose piercing. I pushed it in and that was naturally a little painful (not very) and the deal was done.

If you find yourself in the same situation, expect some pain and some rather trivial/almost invisible swelling for two days or so. Nobody said beauty was painless. Enjoy your nose piercing!

I’m sharing what little tips I have with anyone who has just recently gotten an ear pierced, or is planning to. This all comes from personal experience, to put more advice out there on this subject since I realize how hard it is to find practical suggestions online. I should note that this advice is mainly for cartilage piercings, lobe piercings tend to heal very fast and do not hurt half as much.

Prephase:

1- If you’re planning on getting pierced, try to do it before the weekend. This would help you avoid additional stress or pain. Going to school or work could cause additional stress you could do without. If you are a veiled girl, you should make this your top priority. Try to avoid putting anything on your head for the first days, getting pierced right before the weekend is a great idea. Stay home and let your ears adjust.

2- This will hurt. No matter how many people tell you they didn’t feel a thing, and I realize people’s pain tolerance levels are different, but you can expect at least some “uncomfortable” feelings. Be prepared and be determined; initial throbbing/redness in your ears will occur once your body feels the shock and this may last for some time. It’s all worth it though.

3- Think very well before you go get pierced. You would not want to go through the pain only to remove your jewellery a month later, now would you?

4- Have the person who’s piercing you mark the place they will pierce, or you mark it for them to show them what you want. Don’t assume that they “know”, they don’t. Make sure the dots are aligned properly as you want them, if you’re getting multiple piercings, also make sure none of the dots is too close to the outer edge of your cartilage (that hurts and causes problems).

Postphase:

1- Don’t touch your ears and avoid bumping into anything ear-first (Big mistake). Keep your hair away from your ears because if you don’t your hair will get stuck in the jewellery and removing it will hurt.

2- If you’re in too much pain after you get pierced, put ice cubes on your ears as that will ease the throbbing. Pain killers work as well.

3- Don’t even consider cleaning your ears with anything but very gentle soap and water. No alcohol, it will cause inflammation and unnecessary pain.

4- Don’t sleep on your sides, obviously. This will take some time for you to get used to but you will have to cope with your new situation. It will be a couple of weeks, up to a month or two, before you can sleep on your sides and on your ears again.

5- If you’re a veiled girl, you will go through double the trouble because of the pressure the veil puts on your newly pierced ears. Try to wear very loose veils and try to minimize the pressure.

6- Once your ears hurt less, which will be in a month’s time or so, you could put in smaller jewellery. That actually helps since the holes will shrink and heal faster (unless you’re stretching). Personally, I change from the thickish medical earrings to much smaller gauge rings as soon as I can even if the process hurts a lot. What works for me might not work for you, but that works brilliant for me.

7- Once your ears heal totally, you can experiment with jewellery. But initially you must stick to sterling silver, gold, or platinum because they usually don’t cause irritation.

I hope this helps you make a better decision and care better for your ears. Lovely sparkles, shine!

“If man could be crossed with the cat it would improve the man, but it would deteriorate the cat.” – Mark Twain

“My name is Dennis Avner and my Indian name is Stalking Cat AKA Cat, Tiger, Tiger man Cat man and others not known to me.
I am Huron and Lakota and in following a very old Huron Tradition I am transforming myself into my totem, a tiger.”

- Source

We’ve been over ModPrims before, yet there always seems to be something new in the Body Modification world. Always something to push your mind further, showing you new ways to see the same old things, and introducing perfectly fresh perspectives to behold the “weird” among “us”.

Those are things your parents do not like – I’ll give you that. Most people think body modification is just ugly and unnecessary, and they may be right, but some others find it revolutionary and, if only for this gap, it’s worth investigating.

I will post a couple of passages from an article I’ve just been tipped about, “Among the Transhumanists: Cyborgs, self-mutilators, and the future of our race” by William Saletan.

“You’ve heard of a woman trapped in a man’s body? Imagine being a one-legged person trapped in a two-legged body, said the speakers.”

“Why do we shrug at botox, liposuction, and circumcision? Why do we think it’s no big deal if models, actors, and athletes have themselves cut open for professional advancement? Why did tattoos remain illegal in parts of the United States until three weeks ago? Why did we have “ugly laws” that ordered maimed people off the streets? Why did we operate on sexually ambiguous infants to “correct” their gender, often with disastrous results?”

Good questions, no? Read the whole article here and be amazed.

So much pain and pleasure come from experience, and I have decided to share my personal experience with shopping for nose jewelry with my readership. This may not interest many people, but it could help some others make better choices while trying to find the right sparkling object to adorn their nostrils.

Generally speaking, nose bones or nose studs are the commonest. They are probably the only variety we have here in Jordan, which is an upsetting fact. But putting that aside, when shopping for a nose stud, make sure the bar is straight and make sure to know what length you are looking for. If you do not know this exactly, take a sample with you (Your old nose stud, for example). In addition to that, do check if the stud has a small ball at the end of the bar. This ball is very important; it keeps your jewelry from falling right out of your nostril every time you sneeze. But be careful, you don’t want it to be so big so as to cause some real pain when you insert or remove the jewelry. Trust me on this one. I recommend this type if you’d just gotten your piercing, it’s easy to maneuver.

Do not, ever, buy cheap nose jewelry. By cheap I mean jewelry made of God-knows-what metals. Always stick to gold (yellow or white), platinum, silver, or titanium. These metals are the safest; they would not cause you any infections or problems. Remember: you are not rich enough to afford cheap things.

There are also nose screws, which have a straight bar right after the gem and then a curve. Those can be adjusted to fit properly, but they generally come in standard form. I once got some of these and couldn’t really work them so I returned the set to the shop and got a better deal.

The current jewelry I wear is very practical. It is a nose fishtail with a longish bar, and no ball at the end. The way to insert this is a bit tricky and similar to nose screws, you twist the bar into the shape you want ( the shape of the letter L ) and bear in mind the proportions of your nostril. It takes some practice but when it works, it works magic and you don’t feel it. I would recommend this type to more experienced individuals.

And, of course, there are nose rings. The splendid thin, round metals come with a bead or a ball at one end so you would be able to close them. My personal favorite type, but I haven’t as yet found what I am looking for. You should check the gauge of the ring before buying it; there’s no use buying a ring that is too thick to move freely or one too slim.

Pages that might help the curious:

A movement I have come to learn about through my close observation of Fakir Mustafar’s works, ModPrims (Modern Primitives) are a group of people, race and belief aside, who believe in the vitality of mixing state-of-the-art technology and tribal body modification methods.

The ModPrims like Fakir Mustafar modify their bodies in numerous ways by piercing, tattooing, suspending, hooking, chaining, binding, or reforming their structure to revive old ritualistic behaviors found and practiced in all parts of the world in the past and the present. They embrace this day’s cutting-edge technologies that modify the human body, think plastic surgery, implants, or genetic manipulation, by employing the rules of modern science and medicine in their exercises

They argue that the people of this age can no longer identify with genuine pleasure, or pain for that matter, hence their manipulation of their bodies in ways that generate exactly those two elements on the short and long runs: pain and pleasure. This is the pursuit of ModPrims: sensation.

And since the limitations of the body cannot be obeyed, and mental faculties exceed the frame of the flesh, as well as their own, these manipulations serve as a means to defy such limitations and to break their hold on humans.

There is much more to be said about this movement, but I leave you at this. Should you be interested in learning a bit more about the practices or the foundations of ModPrims, read this article.

Scrolling further down may expose some people to a shocking image. Do not scroll down unless you have a virtually high level of pain tolerance. If seeing extreme piercings offends, or appals you, kindly take care not to check the image at the tail of this post. My conscience is clear, do not sue.

Body Art is a fascinating play over the human body, pushing imagination to the very extremes, and mocking pain. A great deal of patience and effort are the minimum requirements for any person considering, or willing to, undergo any form of bodmod (Body Modification). Piercing, tattooing, scarring, branding, suspension, and many another form of art sum up this fascinating world.

A touching side to the story of, widely, anyone who dares modify their body in unusual ways, is the social labels glued to them by force. The rigid manner in which most social circles receive body modifiers is unwise, but it should be expected, seeing as most people do not agree that this indeed is a form of Art. Tags such as “cries for attention”, or “cult practices”, and verdicts of the genre, could annihilate and overshadow the artistic quality of the body in question.

It may well be true that some body modifiers are expressing a need for attention, or, in other cases, belonging to a certain sect or group. A large number of body modifiers, mainly piercees and tattooed persons, frequent the studios because of a need to “belong” to a group; caused by peer pressure. To judge all as being “utter freakshows” is an error.

Following is a picture of a beautiful piece of Art, with a capital A. This is a Corset Piercing, and the image has been taken from this site. Clipping was necessary, refer to the link for further details and images. This sort of body modification represents the apex of human beauty and patience, a masterpiece.

For the benefit of all eyes reading this post, and for the spreading of knowledge about Body Art, this picture was posted from Elegant Elements. I should also add that I added six nice sparkling objects to the ears today, and the process was not painless. The problem with piercings is that you stop noticing them in the mirror after some time, and this is truly frustrating and could lead, as in my case, to additions to the metals. A positively rewarding journey, despite the pain and the inability to sleep on your sides.

A selective array of mostly sterling silver objects, so small you could lose them in a tissue. Choices have varied, some were haphazard and unresearched. But the ultimate quest was a ring, a round one hugging the nostril, wild and tender. Perhaps even a captive bead ring, that’s what got me to pierce my nose in the first place. I went without a tongue banana bell, but not the nose ring, No, Sir.

The gauge not being impressive, I dont like things overdone in the face area, of around 20G or so, one would think I could find a gallery of variants, colors, materials, and styles. Think again, one. I was unable to find my quest in Jordan’s accessory shops, and I did not find it at Claire’s even. Quite depressing.

It should be noted that I ceased the search and settled for a larger-than-usual heart shaped decoration, that in my profile picture. It’s a nose screw actually, which is different from a nose stud because the “stem” is longer and is bent to lie against the interior of the nostril. This saves one a lot of trouble, considering the fact that some nose studs, unless sealed with a final “ball”, tend to fall out of place.

Tonight I found it, or I thought I did. My long-awaited ring! It’s not a captive bead ring, not even a ring per se, it’s a helix! The installation process was complicated enough because one of the ends has a sparkling jewel, and I think I did not really do it right. It isn’t possible that this is the way it should look. Hmmm. Needless to say, pliers were called to my rescue, as usual when I decide what pointy metal object goes where, and I am disappointed by the outcome. I stopped several times and asked myself “Why am I doing this?”. Because I like it.

Body Art is assuming an increasingly important position in Jordan. It entails the modification of the body, be it superficial or profound, using colors, jewelry, or factual restructuring or “modification”.
Notwithstanding religious and social conventions, I am greatly engrossed in this form of art. I have multiple piercings and I intend to increase their current number, god willing, very soon.

The matter that I wish to discuss now, again discounting religious and social restrictions, is the lack of body art studios in Jordan. I have been shocked at this when I first resolved to practice my passion and get pierced. I must admit I did not look the matter up beforehand to educate myself on the ways in which piercing in certain areas should be performed. Therefore, I am partially to blame for the outcome of events.

I believe it is absurd not to find a single professional body art studio in Amman. If one desires to get pierced, one will have to settle for an unhygienic and a hit and miss service provided by untrained individuals at common accessory stores or pharmacies. This certainly depends on “where” one wishes to be pierced, but as a general rule, the earlobe can be pierced with a gun without problems. Any other area should be pierced at the hands of a professional piercer using a needle and/or other utensils.

This is precisely the problem. Such professional piercers do not exist, to the best of my knowledge, in Amman. This is why I, in my former inexcusable ignorance, underwent a wrong procedure to obtain the precious hole in my nostril, later to be adorned with various sparkling jewels.

The lady who conducted the “operation” was pleasant. She, however, had no idea what she was doing. I came to learn this afterwards, when I discovered the methods applied for piercing the nostril and what precautions should be taken in the process.
She told me that I can remove the present stud after a day or two, and went so far as to telling me that I should clean the newly acquired puncture with alcohol. Luckily, I looked the matter up as soon as I got home. Lo and behold! It turns out that one should never pierce the nose with a gun, and one of the ultimate sins to commit after any piercing process is to apply alcohol to the puncture as it causes inflammation and a dozen other problems.

By reading up, I learned that ear cartilage, as well, should not be pierced with a gun and it follows the same no-alcohol-after-piercing code. I was given similar incorrect instructions after my 6 novel cartilage holes, this time by a pharmacist.

I then went to a certain store that I heard performs belly button piercings. Only this time I was well informed and understating of most aspects of the practice. They told me that they pierce the area just above the belly button with a gun, and place a regular earring in it. Later on, after a week’s time or so, the client returns to have the earring removed and a proper belly button jewel inserted in its place. In other words, they expand the fresh, unhealed hole. Needless to say, this is painful and unsanitary.

A belly button piercing should never be performed with a gun. The jewelry itself should not be removed before six months or so, the period of time required for the fresh wound to heal. Or one would risk ending up with a black belly button and a hideous scar. I would never submit myself to such a risk, let alone have a non-professional handle a serious piercing operation like that.

It is indeed funny to find great numbers of Jordanian youth being pierced at local accessory stores and pharmacies, ignorant of the fact that what they are doing greatly enhances the chances of their catching one disease or another. Or, at the very least, the risk of their obtaining scars and numerous skin problems.

It is also unacceptable, in my opinion, not to find a single professional piercing studio in Amman. This is what forces people to resort to inexperienced individuals, sometimes to themselves or their friends, to get pierced. I think it is time something is done about this.
I apologise if my narration of certain unpleasant details did not come to your liking, the affair could not be avoided.