My Body is a Temple…Let Me Decorate It
You’re looking through the glass display case. You’re mesmerized by beautiful shiny jewelry. Few quick seconds of pain but endless beauty. You pay the deposit and wait. OWEEE “Ok you’re all set!” says the piercer. You look in the mirror. Wow, it looks nice. You show all your friends your new piercing. You feel so confident.
Back to reality. An estimated 83% of Americans have at least one body piercing, according to Reference.com, an online encyclopedia. At the same time, a survey conducted by Salary.com shows that 76% of respondents felt that piercings and or tattoos will hurt the chance of someone getting a job. And a whopping 55% reported that visible body piercings are inappropriate within the work environment.
But why? Body piercings should not limit someone’s job opportunity. Some people may believe that body piercings are unprofessional within the workplace. However, they should consider that piercings can be cultural, a form of self expression, and that piercings are actually good for the economy.
Piercings are not a new thing. Having a nose piercing can be traced all the way back 4,000 years from the Middle East based on an article focused on the history of body piercings. Even in terms of Christianity, Genesis 24:22 mentions a golden nose ring that Rebekah (a religious figure) received as a gift.
To this day, Berber and Beja tribes most commonly in Northern Africa still wear nose rings. Within this culture, the size of the nose ring portrays wealth and stability. Typically, a husband gives the nose jewelry to his wife during their wedding.
In India, the left side of a woman’s nose is usually pierced. Based on ayurvedic (Indian alternative medicine) this piercing reduces childbirth and menstrual pain. Also, nose rings can be tied to religious practices. In Hinduism, nose piercings are a way to show respect to the Goddess of marriage, Parvathi.
Regardless of cultural and religious influence, piercings are a form of self expression. They allow people to decorate their bodies. Selecting the jewelry and the location of the piercing is a personal experience.
However, employers are able to enforce a no piercing policy. Unless you can prove your piercing is religious you may need to remove it. Nonetheless, employers should not stereotype people with piercings. They could be overlooking qualification and talent based on aimless stigma.
Piercing discrimination should not limit one’s freedom. Self expression through body modifications is not just because someone may find the jewelry beautiful. Piercings are often used to increase self confidence. In a study conducted by Christine Coleman and Helge Gillmeister 27.3% of respondents felt that their navel piercings made them more attractive.
Based on Psychology Today’s article self agency is a psychological term that relates to one’s ability to control their actions and the consequences they may experience. Piercings may be a way for someone to boost their self agency by having control over their body. In the previously cited study, roughly 12% of surveyed individuals claimed that their navel piercing was a way to seek control of their bodies.
If body piercings give someone a feeling of control over their body and self confidence, employers should not take this away.
In a country with less piercing tolerance the economy would take a hit; especially small businesses. According to industry research from IBISWorld, in the United States the market size of piercing shops in 2023 is $582.1 million. Also, the market size of piercing studios is expected to grow 5.5% by the end of 2023. If piercings become strongly disapproved of, piercing studios will suffer.
Based on the Association of Professional Piercers (APP), there are 323 registered piercing studios in the U.S. However, these studios are members of the APP, meaning this number is just a fraction of the amount of American studios.
While some people, mainly in the older generation see piercings as rebellious and unprofessional this should not stop someone from getting a piercing. Besides just expressing one’s self, piercings may be religiously or culturally important. Don’t forget to consider that the piercing industry is big and growing. Moral of the story: if getting piercings makes you feel good, do it.
Madelyn Bourdeau is a fourth year student at American University in Bulgaria studying journalism and politics. She admires body piercings and believes everyone is entitled to freedom of expression.
