Even getting her first piercing yanked out of her ear didn’t stop freshman Julia Barone from following the trend of multiple earrings. Starting with just one on each side at three years old, she now has up to five piercings on her left and four on the right. 

In today’s society, it would be strange walking around and not seeing teenagers with even multiple body piercings, so when did piercings become so much more normalized today?

Trends

From TikTok celebrities to fashion icons, people constantly want to follow the latest and most fashionable trends. 

“I know so many people with a lot of piercings, like my mom and friends,” Barone said. “On social media people have a lot of piercings, so that just influenced me to get mine.”

Nose rings, belly button piercings, gauges and stacked earrings have grown in popularity, especially in society today. But why do people wear so many at once?

The appeal of piercings differ from person to person. For some, body piercings are an opportunity for them to express their own unique style and individuality; for others, the bigger idea is fitting in.

One of the biggest trends is the style of a “stacked ear,” which includes many piercings along the earlobe and up to the top of one’s ear. An article from IMBER shows the popularity of these piercings among their clients. They believe the personalized styling, small impact, accessibility for small ears and a subtle statement are big reasons why this trend has taken off. 

“I think it looks really cool and it can enhance an outfit’s potential because it just gives more detail, and you can change your outfit so much more from earrings,” freshman Zoe Spencer said.

Being a teenager in a society filled with multiple generations who have piercings makes one want to feel part of the group and join the trend. 

“I think piercings are really just becoming more stylish,” sophomore Abigail Rawls said, “especially when you see everyone at school and in public having a type of piercing, it makes others want one too.”

Sophomore Nicole Cui has a total of seven piercings, five of which she did herself. Home piercings are less expensive, easy to access and a great way to customize one’s looks on their own terms. 

“I just really like the different earrings you can get and I think they are super cute, they also didn’t hurt that bad so it was worth it,” Cui said. 

For those who don’t feel safe piercing themselves, going to a professional piercer is always a great alternative. However, the quick sting only lasts for a second and the healing process goes by with a breeze using the correct cleaning products. 

“When I pierced mine, it was kind of scary because it wouldn’t go in at first so I had to keep piercing it,” Spencer said, “but you have to remember pain is temporary, but swag is forever.”

Cultural Influence

Seeing a cool body piercing in a magazine could definitely influence one into getting it for themself. However, some may get piercings because of one’s background and culture.

Piercing a baby girl’s ears is a celebration of femininity in many cultures. This tradition symbolizes a cultural marker of beauty and femininity, a family’s love and blessing and a meaningful bonding experience with mothers and daughters.

Sophomore Zara Valencia Morales got her first piercings when she was just a baby, as it was a tradition in Columbia, where she was born. 

“In my family specifically, we have a tradition where all the women get similar gold earrings with a small stone when they are born,” Valencia Morales said. “It creates a strong cultural connection with wearing jewelry for us.”

In Western cultures however, having children get ear piercings when they are older has always been the norm. This gives the chance for children to choose what piercings they want and when to get them, if ever. 

“My parents wanted to give me the opportunity to choose when I wanted them done,” Rawls said. “They didn’t feel comfortable poking me with a needle at such a young age.”

Nose piercings also have significant meanings for other cultures. In Indian culture, nose piercings are often connected to tradition, beauty and marriage. Women also wear them to show their femininity and cultural identity. 

From cultural traditions to social media influences on teenagers, piercings continue to become a popular way of showing self-expression. Whether it is a pair of stretched ear gauges or a belly button ring, piercings have turned into a norm in society today and have evolved into an important way of individuality. 

“I got all my earrings because I saw all my friends and sisters getting them so they influenced me to copy them,” Spencer said, “ but once I started getting them, I just really liked the look so I decided to get more and more.”