It's painful, can lead to nasty scars and may even set off a few airport security alarms, but body piercing remains a popular and common trend. Regardless of age, people continue poking themselves to decorate their bodies with shiny metals and sparkling gems.
???Kathleen Byrnes, a sophomore English major, believes that the main reason the college-aged crowd gets pierced is because it's a way to be deviant.
???"Body piercing has always been popular with college kids since they're not permanent [like tattoos] and can be taken out at any time," Byrnes said.
???According to Sarah Graviano, a piercer at CowPok, body piercings are not just popular among the college crowd.
???"People from age 15 to 70 come in to get pierced. We have senior discounts," Graviano said.
???Byrnes, who has her naval and ears pierced, said she didn't get her naval pierced for any specific reason.
???"I wasn't planning on getting anything pierced, but a friend offered to pay for it and I figured my parents weren't likely to see it, so I just did it," Byrnes said.
???According to Byrnes, the actual piercing didn't hurt.
???"The piercer was really good. She told me everything that was happening, so the pain really wasn't an issue for me," Byrnes said.
???Phil Gardone, a senior environmental studies major, has had his ears, tongue, and septum pierced. The piercing on his septum hurt the most, because of the concentration of nerves in that area. The tongue piercing, which he eventually retired, was beginning to damage his teeth.
???"I had to take the tongue ring out because I played with it too much," Gardone said. "My dentist showed me that my gum line was actually receding."
???Byrnes said she isn't planning on any more piercings.
???"I wouldn't get my nose pierced because I think it would be annoying. Maybe I'd get my lip pierced if my parents wouldn't care," Byrnes said.
???Some may wonder why people enjoy sticking themselves with needles, but what about the piercer behind the needles????
???Graviano, who has worked at CowPok for 10 years, doesn't remember how she got into piercing.
???"I was just good at it," Graviano said. "Why is someone good at basketball? It just comes naturally for me."
???According to Graviano, being able to line things up exactly is an important skill for piercing.
???She also said that no particular piercing is more popular than another. Similarly, she doesn't have a favorite piercing to do.
???"It's not the actual piercing I like, it's the experience of piercing people," Graviano said. "Like if someone is 45 years old and they've always wanted something pierced but couldn't because of their job or something else, then it's fun to finally give them what they wanted."
???On the other hand, Graviano doesn't like to pierce people who come in on a dare but don't really want anything pierced.
???"I want to pierce someone who wants to be pierced," she said.
???In the world of piercing, there isn't anything weird, but there are plenty of stupid things, Graviano said.
???"After the Jackass movie came out, a lot of people wanted the Steve-O piercing," she said.
???Graviano doesn't turn people away, but she will try and talk them out of getting piercings that won't heal properly.
???"[For example,] not everyone can get their bellybutton pierced. We have to tell them it might not be a good idea so they can at least make an educated decision," Graviano said.
???Gardone believes that piercing a body part is a meaningful form of self-expression, and that is permanent as long as the hardware is never taken out.
???Byrnes doesn't think she'll ever take her naval piercing out.
???"I really like it and it's not visible on a daily basis. Maybe in a few years, if it started to annoy me, I'd take it out."
???For the right reasons and with a good piercer, body piercing can be a rewarding experience. Buffalo offers a variety of excellent piercing establishments.
Additional Reporting by Tim Monahan and Dennis Seaman, Asst. Life Editors.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
