With trends of next generation body piercing increasing in popularity the days of getting a belly button ring tunneled into your naval is almost as common as getting your ears pierced. Piercings on the body are a form of body modification, in which a specific pierced opening goes into the body. Since ancient times ear piercing has existed alongside the not-so-conventional types of body piercing, one example being women in India who for centuries pierced their nostrils. In the 1970s, body piercing gained acceptance in the gay BDSM (bondage, discipline and sadomasochism) subculture for various reasons. In 1975 in Los Angeles, California, Jim Ward’s legendary storefront, The Gauntlet, opened and it served as America’s first recognized place for body piercings.

While some folks practice body piercing for religious and cultural reasons, many choose to adorn their bodies as a mere fashion statement. As attitudes and values change, body modification is having a comeback to mainstream society. Jennifer Elice, the Director of Sales and Marketing for Metal Mafia, offers her insight on the rapid transformation and increase in popularity of this craze over the past few years.

LJ: Do you see an increased trend in body piercing today versus 10 years ago? 
JE: Yes, we’ve noticed a large increase, in that both nose and belly piercing have become just as common as your typical ear piercing. These days parents are taking their 13, 16 and 18 year-old daughters to the mall to get their navels pierced. It’s almost become a rite of passage, as common as getting a car for your sweet sixteen. Parents are also using the "gift" of a body piercing or a tattoo as leverage to insure their child gets good grades in school. Now one semester of straight A's can equal a belly piercing that is 100% mom and dad approved. 

Another trend that we’ve noticed more recently is upper middle class women going to their local medi-spas to get a glycolic peel and a nose or navel piercing. Because of these types of piercings being so commonplace, the popularity of more extreme methods including ear stretching and surface piercings is growing. The same people that are still seeking the shock value that a lip piercing had 10 years ago are now rebelling by stretching their ears to fit 1" plugs.

LJ: Do you think the American culture is now more 'accepting' of body piercing and body jewelry?
JE: Society is finally coming to the realization that piercings don’t necessarily mean you’re trashy or lower class. In the corporate environment, the shock appeal of the piercing has now worn off now where it is more widely accepted. Several recent articles report that many employers must hire more young professionals that either have visible tattoos and/ or body piercings. Additionally employers are finding that many job applicants who have experimented with body modification are more qualified than the few that have not. In the end, employers are setting aside their personal views and preferences to insure they hire the right person for the job.

LJ: What are some of Metal Mafia’s best selling body piercings and jewelry?
JE: Navel jewelry is technically the best selling item because it is constantly changing along with trends in fashion. For example, we have many styles that replicate the look of chandelier earrings and the new mini-charm trend. Additionally fancy belly rings are a staple these days, you can buy them in your local convenience store or nail salon for $10. Typically, flowers, butterflies, and cherries tend to be our best-selling themes for the belly.

LJ: What is your newest body accessory for 2007?
JE: Our newest accessory is actually a new form of surface piercing jewelry, the Dermal Anchor™.  This type of piercing is usually seen on the back of the neck, chest, and arms. Dermal Anchoring is a single point piercing process in which there is an entrance hole but no exit hole. Ben Trigg, who originally started experimenting with dermal anchoring (patent pending) at Living Arts Tattoo and Piercing Studio in Colorado Springs, Colorado, perfected this type of piercing. Metal Mafia is currently working closely with him to bring this method to the masses.

Personal attitudes towards piercing vary, some regard the practice as spiritual, while others view it as cultural appropriation and for many the practice is a form of art or self-expression. Even symbolism serves as a reasoning for body piercing, where survivors of sexual abuse attribute their experience of piercing as allowing them to retake control over their own bodies. 

Whether you consider body modification to be a sign of non-conformity, or something trendy, it’s a way of expressing ones own personal style and identity. Ultimately, it is just another way of dressing from the inside out.

All images featured are copyrights of Metal Mafia, a wholesale jewelry company in New York City's fashion district. For product information visit metalmafia.com , and for retail purchases visit bodycandy.com or mariasaccessories.com .