As civilization marches forward, people will always be finding new ways to express themselves. While body modification has been around for centuries, the flux in the type and degree to which body modification is acceptable has been on the rise in recent years. For a long time, the only acceptable piercing in America seemed to be the earlobe, and then only if it was on a woman. I'm sure everyone nowadays has seen someone so exorbitantly bedecked with piercings on every flap of skin they could find, that the practice has almost become old-hat. That being said, some people may be still unaware of the evolution of piercing things that do not even require a hanging flap of skin-dermal piercings.
The differences between a dermal piercing and a traditional piercing is that instead of threading a piece of jewelry through a piece of skin, you are actually implanting one piece of jewelry underneath the sub dermal tissue of the skin, and using this as an "anchor" to hold the visible piece of jewelry. There are obviously certain complications with this method; one is that it can be quite painful, as it requires punching a deep hole in your skin to make sure that the anchor is deep enough to be effective. This is also a piercing generally reserved for those with extreme dedication to their body modification. Unlike conventional piercings that can simply be slipped in and out depending on the occasion, some even having the ability to heal if they are left out long enough, dermal piercings require a trained medical professional to uproot. Someone without medical training can perform the piercing itself because it only involves making a hole big enough to hold the anchor, then making sure it is secure. However, as the piercing heals, this piece of metal will become well entrenched in your body-you will not want someone without an MD trying to dig that out of you.
All complications aside, people are actually finding this a fairly appealing piercing to have. For one it allows you to have piercings in places that are easily hidden by clothes; if you're a piercing fanatic, but still want to be desirable to employers and thus can't get the full spectrum of facial piercings that have been in vogue for years, this is one way to get your fix. Furthermore, many piercers and piercing enthusiasts consider them to be a better mode of expression than standard piercings. While earrings and so forth can come in a variety of shapes, styles and designs, multiple dermal piercings can make their own. As dermal piercings can be done nearly anywhere on the body, you can plot points with them and make a sort of "connect-the-dots" version of an important symbol, or simply a design you find appealing.
Dermal piercings have erupted with such popularity among the counter-culture that it is likely that many more people will be drawn to them soon. Their ability to be concealed in most situations makes them ideal for the casual piercing lover, and their permanence appeals to the strong and rebellious piercing fanatic.
Written by John Throop, a writer for a tattoo & dermal piercings company in Chicago, IL.
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