The practice of creating holes in body parts for cosmetic purposes. Body piercing enables people to wear jewelry in such body parts as the earlobes, lips, nose, navel, eyebrows, nipples, and genitals. Body piercing has been practiced in almost every society, chiefly involving ears, nose, and mouth. Nontraditional body piercing has become increasingly popular in Western societies, such as the United States.
Placing an object, usually a metal or plastic ornament, into a body part such as the ears, navel, nose, lips, tongue, nipple, or genitalia. Piercing may be associated with problems such as local skin infections, the transmission of blood-borne infections, and allergic reactions to the object.