Piercings are a convenient form of self-expression because they can be temporary. If you want them to go away, you can take them out and let your body take care of the rest. You can also switch up your jewelry to find the style that’s best for you and makes you feel most yourself.

I’ve always loved having my single and double ear piercings, but this year I wanted to try something new. I had been asking for a navel piercing for a while and my parents always put it off by saying that I had to wait until I was a senior. 

However, September of my senior year rolled around faster than they anticipated and before I knew it, I was in Evolution Body Arts getting my belly button pierced and slightly freaking out. However, after a few seconds of pain, I had a new piercing and was ready to go on my merry way. 

A lot of people were surprised that I did it, but I was super excited about it. I feel like I’m a typical rule follower and this was something that was slightly rebellious and interesting. Ciara Carroll, a fellow senior, also started getting more piercings their senior year. 

“It’s a good way to express yourself,” Carroll said. She also pointed out that our generation is a lot more accepting of piercings than our parents and grandparents’ generations. 

Soon after that, I noticed that everybody was getting piercings. A lot of my friends got nose piercings, doubles, and singles. It was really interesting to see the recent spike in popularity as people became braver with their self-expression and fashion choices. 

“It’s a conversation starter,” said senior Grace Thomas. “It ties looks together with the earrings. I turned eighteen and I wanted to do something independently, so it was like fun and granola.” 

Body piercings have been popular for hundreds of thousands of years and their popularity has only increased as the years have gone by. The ‘90s and 2000s were considered a “piercing golden age” as people got more inspired by celebrities at the time such as Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Naomi Campbell. 

I’m excited to go into the next chapter of my life and be able to express myself with my piercings and potentially get more in the future.