Not a day goes by that I don’t notice at least one (not including my own). The cashier at the grocery store had two, that freshman girl down the hall just got one, and the hostess at the Famous Dave’s barbeque place had at least five. It was that hostess who sparked the realization that I am not alone in my need to be an individual.
I would say that part of it started with the punk scene. Image was everything and all you needed to start a band was the knowledge of three or four chords. (I’m not knocking it, it’s just true. I took a class.) Safety pin sales at the time probably went through the roof. Piercings were a shock factor. It was the new way to publicly announce that you didn’t care.
This and other influences have been picked up and then trickled through a filter of social media and fashion magazines resulting in a cultural phenomenon that has touched even the population of Northwestern College.
We have all seen piercings done terribly and thought things like, “Mother of all that is holy—what are you thinking?” So how does one go about it in the right way? Getting expert advice on this subject was a bit difficult since internet research only revealed opinions such as, “their hott” or “that is the nastiest idea ever.” To try to make sense of it, I’m going with an analogy.
Decorating your face is an art form, so the question you have to ask yourself is: Do you want to resemble a Rembrandt or the works of Thomas Kinkade?
Treat your face as the canvas. Thomas Kinkade does pieces of incredibly cheesy art with too much going on (esp. flower bushes). Rembrandt was known for, among other things, his use of singular light sources that were, in some cases, a-symmetrical. So like Rembrandt, what do you want to highlight? If you don’t like your nose, why the heck would you get a nose piercing? If your lips command enough attention already, you don’t need a lip ring.
Your face is pretty symmetrical already, and if you didn’t know that then this article or any article isn’t going to be of much use. A-symmetry can be a great design element, and it’s what you’re to get if you pierce an appendage (unless it’s a septum piercing). You still want to have some sort of balance, though, and the interest of your face should be displayed evenly.
What jewelry you get will help with this. There are many different colors/shapes/whatever that you can choose. Figure out your skin tone and go with something that contrasts nicely. For instance, if you have “cooler” tones in your skin and hair, gold probably wouldn’t be the best. Your face is a palette of colors, so choose a color that is within the palette or one that will compliment.
Celebrating the symmetry of your face is a bit more difficult but can be done beautifully. Example: Audi (Sarah) Kuiken. Audi previously worked in the costume shop at Northwestern and was known for her freakishly awesome outfits. I’m talking capes and metallics and hightops and self tailored dresses.
The first time I saw Sarah, I noticed that she had a line drawn down the middle of her chin. (I don’t know if it was a tattoo or just eyeliner). Regardless, she had purposefully played with the symmetry of her face and the added balance was lovely. Keep that in mind if you decide to do a symmetrical piercing.
Also: What are you trying to say with this? Is it a rebellious statement? Are you reaching out to your punk predecessors? What image are you going for? Do you still want respect? Then maybe don’t get that large pink blinging stud or something that looks like you got it from the clearance section of Walmart. Although, if your point is to shock and freak people out, then do whatever you want, and more power to you.