Body art has become so popular in the past few years that it's hard to walk down the street,
go to the mall, or watch TV without seeing someone with a piercing or a tattoo. Whether it's
ears, lips, nostrils, eyebrows, belly buttons, tongues, or even cheeks, you've probably seen
piercings - maybe multiple piercings - on lots of people. Perhaps you think body piercings look
cool and you've thought about getting one. But are they safe? Are they a good idea? And what
should you be aware of if you do decide to get one?

Body piercing is the practice of puncturing or cutting a part of the human body, creating an
opening in which jewelry may be worn. Body piercing is a form of body modification. The word
piercing can refer to the act or practice of body piercing, or to an opening in the body created
by this act or practice. The cultural norms reflected in body piercing are various. They may
include religion, spirituality, fashion, eroticism, conformism, or subcultural identification.

A tattoo, or dermal pigmentation, is a mark made by inserting pigment into the skin for decorative
or other reasons. Tattoos on humans are a type of decorative body modification, while tattoos on
animals are most commonly used for identification or branding. Tattooing has been practiced
worldwide. The Ainu, the indigenous people of Japan, wore facial tattoos, as do some Maori of
New Zealand to this day. Tattooing was widespread among Polynesian peoples, and among
certain tribal groups in the Philippines, Borneo, Mentawai Islands, Africa, North America, South
America, Mesoamerica, Europe, Japan, Cambodia, New Zealand and China. Despite some taboos
surrounding tattooing, the art continues to be popular all over the world.