Wearing body jewelry has been in different cultures for hundreds or even thousands of years, just not in the way many of us see it now. Nowadays it is used as a form of cultural self-expression and the details of it you have, the louder the cultural statement and believe me, people are listening.

People are different, as is the body jewelry they wear. Again, just like humans, this jewelry comes in various sizes, shapes and colors, not to mention each one has its own style. The relationship between the two is a bit ironic, is right? But with this type of jewelry, unlike people, you have the option of sporting it where you want as well as how many piercings you want.

This relationship isn’t as far fetched as you may think because of the various ways and reasons why people wear their body jewelry. Many things in life are thought of as a result of life experiences, or the fact that they want to experience it. In several cultures, donning body jewelry is a rite of passage, to show the rest of the village that this particular person is no longer a child, but by their standards, is an adult.

This one event alters a way of experiencing life, they want to experience even more than what they have already. (Please keep in mind that this is only one brief example of the way cultures view wearing body jewelry, there are numerous other ways different cultures view things like this.) Now on the other hand, some do it, especially now in Western cultures, as a way to express who they are, which can be seen as a cultural move as well.

My point in saying this is that people who wear body jewelry should not be considered as being weird or as a freak, but as having appeared themselves in culture, regardless of what you think. So the next time you see someone with a nose piercing, what are you going to think?

Body jewelry and body piercing practices have been observed by various groups of people all over the world throughout the centuries. Body jewelry is used to enhance personal beauty and as devices to rise above the rest of the pack. Today’s celebrities have been at the forefront in making body jewelry much more mainstream and acceptable – even desirable.

“What’s a little pain if it’ll make me look hip” seems to be the prevalent thought among the young and the old who are turning out in increasing numbers to participate in the body jewelry trend. Not so long ago, only punk rockers and those with ‘bad boy’ images, such as former NBA star Dennis Rodman, were seen sporting body piercings in mainstream media. Today, body jewelry is endorsed by pop celebrities with mass followings, including Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Fiona Apple and Lenny Kravitz. Britney Spears has an extensive collection of navel rings, and Christina Aguilera is said to wear the most interesting body jewelry in areas that are covered by her clothing.

Some celebrities with an otherwise ‘serious’ image are nevertheless fans of body art. Actress Camryn Manheim of the television drama ‘The Firm’ sports multiple earrings on the cartilage of one ear. Gillian Anderson, who played the cynical and skeptical FBI agent Dana Scully in the television series ‘The X Files,’ has a pierced belly button. Performers with tongue piercings include former Spice Girl Melanie Brown (Scary Spice) and dancer Jimmy Gulzar, while supermodels Christy Turlington and James King are proud of their piercings. Some sports celebrities also wear body jewelry, including WWE wrestlers A-Train and Billy Gunn, as well as football player Ricky Williams.

Body jewelry has also been used throughout the ages to enhance sensation, and by extension, sexuality and sexual performance. Genital and nipple piercing in both men and women, while not as widespread as nose, ear, tongue, navel and eyebrow piercing, still has its own following. Singer Janet Jackson has stated on the Oprah Winfrey talk show that she likes the sensation that her pierced nipples give her. Other celebrities with pierced nipples include rock musicians Axl Rose and Tommy Lee, Icelandic singer Bjork and rapper Lil Kim. Pop princess Britney Spears likewise has a pierced nipple.

Celebrities, whether they like it or not, are oftentimes looked up to as role models and the influence they wield over their fans is considerable. Fans emulate their idols’ preferences: from clothing, mannerism, even to the wearing of body jewelry. More and more, they are playing a leading role not only in the direction of today’s fashion trends but also in the shaping of modern pop culture.