In North America the practice of body piercing and tattooing is becoming more and more common, with its popularity almost quadrupling in the past five years. This fashion trend is most common among young people who are getting things pierced and tattooed either as an affirmation of their personal individuality, as a means of sexual gratification or stimulation, a reclamation of their own body, or as a means of adornment. Regardless of the reason, it's widespread. Over these past few years, the times have changed and "contrary to popular belief, body piercing is not being performed by freakish subculture deviants. In order to be a reputable piercer one has to take a rigorous course of education in the principles and methods of body piercing."1 The practice has become mainstream in the past couple of years, although only for North America. Tattooing and body piercing has been around for hundreds of years. For example, in Japan, Asia, India, and Polynesia these rituals are a form of self expression, often with religious significance. For most people the reason that body piercing is so popular today is because it gives humans a way to feel like individuals; this is true not only for North America but for the Eastern countries too.

1 Thomas, Sander