Piercings and the Conservative(ish) Mindset of My Parents

I wasn’t allowed to get my ears pierced until I was in 7th grade. After begging my mom for years, she finally caved. We went together to the mall and walked into Claire’s to perform the ceremonious rite of passage almost every teenage girl goes through. She wasn’t too excited about me getting holes in my ears, but I could care less. I was so excited to finally be able to have another way to accessorize and wear the dangling earrings my friends would sport at school. Fast forward five years later, I now have 13 piercings: 5 on my right ear, 6 on my left, a nose piercing, and a septum. 

To me, piercings are a form of expression, but to my parents, they are unnecessary and in some ways, inappropriate. They were worried I wouldn’t be taken seriously in job interviews and were vocal about their opinions every time I came home with a new piercing. I don’t blame them. It is no secret that piercings in the workplace have long been seen as unprofessional, and there are many stereotypes held against those who have many piercings. I understood that the comments my parents made about my highly visible piercings were their way of expressing concern for the possible prejudices that I could face in the future. 

Before getting my septum pierced, I waited 2 years before I decided to go through with it. It was quite an investment, not only in terms of money but also in terms of my individuality. Visually, I thought the septum was striking and unique. I wanted it simply because it looked cool, and it would contribute to my unique look. But the weight of the stereotypes and prejudices that my parents drilled so many times was heavy on my mind. On top of that, I did not want this piercing to be labeled as a sign of rebellion against my parents. They could not understand why I would want such a visible piercing. To them, standing out too much from the crowd came with the risk of negative attention, and piercings back then carried a heavier ball and chain than it does today. 

But thankfully, because we are living in the most progressive times yet, I realized views about piercings are changing. More and more young people are getting piercings, and heavy stereotypes have diminished over the years. Our generation has begun to appreciate the differences in the way we look. This is not to say that piercings are wholeheartedly accepted everywhere, but there will always be people who will scrutinize you for doing anything out of the norm. I’ve learned that their opinions are just that, opinions. 

Of course, my parents were absolutely baffled when I came back home with a facial piercing smack in the middle of my face, and I did get lectured for spending my money to get another hole in my body. But I absolutely do not regret getting my septum done, or any of the other 12 piercings I have. Over time, my parents were able to see firsthand it was very possible to get a job (or internship in my case) with a septum. While they may not still fully understand why anyone would want such a piercing, they eventually chose to respect my decision, and as for me, I had yet another way to accessorize. 

• Earrings
• expression
• individuality
• parents
• piercings