What is body piercing?

Body piercing is when a hole is made in your skin so you can add a piece of jewelry for decoration. Earlobe piercing (through the soft lower part of the ear) is the most common type. Some people pierce their ear cartilage (the harder part around the edge of the ear). Other common places to pierce are the eyebrow, nose, tongue, lip, belly button, nipples, or genitals. Piercings may have only become widely popular in mainstream culture in recent years, but the practice of body piercing is far from new. Piercing dates back to Bible times and earlier. Read on to find out when specific types of piercings were first recorded and how their popularity has evolved in years since.