Students with tattoos and piercings

Instead of using typical creative outlets that require filling a blank space, some students become the canvas, accessorizing themselves with piercings and tattoos to display their unique styles.

Students’ inspirations for getting body art come from different places. For junior ZongYun Deng, who has three pairs of lobe piercings, their grandmother sparked their interest. Deng describes how their grandmother helped pierce Deng’s mother’s ears. 

“They would … grind [a grain of rice] against the lobe [to numb it],” Deng said. “My mom [used this method to get] … her ears pierced as a teen. … I thought that was so cool.”

Sophomore Rashmika Manu received daith and industrial piercings on her cartilage two years ago. 

“Having a lot of piercings in one ear was trendy, so I thought I’d [stand out] … by getting [them],” Manu said.

Senior Mia Birkelund’s nose piercing had a far more spontaneous origin.

“[We] went to a tattoo shop [for my sister] … to get her doubles pierced, but she … chickened out,” Birkelund said. “My mom was like ‘we set up an appointment; do you want to get something pierced?’ I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, of course.’”

Senior Brett Tsamasfyros got her first tattoo in 2021, which pictures two intertwined poppy flowers.

“I wanted people to know … [that] I have my roots in California,” Tsamasfyros said. “The poppy flower is the state flower [of California].”

Although excited to get her tattoo, Tsamasfyros initially had some concerns about how it would turn out.

“I was scared that it was going to hurt or the tattoo artist was going to mess up,” Tsamasfyros said. “I was very picky since … the tattoo was going to be permanent, [but everything] … went [well].”

“With a [piercing] needle, … you get that rush of adrenaline”

Deng got their first two pairs of lobe piercings with a piercing gun at Claire’s. Piercing guns puncture a hole in the skin, creating a wound that can be easily infected, a risk that led Deng to use a needle for their third pair.

“[Tattoo and piercings shops use] a needle … that glides through your ear … and creates less damage,” Deng said. “My friend and I used sewing needles and sterilized them using fire. We kind of angled our earrings wrong, but it could have gone worse.”

Birkelund finds piercing guns and needles have different levels of pain.

“[The piercing gun gives off] … a burning sensation,” Birkelund said. “A needle is more [like a pinch], but you get that rush of adrenaline.”

The healing process is important in getting the best result. Tattoos require lotion to prevent skin dehydration. Piercings need more careful precautions for proper healing. This is especially true for swimmers, like Birkelund.

“When I was little, I would swim throughout the school year and then [take a break] during the summer,” Birkelund said. “I would align my piercings with that timeline, so they had time to heal.”

When taking care of her healing piercings, getting an infection was her worst fear.

“I got [the nose ring] done on a Friday and had to swim on a Tuesday,” Birkelund said. “[After practice, I would] dump [saltwater] in my nose because I was so scared that something would happen.”

Her concern is reasonable: a study by Dr. Henry Hoffman and Dr. Timothy Simplot found minor infections are present in 30% of cartilage piercings.

“My friends thought [my piercings] were cool,” Manu said. “I ended up taking the daith piercings off after [a few] weeks … because people told me it was dangerous.” 

The stigma surrounding body art poses another challenge. Elaborate tattoos and bold piercings are sometimes considered flashy and unnatural for academic and professional settings. 

“[Piercings are] no longer a big representation of your intelligence”

Birkelund sometimes feels judged for having a nose ring.

“[I am] a little self-conscious going into high-level STEM classes,” Birkelund said. “[Situations] where being blonde and having piercings have made me feel uncomfortable.”

Birkelund’s mom was concerned about how her nose ring could possibly impact her college interview.

“My mom was like, ‘are you seriously wearing your nose ring to that?’” Birkelund said. “She was so scared, but the interviewer was totally nice.”

Junior Sasha Kassimov has experienced stigma against her stomach piercing within her family.

“Even though my grandma wasn’t okay with it, that doesn’t make me feel bad about the belly piercing because it’s what I want,” Kassimov said. “I know people can be judgemental, … but I focus on myself.”

Fortunately, some believe that the stigma is improving.

“My mom … got her nose pierced in her ‘20s, and she [couldn’t] wear them for … long … because she went into the workforce right after,” Birkelund said. “I’ve gotten a job with my nose ring before, and I’ve interviewed for my top schools with [the ring]. It’s no longer a big representation of your intelligence.”

As body art grows in popularity as a means of self-expression, the stigma surrounding it may diminish as well.