Body piercing is one of the forms of body modification. In this activity, part of the body is punctured or cut to create an opening in which one may wear jewelry. The term piercing may be used to refer to the act of body piercing or to the opening that results from this activity. When in need of the best body piercing Toronto is the best location to visit. There are many specialists in this practice in Toronto who offer great service affordably.

The history of piercings is a long one that stretches several centuries into the past. However, research in this field has been rather slow and unsupported, something that has led to lack of sufficient information about it. Reluctance by researchers and lack of primary research sources are responsible for the information gap in the field. The origin of the process is largely unknown because of misinformation.

People have various reasons why they pierce their bodies. Some do so for religious/spiritual reasons. Others engage in the activity for aesthetic value, self-expression, or sexual pleasure. There are also cultures that require their followers to pierce their bodies in certain ways. Piercing the body may also be a sign of rebelling from a certain culture. Controversy is often associated with certain piercings that some people engage in, especially the young.

Various employers, religious groups, and schools enforce laws against certain piercings. Workers in certain workplaces are required to maintain a certain dress code and appearance. The Guinness World Record features people with thousands of piercings on their body. Some of these people usually have permanent or temporary piercings or both. Piercings may be placed on different parts of the body, including ears, nose, lips, tongue, navel, nipple, and genital.

People have engaged in the piercing of ears all over the world since the ancient times. There is a lot of written and archeological evidence to support this practice. Mummified bodies whose ears have been pierced have been discovered in many parts of the world, including Austria and Egypt. Earrings that date as far back as 2500 BCE have been discovered in graves.

During the early years of the 20th century this process was very unpopular in western countries. It only started to become popular when gay men started to pierce their bodies for identity purposes after the world war two ended. Malloy, Ward and several other groups had come up by the 1960s. An individual called Ward was the first person to set up a facility for offering these kinds of services in California.

In the modern times, piercings are done using special equipment and methods to avoid risks that are associated with the practice. The process of making the opening is an invasive procedure that involves several risks. Some of the risks associated with the process are excessive scarring, physical injury, infections, allergic reactions, and bleeding.

Using hygienic equipment and offering excellent aftercare can help to avoid most of the problems that are encountered in this procedure. The duration for healing often differs with the region of the body that is pierced. Some parts such as nose and ears take a few months to heal, while others take years.