Shock and awe the ‘rents this holiday with tattoos and piercings

Ashley McGuire A’E Staff Writer

O Hole-y Night

It’s your parents’ worst fear. You go to… Ashley McGuire A’E Staff Writer

O Hole-y Night

It’s your parents’ worst fear. You go to college and come home for Thanksgiving with holes in your body that weren’t there that summer and permanent paintings that weren’t on you when your mother birthed you. What is the obsession college students have with going au-so-not-naturel? And it’s not just here in Oakland, or strictly among college students. As Tim Girone, owner of the body-piercing store Hot Rod on Oakland Avenue, said, “It’s always the people you don’t think would get a piercing.”

Are body piercings and tattoos becoming more popular, or is it the college scene exposing us to being away from home without the parental discipline surrounding us? And is it more common for a guy than a girl to get something pierced or permanently drawn on their skin?

Dave Spik, professional body piercer at Z Spot Body Art Studio Inc. on Meyran Avenue, claims that it’s mostly equal in gender as far as tattoos go. As for piercings, more women tend to get a part of their body pierced. He said that the most popular piercing among women is the navel, followed by the nose, and lastly, the tongue. The earlobe is not included among these, but there are some piercings I’m sure you’re curious about that haven’t been mentioned – yet.

Allow me to elaborate. What seems to be the fascination with getting body parts pierced that aren’t exposed to the world? I think you know what I mean when I speak of hidden body piercings. Girone said it’s not uncommon for a lawyer or a teacher to come in and request a piercing in their – hmm, uhm – genital region. He explains that this type of piercing is common because it’s personal and hidden. In other words, as Girone said, “It’s not like it’s going to get around the office.”

This type of piercing is not unheard of among students, either. It’s becoming popular among both the guys and the ladies because of the stimulation this piercing creates. Hey, perhaps you should keep that in mind when Christmas shopping this holiday season. It could be a great gift idea for a significant other.

Are piercings and tattoos worth the pain and expense, though? Leanne Lewis, professional tattoo artist at Z Spot, said, “I’ve had more people pass out watching than actually getting it done, though it’s not a regular occurrence. I stop before it reaches that point.”

So maybe some temporary anguish isn’t anything that a few ice cubes and tossing and turning in your bed at night couldn’t fix. But is the possible lifetime of regrets worth it? Junior Heather Heltzinger got a tattoo of a butterfly on the top of her foot nearly a year ago. Her reaction? “I think it was worth the pain, because I got it over spring break, and now, every time I look at it, I think of those times with my friends.”

I’m sure there are some guilty recipients out there of a Superman tattoo or of the name of a significant other who you dated several decades ago, whose name you can no longer remember, until you lift your shirt and see it scrawled across your chest. And I’m sure those nipple piercings are only going to be popular on a drunken night over the summer. But I could be wrong.

Mom and Dad, be scared when your kids come home for Easter. This is one fad that doesn’t seem to be dying out.