Hospital staff

Nothing like as defacing as tattoos - which can be artistic, but I wish my sons hadn't. But again it is fashion isn't it. I have to say I don't think those earlobe plugs are attractive and unlike piercings they will not heal over will they. ever.

They can Jess if they're not left too long. My daughter had them and hers are now just slightly looser but fairly normal looking ear piercings. The one inside her nose septum is thankfully not visible so I don't know whether that one healed. She was quite restrained really.

I mean the ones that are about 2 cm in diameter nightowl . Presume they work up to these. No way they are going to leave anything other than an earlobe with a 1-2 cm hole in it, is there?
Genital piercing is another odd fashion isn't it. I remember seeing some very extreme examples in Amsterdam. On postcards, I hasten to add
As my late mother once remarked "don't they get in the way?"

I did give a teaching job to a lovely and excellent young teacher with a tongue stud. However she chose to remove it for work because she said she respected me for appointing her with the stud in place!

Yes I think my DD got up to about 1cm and stayed there for a while. Even that seemed to take a long time. I suppose anything over that wouldn't go back. Also the longer you have them I suppose they become more fixed. Fortunately DD got fed up after a couple of years.

I don't think she went down the genital piercing route but it's not the sorts of thing I can ask her now

Riverwalk - you're right, I've had very little contact with niqab wearers. But when I was at work (receptionist) downcast hoodies and biker helmets often presented themselves. Since most had some sort of mental health problem, seeing their expression and not having to ask them to repeat themselves - their speech tending to be muffled - was necessary. Perhaps that's why I've got a bit of a 'thing' about needing to see faces.

DD2 wears hoodies but doesn't have mh issues. I, on the other hand, dress very conservatively and have a range of mh issues. I don't like to make eye contact and sometimes I mumble or lose the ability to speak clearly and have to repeat myself. If you insisted on my looking at you so that you could see my face clearly you would increase my stress levels to the extent that I may well have a severe panic attack which would end up with hospitalisation.

I have the same feelings as Harrigran.
For those of you who think all piercing is mainstream (I'm sure this varies according to where you live, and I don't think it's considered so in the north-east), is there any limit to what you would consider acceptable, in terms of aesthetics and risk/benefit?
Tongue piercing is a dangerous procedure and there have been deaths from uncontrolled haemorrhage from the lingual artery, and infection.
Tongue splitting anyone?
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongue_splitting#Process

"When using the scalpel method,the tongue is cut down the middle with a scalpel and each half is stitched or sutured along the cut edge. This helps prevent the sides from healing back to each other and also achieves a more rounded and natural look. In some cases the scalpel is heated to provide a cauterizing effect, limiting bleeding.
Cauterizing can be done with a cautery unit or an argon laser. Both burn the tongue in half which closes off blood vessels, preventing much bleeding. If an established tongue piercing is not used as the back end of the split with this method, the tongue has a higher tendency to heal and the procedure must be done again to achieve the depth desired.
The tie off or fishing line method is done by the person themselves. Fishing line is tied through an existing tongue piercing to the tip of the tongue and tightened. When the line has cinched through the tissue and become loose, it is cut out and a new tighter line is placed in to continue the cut. This slower process allows the tongue to heal as it is being split, negating the need for stitches or cauterization to control bleeding as blood loss is limited. It can take anywhere from a few days to a few months to split the tongue this way depending on the individual's pain tolerance and determination."

I hope that hasn't put anyone off their dinner.

I stood outside a body piercing shop in Hereford this morning and seriously contemplated having a third piercing in the top of my ear. I have a theory (and it is just my theory) that either body piercing or tattoos are a form of self harm. My husband came back from his shopping just in time to stop me having my ear pierced yet again - phew!

Worrying about the young radiographer with her lip piercing would probably, temporarily have taken my mind off my own problems. Celebgran I do hope all proves to be well with your X-Ray and send you (((hugs))) and

I agree tongue piercing is a health risk (infections as well), an probably bad for your teeth. But it is incredibly common and therefore has to be mainstream rather than something very unusual. Tongue splitting just blood stupid. Bit like having your face tattooed. they want to shock and appear different. But it is not "different" to have your face, tongue, belly button or nipple pierced is it - it is following mainstream fashion.

I agree LizG based on the troubled youngsters I have worked with

I must admit, If I see or have to speak to and with, a person with facial piercings, I have no problem with that. But I must say, that my eyes are inevitably drawn to the piercing; I cant exactly say why.And eventually, I find myself becoming increasingly embarrased, because I cant seem to drag my eyes away from the piercings......instead of focussing on the person themselves.......?Do you think I have some sort of mental problem, u
nAable to deal with this?

I think, I must add, as an afterthought, that I have the same problem with the burkah. Could anyone help me with this, or offer some advice as to how to deal with my problem? It would be so much appreciated.

If you're worried about hygiene, what about the hand-washing? People don't wash their hands! Fiddle with hair, fiddle with earring, fiddle with face, serve customers........ugh!

liminetta I think your reaction is perfectly normal and understandable in a biological sense.
We are programmed to recognise abnormality - this was demonstrated by Prof Iain Hutchinson a few years ago when he made a documentary film about a patient with a gross facial deformity who he helped through plastic surgery. (He founded the charity Saving Faces which funds research into facial surgery).
He filmed her walking down the street and most people stared, then averted their eyes and rushed past her, pointedly looking the other way.
In an evolutionary sense, it was important for the species that weakness or abnormality wasn't perpetuated - the survival of the fittest. And if course medical diagnosis depends on recognising abnormality.

I accept that in some parts of the UK, and among some social groups, body modification is regarded as the norm and would not merit a second glance, but I would still maintain that a majority would think that multiple tattooings and piercings are not mainstream, and would feel an initial reaction, however brief, of repulsion, no matter how quickly it is overlaid with a civilised 'I wouldn't dream of judging anyone by their appearance' response.

Grayson Perry did a very interesting television series on 'good taste' which he found varied according to the class to which people believed they belonged.