The words “personal style” weren’t a part of my vocabulary until just a few years ago. However, I’m pretty sure I’ve always had one. Most friends would describe me as a tomboy in heels with a penchant for mom jeans and chunky sweaters. Others might say my beauty choices are more indicative of my personality. Both assumptions are correct to some degree, but what I love most about my evolution are the kickass piercings I definitely did not anticipate.
What I really loved growing up was body art. Nearly all the women in my immediate family have multiple tattoos, including my cousin, who’s a professional tattoo artist. But after getting my first and only ink (for now) when I was 19, I quickly realized that permanence isn’t really my thing. I like the freedom of getting to transform a part of my body for as long as I want, with the option of changing it back at a moment’s notice. That’s the beauty of body piercings and why I have eight of them: two on each ear, one on my nostril, another on my cupid’s bow, and my nipples. I have a memory attached to each and every one of them; some were planned and others happened on a whim. I could talk about them all day, but the one question I loathe answering is, “Did it hurt"” because of course it did… to varying degrees, of course. Now, if you’re someone who values research over questions with obvious answers, the search ends here.
I reached out to the...