Corset piercing
Encyclopedia
A corset piercing is a series of surface piercing
s done to emulate the appearance of the lacing on the back of a corset
. Two rows of bilaterally symmetrical piercings are performed and can be composed of as few as four piercings (two in each row) or as many as the length of the area being pierced (usually the back) and the vertical space between piercings will allow space for. Due to the difficulty and risks associated with permanently healing single surface piercings, most corset piercings are intended to be temporary.
event or photo
shoot. A body piercer may also perform a corset piercing to promote his/her business, to be photographed for a portfolio or to be used for advertising
purposes. They may also be performed as play piercing
s as part of BDSM
activity. Often temporary corset piercings are worn laced with ribbon
, rope
, or chain.
Usually temporary corset piercings use captive bead rings as jewelry, but corset piercings intended as play piercings or as part of a short photo shoot might simply be done with hypodermic needle
s, which will be removed after the activity is finished.
Rarely worn for more than a week, corset piercings may be worn only for a few hours, until the event or activity they were performed for has ended. Temporary corset piercings are open wounds, and are subject to the same infection
, cross contamination
, and irritation risks as any other healing piercing or small wound. Scar
ring from the removal of temporary piercings is usually minimal or non-existent.
s, pierced with jewelry designed for the purpose, and bear all of the healing issues and risks associated with them. To date, the most successful attempts at permanent corset piercings have been performed with surface bars, although some success has been reported using Teflon
or Tygon tubing
, both of which are flexible and move with the body. There have also been experiments in healing corset piercings as transdermal implant
s.
Due to the tremendous potential for the healing piercings to be irritated by normal daily life, corset piercings, even healed ones, require constant vigilance by the wearer to prevent damage.
Although corset piercings are usually intended to be laced, during the healing period, especially the initial healing period, surface piercings intended to be part of permanent corset piercings are not usually laced as it puts pressure
, torsion
, and tension on the piercing that can increase the chances of migration
and rejection. Once the piercing is fully healed, one of the beads at the end of the surface bar can be replaced with a special bead, drilled to accept a ring, similar to the bead on a bondage bar
. The healed surface piercings can then be laced for aesthetic purposes, although subjecting the piercings to extended periods of lacing can increase the risk of migration or rejection.
Healing and aftercare for corset piercings is identical to healing for any surface piercings, although the healing process can be extended and complicated due to the number of piercings healing at the same time, which puts greater stress on the body. The location of most corset piercings, on the individual's back, can make caring for the healing piercings more difficult as well. Like all surface piercings, rejected or improperly healed corset piercings can leave noticeable permanent scarring.
ry has a long history, the corset piercing is of contemporary origin, coming into practice with the establishment of the body piercing
industry in the late 1990s. Like corsetry, it is associated with erotic behavior and aesthetics
, particularly fetish
aesthetics. Also paralleling corsets, most wearers of corset piercings are women.
There is some controversy regarding the publication and promotion of images of corset piercing. Almost all of the photographs of corset piercing are of fresh piercings, which have not had the time to reject, migrate or otherwise fail to heal properly. Images used in advertising or magazines may be photoshopped or airbrush
ed to eliminate indications of swelling, redness, or infection, further promoting the illusion that these piercings are easy, or even possible to heal. Photographs of corset piercings done with captive bead rings, which are inappropriate for permanent corset piercings, vastly outnumber photographs of corset piercings done as proper surface piercings. Usually corset piercings are photographed laced, also leading the public to believe that they can be worn laced at all times, which is not possible, even in a well healed, permanent corset piercing.
Surface piercing
Surface piercings are any body piercings that take place on the surface sewn into the body through areas which are not particularly concave or convex, where the piercing canal transverses a surface flap of skin, rather than running completely through a piece of body tissue from one side to another...
s done to emulate the appearance of the lacing on the back of a corset
Corset
A corset is a garment worn to hold and shape the torso into a desired shape for aesthetic or medical purposes...
. Two rows of bilaterally symmetrical piercings are performed and can be composed of as few as four piercings (two in each row) or as many as the length of the area being pierced (usually the back) and the vertical space between piercings will allow space for. Due to the difficulty and risks associated with permanently healing single surface piercings, most corset piercings are intended to be temporary.
As temporary piercings
Temporary corset piercings are often performed for aesthetic reasons, often as part of a fetishSexual fetishism
Sexual fetishism, or erotic fetishism, is the sexual arousal a person receives from a physical object, or from a specific situation. The object or situation of interest is called the fetish, the person a fetishist who has a fetish for that object/situation. Sexual fetishism may be regarded, e.g...
event or photo
Photograph
A photograph is an image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic imager such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are created using a camera, which uses a lens to focus the scene's visible wavelengths of light into a reproduction of...
shoot. A body piercer may also perform a corset piercing to promote his/her business, to be photographed for a portfolio or to be used for advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
purposes. They may also be performed as play piercing
Play piercing
Play piercing, needle play, or recreational acupuncture is body piercing done for the purpose of enjoying the experience rather than producing a permanent body decoration. Needles, sharpened bones, or other tools used in play piercing are removed from the body when the episode is complete, allowing...
s as part of BDSM
BDSM
BDSM is an erotic preference and a form of sexual expression involving the consensual use of restraint, intense sensory stimulation, and fantasy power role-play. The compound acronym BDSM is derived from the terms bondage and discipline , dominance and submission , and sadism and masochism...
activity. Often temporary corset piercings are worn laced with ribbon
Ribbon
A ribbon or riband is a thin band of material, typically cloth but also plastic or sometimes metal, used primarily for binding and tying. Cloth ribbons, most commonly silk, are often used in connection with clothing, but are also applied for innumerable useful, ornamental and symbolic purposes...
, rope
Rope
A rope is a length of fibres, twisted or braided together to improve strength for pulling and connecting. It has tensile strength but is too flexible to provide compressive strength...
, or chain.
Usually temporary corset piercings use captive bead rings as jewelry, but corset piercings intended as play piercings or as part of a short photo shoot might simply be done with hypodermic needle
Hypodermic needle
A hypodermic needle is a hollow needle commonly used with a syringe to inject substances into the body or extract fluids from it...
s, which will be removed after the activity is finished.
Rarely worn for more than a week, corset piercings may be worn only for a few hours, until the event or activity they were performed for has ended. Temporary corset piercings are open wounds, and are subject to the same infection
Infection
An infection is the colonization of a host organism by parasite species. Infecting parasites seek to use the host's resources to reproduce, often resulting in disease...
, cross contamination
Cross Contamination
Cross Contamination is an album by the rock bands Batmobile and Peter Pan Speedrock. It was released in 2008 by Suburban Records.-Track listing:#"Hellalujah"#"Go Satan Go"#"Killerspeed"#"Big Toy"#"Straight Back To Hormoneville"#"Transsylvanian Express"...
, and irritation risks as any other healing piercing or small wound. Scar
Scar
Scars are areas of fibrous tissue that replace normal skin after injury. A scar results from the biological process of wound repair in the skin and other tissues of the body. Thus, scarring is a natural part of the healing process. With the exception of very minor lesions, every wound results in...
ring from the removal of temporary piercings is usually minimal or non-existent.
As permanent piercings
It is possible for the multiple surface wounds that constitute a corset piercing to heal; however, they are unlikely to heal properly. Permanent corset piercings would consist of multiple surface piercingSurface piercing
Surface piercings are any body piercings that take place on the surface sewn into the body through areas which are not particularly concave or convex, where the piercing canal transverses a surface flap of skin, rather than running completely through a piece of body tissue from one side to another...
s, pierced with jewelry designed for the purpose, and bear all of the healing issues and risks associated with them. To date, the most successful attempts at permanent corset piercings have been performed with surface bars, although some success has been reported using Teflon
Polytetrafluoroethylene
Polytetrafluoroethylene is a synthetic fluoropolymer of tetrafluoroethylene that finds numerous applications. PTFE is most well known by the DuPont brand name Teflon....
or Tygon tubing
Tygon Tubing
Tygon is a brand name for a family of flexible tubing consisting of a variety of base materials. Tygon is a registered trademark of Saint-Gobain Corporation. It is an invented word, owned and used by Saint-Gobain and originated in the late 1930s. Tygon products are produced in three countries, but...
, both of which are flexible and move with the body. There have also been experiments in healing corset piercings as transdermal implant
Transdermal implant
Transdermal implants are a form of body modification used both in a medical and aesthetic context. In either case, they consist of an object placed partially below and partially above the skin, thus transdermal. The skin around it generally heals as if it were a piercing.Medically, transdermal...
s.
Due to the tremendous potential for the healing piercings to be irritated by normal daily life, corset piercings, even healed ones, require constant vigilance by the wearer to prevent damage.
Although corset piercings are usually intended to be laced, during the healing period, especially the initial healing period, surface piercings intended to be part of permanent corset piercings are not usually laced as it puts pressure
Pressure
Pressure is the force per unit area applied in a direction perpendicular to the surface of an object. Gauge pressure is the pressure relative to the local atmospheric or ambient pressure.- Definition :...
, torsion
Torsion (mechanics)
In solid mechanics, torsion is the twisting of an object due to an applied torque. In sections perpendicular to the torque axis, the resultant shear stress in this section is perpendicular to the radius....
, and tension on the piercing that can increase the chances of migration
Piercing migration
Piercing migration is the process that occurs when a body piercing moves from its initial location. This process can be painful or go unnoticed, until it has progressed. Given enough time, a ring may migrate entirely outside of the skin, although it may only migrate a small amount and come to...
and rejection. Once the piercing is fully healed, one of the beads at the end of the surface bar can be replaced with a special bead, drilled to accept a ring, similar to the bead on a bondage bar
Barbell (piercing)
Barbell style piercing jewelry is composed of a straight bar and with a bead on each end, one or both beads unscrewable for removal and/or changing of the beads. Often one of the beads is fixed, either via epoxy or welding, so that only one bead is used to install or remove the jewelry...
. The healed surface piercings can then be laced for aesthetic purposes, although subjecting the piercings to extended periods of lacing can increase the risk of migration or rejection.
Healing and aftercare for corset piercings is identical to healing for any surface piercings, although the healing process can be extended and complicated due to the number of piercings healing at the same time, which puts greater stress on the body. The location of most corset piercings, on the individual's back, can make caring for the healing piercings more difficult as well. Like all surface piercings, rejected or improperly healed corset piercings can leave noticeable permanent scarring.
History and culture
Although corsetCorset
A corset is a garment worn to hold and shape the torso into a desired shape for aesthetic or medical purposes...
ry has a long history, the corset piercing is of contemporary origin, coming into practice with the establishment of the body piercing
Body piercing
Body piercing, a form of body modification, is the practice of puncturing or cutting a part of the human body, creating an opening in which jewelry may be worn. The word piercing can refer to the act or practice of body piercing, or to an opening in the body created by this act or practice...
industry in the late 1990s. Like corsetry, it is associated with erotic behavior and aesthetics
Aesthetics
Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, and taste, and with the creation and appreciation of beauty. It is more scientifically defined as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values, sometimes called judgments of sentiment and taste...
, particularly fetish
Sexual fetishism
Sexual fetishism, or erotic fetishism, is the sexual arousal a person receives from a physical object, or from a specific situation. The object or situation of interest is called the fetish, the person a fetishist who has a fetish for that object/situation. Sexual fetishism may be regarded, e.g...
aesthetics. Also paralleling corsets, most wearers of corset piercings are women.
There is some controversy regarding the publication and promotion of images of corset piercing. Almost all of the photographs of corset piercing are of fresh piercings, which have not had the time to reject, migrate or otherwise fail to heal properly. Images used in advertising or magazines may be photoshopped or airbrush
Airbrush
An airbrush is a small, air-operated tool that sprays various media including ink and dye, but most often paint by a process of nebulization. Spray guns developed from the airbrush and are still considered a type of airbrush.-History:...
ed to eliminate indications of swelling, redness, or infection, further promoting the illusion that these piercings are easy, or even possible to heal. Photographs of corset piercings done with captive bead rings, which are inappropriate for permanent corset piercings, vastly outnumber photographs of corset piercings done as proper surface piercings. Usually corset piercings are photographed laced, also leading the public to believe that they can be worn laced at all times, which is not possible, even in a well healed, permanent corset piercing.