'My Studs Are My Superpowers': Why Many Find Body & Face Piercings Therapeutic

The act of piercing the skin to insert jewellery can have positive effects on a person's mental well-being.

The act of piercing the skin to insert jewellery can have positive effects on a person's mental and emotional well-being.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

Piercings have often been associated with a potential boost in self-esteem, as individuals choose to adorn their bodies with unique and expressive jewellery. The act of getting a piercing can symbolise empowerment, individuality, and the assertion of personal style, all of which can contribute positively to one's self-image. The Quint explores how and why people find piercings therapeutic.

(Photo: Verda Subzwari/The Quint)

"I am so used to my piercings that I don't think I can ever remove them. They are a part of me," Parthavee Singh, a 32-year-old media strategist, tells The Quint. "Getting these many piercings was never an aesthetic choice. But the more piercings I got on my face, the more I started to feel like myself. My piercings are like my superpowers," she adds.

(Photo: Verda Subzwari/The Quint)

"I am bisexual and I thought that getting my nose pierced could boost my feminine side. I liked my identity with a nose piercing better than my identity without it," says Sreekanth, a freelance photographer.

(Photo: Verda Subzwari/The Quint)

"I got my nose pierced in February 2023 – and I also plan to get my septum pierced soon," he tells The Quint.

(Photo: Verda Subzwari/The Quint)

"The decision to get my nipple pierced was initially about overcoming my fear of needles. But after getting the piercing, I realised it it empowered me in more ways than one," says Ahmed* (name changed to maintain anonymity), a software engineer.  "Now, if I want a piercing or a tattoo, I can just go and get it. I don't feel the need to prepare myself for needles or reassure myself at least 10 times," he says.

(Photo: Verda Subzwari/The Quint)

Sunny, a piercing artist in Hauz Khas, tells The Quint that though most of his clients get piercings for aesthetic reasons, some of them actually enjoy getting them.  "Some of my clients have 6-8 piercings on one ear alone. This is not a regular occurrence and it must have a deeper meaning. Some of them say they do it for acupressure, which can help with muscle tension and ensure blood circulation," he says.

(Photo: Verda Subzwari/The Quint)

Speaking to The Quint, London-based psychologist Simran Kaur said that a few of her clients who have a history of self-harm get their bodies pierced or tattooed "to feel the pain." "One of my clients told me if they harm themselves, it would leave scars on their body – but when they get a tattoo or a piercing, they enjoy the pain and get aesthetically pleasing results in the end," Kaur adds.  According to her, for someone with traits of self-harm, getting a tattoo or a piercing is a creative and positive way to express their emotions.

(In photo: A client of Sunny's.)

(Photo: Verda Subzwari/The Quint)

Saher Hiba Khan, a journalism student, was going through a rough phase in her life when she decided to get ear piercings. "The piercings did help me with my emotional well-being, but only for a short while."

(Photo: Verda Subzwari/The Quint)

(Trigger Warning: Descriptions of self-harm.)

Rahi, a Lucknow-based therapist, told The Quint that piercings are a form of expression that can surely uplift the mood of a person but nothing has been reported to suggest a significant long-term impact on self-esteem.

"Piercings can make a person feel confident and happy but it could also be related to how they associate to their piercings and what it means to them," says Rahi.

However, it is important to note that while anecdotal evidence and personal experiences suggest a correlation between piercings and enhanced self-esteem, there is currently no definitive scientific consensus regarding the same.