<p>Forty years ago, my mother constantly complained in EXACTLY the same way about young girls my age. Just insert “that long stringy hair falling in their faces.” </p>
<p>Every generation makes fashion choices that bewilder their elders. It’s part of the fun of being a teenager. This isn’t anything new.</p>
<p>Us complaining is part of the joy of the gauges, frankly. We are just playing our part.</p>
<p>“Long stringy hair” isn’t permanent. Weird hair color isn’t permanent. Even <em>permanents</em> aren’t permanent.</p>
<p>But large holes in your earlobes? Ugh. Same goes for highly visible, scary tattoos.</p>
<p>I disagree (on the motivation). I think very often it’s not that the person likes the way something looks (body piercing, hair style… you name it). I think the person likes the way YOU look when you are looking.</p>
<p>yes, this=>
</p>
<p>Gauges make me nauseous too. I don’t see them as the same as piercings, which are sometimes cringe-inducing, but not as bad. Tattoos can be quite beautiful. Gauges seem like intentional deformation to me, not a fashion trend that you can laugh about later and easily adjust.</p>
<p>Anyone else hear about the lock attacks? Kids will sneak up on someone with ear guages and put a padlock through it.</p>
<p>As visual creatures, all appearance modification is meant as a way to influence how others perceive us. As an increasingly crotchety old guy, I perceive it as “I’m young, promiscuous, like drugs, and have no interest in a traditional corporate job.” My kids do not have the same reaction.</p>
<p>Depending on the color, some of those face piercings look like pimples to me at first glance. From a distance, some tattoos look like bruises. The last thing I would want is to look like I’m sporting a cold sore or cyst. But that’s me. I work in a castle at the world’s most famous “kingdom”… we have very strict rules regarding jewelry (one earring per ear, dime sized or less); even our glasses and watches are regulated. And absolutely no visible tattoos. I don’t have a problem with any of it, but it is always kind of surprising to me, being so accustomed to a certain “look,” when I go to other businesses and see what the employees get away with.</p>
<p>mag, I don’t think anyone was actual stupid enough or cruel enough to do that. It was a bad joke going around social media.</p>
<p>It happened to a boy in my daughter’s high school about a month ago, done by his friends in the hallway between classes. It was the first and only time I heard about it.</p>
<p>I think of most body art and piercings as a way of saying, “this is my body and I do what I want with it” Sort of like walking around with a burning bra attached to the end of a long stick. Fine by me. :)</p>
<p>BTW, testing for Hepatitis C is now recommended for all adults born from 1945 through 1965. Just saying…</p>
<p>The multiplying ads for tat, etc removal in the Seattle weeklies make me sure there already are lots of regrets out there.</p>
<p>fidgetgirl - my D1 started a nursing program and there were pages and pages of requirements for proper dress, hygiene and other aspects of your appearance. No visible tattoos or piercings (beyond one per ear). No guages, no visible thong underwear (visible by crease), no hair in your eyes, no visible underwear at all (colors under those white pants), no gum chewing, no long fingernails, no “nail art”. It went on and on. Quite comical really.</p>
<p>Haha, Mom2. Nearly 50 years ago, my parents were not happy that I wanted to “put holes in my head”, you know, like pierce my ears. My father made remarks about piercing my nose as well. To him, it was a foolish thing to do. Risking infection and problems when one could just buy the clip type earring if jewelry were the thing. He acted like I was getting plastic surgerery. I remember him saying, he couldn’t wait until my kids wanted six of them in each ear and in their lips and noses too, even the boys. I laughed him off.</p>
<p>Well, what can I say, nearly half a century later. I have a niece with piercing in places I won’t even mention on this board. And nephews too. And don’t get me going about tattoos. A little one where you can cover it most of the time or on the ankle… well, ok, but on your neck???.</p>
<p>So as for those gauge ear things, of which I also have nieces and nephews and friends’ kids sporting, once you put that hole in the ear, whose to say how big is too big? Sort of like the old proposition that is supposed to have been made, and accepted for a miilion dollars, but answered with a “how dare you” for ten bucks, answered by the famous retort, that who she is has been established, it’s just the price haggling that is now happening.</p>
<p>I will never like facial piercings or guages. Each to their own, but I agree that the piercings look like pimples and the guages just look painful. </p>
<p>And it’s the permanence that gets me. When people started with mohawks and bizarre hair colors, I really didn’t care. Hair grows out. Dye fades away.</p>
<p>I think there are a number of people who appreciate and connect with the spirituality and citations of other cultures too. Gauges have been used as a symbol of maturity and spiritual growth, with larger sizes representing milestones in life. That philosophy can be appealing in a culture that doesn’t have much ritual. Also, permanence is only an issue if you’re not comfortable with it. Implants, reductions, stretch marks, bad feet from high heels… Permanent. Cultural perception… Not so much.</p>
<p>Greenwich, at least it was out there for all to see. Some of my nieces and nephews are clueless as to why they can’t find jobs. Well,…</p>
<p>cptofthehouse, me too. My father thought that pierced ears (we’re talking one hole per earlobe) was “barbaric.” So I did it to myself one night (ewwwwww . . . . I have no idea how I managed that) and he was shocked. But I’ve never regretted it.</p>
<p>Ear gauges sometimes quite literally stink. They are a hygiene issue. My D sat next to a kid in class in HS who had them and the odor made her gag. He never cleaned his earholes.</p>
<p>
Or tanning, or dieting, or overeating, or some exercise, or no exercise, or …</p>
<p>Your definitions of “pain” and “harm” are not universal. My net pain and harm from years of easy living are IMO far worse than the pain and harm from my tattoos. If you feel the pain and harm are not worth it, then do not do it. That another person has different concerns or tolerances than you does not mean that they have ANY disorder.</p>
<p>Wearing high heels for years (as many women do every day at work) can cause permanent damage to feet, calf muscles, ankles, knees and back. If somebody loves their tattoo and doesn’t regret it for their whole life, I think it’s less damaging personally.</p>