Personal Appearance

How one appears to others is either within one's control and beyond one's control. But that which can be controlled is usually a personal choice and merits at least some consideration by any responsible person.

Personal appearance within one's control is a form of statement, variously deliberate or unintentional. It sends signals to others in all sorts of ways, these signs ranging through the discreet to the defiant, indicating opinion, taste, status, wealth and no doubt many other indicators about the individual in question.

I for one always avoid doing anything that changes my appearance permanently.

So those adorned by irreversible cosmetic changes obviously choose an entirely different approach, choosing to wear their hearts on their sleeves, to use the old-fashioned metaphor.

Permanent cosmetic changes to personal appearance, by my understanding, are specifically substantial body piercing jewellery and tattoos. There may be others unknown to me.

At the least dramatic end of this spectrum of permanent changes are the accepted conventions, one obvious example for females being the custom to pierce their ear lobes in order to wear various items of delicate jewellery throughout life.

Another undramatic piercing example, allegedly followed by some wishing to declare their sexual orientation or preference for same sex companionship, is the wearing of a single ear stud in the right ear lobe.

Then there are the more extreme permanent visible changes which lead one to question motivation of the wearer. First of all about why they are inclined that way and second about the residual damage to their flesh.

With overt piercings, these seem to fall into two categories, ones that can be removed, leaving less obvious permanent marks, then there are the others.

A particularly good example of a permanent irreversible fixing is the ear lobe ring or circular disc. These amount to a ring that stretches the ear lobe which, if removed, leaves an ear lobe with a noticeable hole. Permanent! That is a serious decision for life!

Other jewellery piercings send dramatic signals by degree but have thinner wire penetrating through flesh so if removed should leave little sign of damage, depending on location. The ones that spring to mind as more overt are lip, tongue, cheek, nose (studs or rings), eyebrow or other adornments. The chances are that some residual marks will remain after jewellery removal, a risk to be decided before piercing in the first place.

Then there are tattoos. These are normally permanent and nowadays can be seen regularly on all parts of exposed human flesh in public places including inscribed on faces. So much here depends on the tattoo artist but, once inscribed, the marks are there for life (unless possible to remove through surgical intervention). Brave people who get tattooed!

So, why do people change themselves in a way that leaves a permanent impact on their appearance? What is their individual motivation, and what effect are they intending to have on others?

Trying to place myself in the shoes of those who undergo jewellery piercing and tattooing, my first assumption is that they have generally reached adulthood at the critical moment so they have made such decisions of their own free will.

Peer pressure evidently lurks in the background for some of course and, if relevant, leads one to wonder who are the followers (sheep) and who are the leaders (goats).

Some may well attribute the decision for permanent changes to youthful enthusiasm, but most know their purpose and must expect to live with their decision(s). If a spur of the moment choice, it may be a life-long regret.

My principle deduction is that these individuals wish to do one of two things with such permanent consequences, first, emphasise their individuality and second, challenge convention.

Clearly such people must realise that their decisions are irreversible and the more extreme the decision, the more committed they must intend to be in knowingly making their individual change of appearance so permanent.

The bottom line is that I admire such courage and conclude that, once again, perspective is everything.

For the individual contemplating such permanent adornments, please think very carefully about how the decision could open up or close down opportunities in life.

If possible, keep things reversible remains my advice to myself.