Nipple Piercing - History

History

The perforation of the nipple to apply jewelry has been practiced by various people throughout history. Male nipple piercing was reported to be done by the Karankawa Native Americans, female nipple piercing is practiced by the Kabyle people in Algeria.

Nipple-piercing was a fashion statement dating back to the 14th century and having a short-lived revival among society women during the Victorian period around 1890. However, the historian Lesley Hall has commented that these claims might be traced back to a few letters published in the magazine Society during 1899, which can be judged as erotic fantasies rather than descriptions of actual activity.

In the late 1970s, the practice was revived again by Jim Ward and gained foothold in gay BDSM and leather subcultures. The mainstream popularity of the practice is partly due to celebrities who publicly displayed their piercings or confessed to have one in the 1990s, such as Tommy Lee, Corey Taylor and Lenny Kravitz. Nipple piercing has gained much popularity in recent years with many celebrities and fashion models having this type of piercing.

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