Ear Piercings Ear piercings are most widely practiced piercings among cultural groups in Africa, India, Indonesia, North and South America. Pre-industrial societies ritualized ear piercing to mark the life stages of an individual and to signify group affiliation. Ear cartiledge piercings, especially popular among the Masai and Fulani, also emphasized beauty and wealth.
Stretched earlobes predominate among groups in Indonesia and South America.
Stretched earlobes have increased in popularity among modern devotees. Earlobe piercings and constitute the most socially acceptable form of body piercing in industrialized countries. Modern ear adornments include the conch, the tragus, and two innovative cartiledge piercings, the daith and the rook, introduced by California body piercer Erik Dakota. Facial and Upper Body Piercings Nostril, lip and septum piercings occur as part of rituals marking the passage from childhood to adulthood in many societies of Africa, India, South America, Indonesia,New Guinea, Australia and the Pacific. Septum piercings tend mostly to be found on men and nostril piercings on women.