Nose rings, sign of rebellion or religion?

Trisa Ray Sibanda
Take at least five ladies in Bulawayo and ask them to remove their masks, you will likely find that among them one has a nose ring.

Why is it so?

Many ladies shared with B-Metro on why they have a nose piercing and it seems they have different reasons.

The nostril piercing has a long and surprising history.

The custom of body piercing has existed for thousands of years in the Middle East, Africa, India, and North America.

Wearing a ring has had various meanings for women throughout history depending on their religion, customs and ethnicity.

It is part of many traditional rituals and often marks a critical moment in someone’s life, such as entering adulthood or getting married.

A nose ring has various meanings for women, depending on the culture they live in. Among the Beja and Berber tribes in North Africa, it symbolises wealth and abundance of the family.

Nose rings have navigated their way into African culture.

Many people don’t spend a lot of time thinking about the deep reasons behind their body piercing or other modification because they think it looks and feels good.

“I would like to take time out to talk about my nose ring, people have the typical reaction to my nose ring that they have to most affectations which is to say that they pay them undue attention, which is pretty much the point of having them,” said Ashley Ncube.

After so much research from teenagers, it emerged that nose piercing has become part of a rite of passage.

It is believed that bodily expression can communicate things which words cannot.

Youngsters justify themselves, to them nose piercing is part of fashion and a way to beautify themselves.

“If you are intending on getting a nose piercing, it is necessary to have some background information that will help you understand the whole process,” said a source who has a piercing.

The nose is a sensitive part of the body, before getting a stud, one should prepare themselves fully to face the challenges that can come along with nose piercing because it’s not always guaranteed that it will go well with your skin.

It makes a huge statement about you and it is marked visibly for the world to see.

“Getting a nose ring is a way to express the body and modify it. It is a personal choice and it can also prove that you are confident about your body needs,” said the source.

Commissures of traditional Chinese medicine believe that the left nostril is connected with feminine, while the right nose side symbolises masculine energy.

For that reason, girls wear a ring on their left nostrils to relieve their menstrual cramps and other female ailments.

Ayurveda practitioners believe that wearing a ring on the left nostril can help solve the problem of an irregular menstrual cycle, reduce pain during childbirth and increase sexual pleasure and libido.

Therefore, many married women in India wear a nose ring all the time, believing in its healing effect.

Ayurveda is a natural system of medicine, originated in India more than 3 000 years ago. The term Ayurveda is derived from the Sanskrit words ayur (life) and veda (science or knowledge). Thus, Ayurveda translates to knowledge of life.

However, such symbolism is lost in modern society and today the nose piercing is a matter of personal choice, style and preferences.

Music videos in the 80s and 90s were very popular and with celebrities having the piercing it exploded into our mainstream culture. Nostril piercing has become more mainstream as an increasing number of people take to wearing the studs due to celebrities having the piercing.

Janet Jackson and Dennis Rodman popularised the nostril piercing which made more people in the US fond of piercing.

“When I first got my nose ring, I was uncomfortable because I thought people might judge me negatively so from that time, I choose to wear a smaller nose ring over a larger one which may show my parents that my nose ring is a harmless fashion statement,” said Angel Nkomo.

Despite its historic and biblical presence, modern cultures initially found the piercing repulsive and even offensive.

From society’s perspective, nose rings are often viewed in a negative light and frowned upon.

However, as with many taboo topics, time has a way of changing things.

While nose rings in the modern era have become more conventional, there still exists professional or corporate environments that prohibit body art or modification of any kind especially in African societies, they still don’t understand why people pierce their nose.

Today nostril piercings are worn by all genders, all sexes and is not largely defined by class.

Youths say that if you are interested in body piercings, a nose ring is a great way to experiment without pushing the bounds of convention.

Wearing a nose ring is no longer as strictly tied to rebellious culture and is even becoming more widely accepted in the workplace.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *