Some Gainesvillagers feel a little more whole with a couple of holes.
Piercings have long served as a physical indicator of culture and identity, both inherited and adopted. Whether it's something more tame like an earlobe piercing, or something gnarlier like a nose bridge piercing, piercings help residents express their identity and feel more confident.
Kimberly Bussey, co-owner of Pizzazz Piercing and Tattoo, has been in the piercing industry for over 17 years and has seen customers of every type, from preschoolers to punks.
“You have people who come in for rebellion. You have people who come in for culture,” Bussey said. “Piercing has been a thing since the dawn of man. It's been used for rituals. It's been used for religious purposes. It's been used just to pizzazz somebody and make them feel better.”
Part of running a piercing shop involves making sure everyone who walks in feels comfortable and safe, Bussey said.
She puts out bowls of candy for customers to put them at ease. Calming ambient music drones in the background. Bussey emphasized the importance of cleanliness within her shop, likening the health standards to that of a dentist’s office. She displays the shop’s credentials proudly on the wall.
Across the myriad of clientele Pizzazz sees, one demographic stands as the bravest, according to Bussey — 8-year-old girls.
The most frightened? Middle-aged men.
Bussey said piercings can serve as a kind of “ticket” into a community. Certain groups favor certain aesthetics, piercings and tattoos, which can serve as a way to identify oneself. For Bussey, that’s what started her tattoo journey.
“The reason I started getting tattoos was because I wanted to hook up with men with tattoos,” she said.
Her husband is covered in tattoos.
Bussey said piercings are a less intimidating way to try out a new look. Unlike tattoos, which require a lengthy removal process, piercings are easy to undo.
“If you decide that that group wasn't for you, you take that piercing out,” she said.
Deanna Sanchez, a 26-year-old paramedic, calls piercings her “weird little addiction.”
She had her ears pierced as a baby, before she could even remember the experience, but she had to fight for her second earlobe piercing.
“I begged and begged my mom to have them done, because she has hers, and I thought they were really pretty,” Sanchez said.
Today, Sanchez has 11 piercings. To her, piercings are just another kind of accessory, similar to a necklace or bracelet. While piercings used to make her extremely anxious, she said the staff at Pizzazz have made her feel comfortable to the point where it’s no longer a concern.
For 18-year-old Faith Vargas, her 12 piercings, including eight facial ones, help express her alignment with alternative cultures. She draws inspiration from various online sources, as well as people she meets at metal and underground shows. There, piercings act as a kind of social signifier.
“A lot of people think the bigger your septum is, the more bada-- you are,” Vargas said.
Vargas said when she got her first facial piercing, her mother, although eventually supportive, was unsure at first, citing loss of job opportunities. She also mentioned that it can attract comments when she goes to work as an employee at Ulta Beauty.
“A lot of people, usually the older generation, they're a little off-put by my big septum. They’re like, ‘Can you take that out? Is that forever?’” Vargas said.
Vargas shrugs it off, along with any pain that comes with a piercing.
“Swag is forever,” she said. “Pain is temporary.”
Contact Christopher Rodriguez at crodriguez@alligator.org. Follow him on X @ChrisRodri29386.
