 Body piercing , a form of body modification , is the practice of puncturing or cutting a part of the human body , creating an opening in which jewellery may be worn . The word piercing can refer to the act or practice of body piercing , or to an opening in the body created by this act or practice . Although the history of body piercing is obscured by popular misinformation and by a lack of scholarly reference , ample evidence exists to document that it has been practiced in various forms by both sexes since ancient times throughout the world . 
