well i cant help you with the dating part but right on for not taking them out for anyone!

I've been dating the same guy for 6 years... He does not like piercings, but I already had pretty much all of them before we were dating. He knows mine are not going anywhere.

I have never dated anyone with a piercing, but never got a bad reaction either. Most have found them to be a turn on. The biggest challenge I have had is teaching them that if the piercing is healed, it is not going to be really sensitive and it is okay to play with them, after all that is part of the reason for having them.

The last guy I dated didnt have any piercings, and only a few tattoos. He never really said anything other than he liked me 6gauge tongue barbell lol!

And prior to that my ex had a lip piercings with a cbr, and he really liked piercings.

One guy I was talking to after seeing pictures of me told me that he was "open" to piercings, but then started making fun of people who did suspensions and the lizard man and what not...I stopped talking to him after that haha.

I wish I could find someone with large earlobes lol! Thats all I ask for.

I don't date (cause who would ask me) but . . . I have a hard time anymore being attracted to anyone non-modified, with at least tattoos.

Shallow, but there you go.

Craig--it reduces the pool of potential datees. It does, but you have to learn to live with it.

Nawww don't say that Cloud!!

... agrees with Shel... I had a gal laugh at me for my
piercings.. said it was like the old school punks and
their safety pins..? She was a few years older than I...
It didnt help the relationship or my confidence, but she
liked to play with them anyway... I have a better friend
than that now, who has not judged me for my piercings!
If she never gets pierced, I dont mind... as long as she
understands me!

I have only dated ONE guy who was pierced. 2 if you count a bf that had his lobe pierced.

Most people do not give a crap unless they are vapid, shallow and ignorant. I never hid the fact that I have over 20 piercings or 6 tattoos. It is a part of who I am and should not be anymore freakish than acrylic nails or a favorite necklace on someone. I can understand people not used to it getting a bit curious and possibly turned off, but that gives you the chance to explain WHY you enjoy them so much and to use that opportunity to teach them something and open their minds.

A lot of people think a piercing means something pointy and a piece of metal, we know that it means a bit more than that..there is skill and technique involved as well as emotional and physical commitment.

wonderful post BK, but . . . 20 piercings and 6 tattoos IS more freakish than a favorite necklace.

But, you know . . . I like freakish!

(hugs to Shellectra)

My wife has her nips pierced and I didn't get into piercing until after we were together for a while

Guys ...all of your comments have really made me THINK of a lot of things weather it be who I am with or Not with and the attitudes of people around me. I would say in a very small nutshell it could be summed up in a way that i would not want to be in my terms "miss" judged. I guess that is a big reason i get a little hot under the collar when people express themselves as judgemental. If the tables were turned we could be judgemental to them for NOT having 1,2,3 or 22 piercings. But...we are not. If anything we as a community are more accepting of non pierced. Just a thought.... from my mind to yours.

BK & Cloud...If we were Freaks them who would we be ? I have only 3 piercings working on more and im seen as the Freak of the Office. My nickname (or what they call me ) is Metro Freak. Keep in mind i work in a small town but from and grew up in a Big city., I just smile..and just tell them "if you only knew."

I try to keep my personal life (such as piercings/tats) and my work life separate. I have seen the negative connotations that can be brought on by divulging too much and just learned to keep my mouth shut about it.

BK----Im right there with you. On a work level many feel piercings/tats are negative when it comes to the professional appearance. i guess like many things its all a matter of perspective. i am actually working with my company on re-writing our employee handbook. I am definine piercings/tats and pretty much allowing them. Our CEO fought me on this and i simply explained to him that if we put that in place that they would have to fire about 60% of our work force. I thought it was funny because they were trying to separate Tats as acceptable since they are not removable where Piercings are.. I wrote it in a way where they are equal. I dont know about you but i really would not want to be changing piercings every day with consealers just because someone doesn't want to see it. LOL

an EXCELLENT policy. Now, if only I could keep my mouth shut . . .

Cloud.....im right there with you and i guess between keeping my mouth shut and the tight shirts i guess i really dont have to say too much LOL

I agree with all you guys and girls on this. I've never had a problem with dating and anyone complaining about piercings, but unfortunately i'm not pierced at the moment. All my piercings have been short lived either because they weren't done very well or I had to remove them due to social issues and the stigma that other non-pierced people have placed on them. Sadly I've never had anything other than my nipples and my tongue pierced, but I hope to get those redone plus alot more if I can ever find an environment that won't prohibit me from doing so. I want to get pierced so bad right now that its driving me crazy!! I'm having problems because I just got my real estate license and I have a couple interviews lined up with people this week. I know if I give in to my hunger for getting pierced (or at least visible piercings)then I won't get the job. It also doesn't help that when I was pierced that my couple of friends did nothing but ridicule me and make fun of me for being pierced. My piercings were so short lived that I only had my nipples done a couple of months before I removed them because they looked like there were done to shallow. My tongue was pierced a little too close to the tip as well as I unfortunately caved into the peer presure to remove it. I do regret moving it because of other people, but it was probably for the best since it was resting on the back of my teeth. I'm currently a full time college student. I'm a senior this year so it won't be long before i'm full time in the work force. I'm a little worried that this might make it even harder for me to get pierced than it already is. My parents never knew i had my nipples pierced and they never knew I had my tongue when I had them since I was at college. I love my family, but unfortunately I come from a very old fashioned and traditional family in regards to piercings and tattoos. My parents hate them and refust to understand why people get them. I've been wanting to get my ears pierced for years now and i've still yet to get that done. Both of my parents have always sweared they would rip it out if I ever came home with any piercings lol. I don't know if they actually would or not, but my parents have always made me feel really uncomfortable with the thought of going home with any piercings. I don't think they actually would rip them out...but i don't want to chance it because its one thing both my parents seem to completly agree on and appear to be very serious lol. Now i'm 21 almost 22 years old and there shouldn't be any reason why I can't get pierced and my parents over look it, but there just not that way. It irritates the hell out of me! I'm starting to ramble on now, so i'm sorry if I got off the topic. I've been a member of tribe now for a couple of years and although I don't always post that often I've really liked the attitudes and outlooks everyone has here! Everyone here gives me hope I'll be able to get the piercings and tattoos I want one of these days!!!! Everyone here are the most supportive people I know!!

sorry my last post was so long. Most of you don't know me too well so I guess its a very late introduction about myself. Better late than never right haha.

I am marrying someone that has no piercings or tattoos and no intention of ever getting them.
He doesn't mind mine and I sometimes catch him putting his fingers through my lobes when I'm lying down.

Remember, relationships are about compromising. You cant always have what you want.

My boyfriend doesn't have any piercings or tats...actually, nobody I've ever dated has. He thinks they are hot, though and is always encouraging of getting new ones. (He really wants me to have stretched lobes.) My ex wasn't as keen on it and told me not to get a tragus piercing because it would ruin how I looked. (back when I had no piercings) I always resented him for that. I don't think I could be with someone unless they were supportive of me 100% no matter what the topic is. I could care less if he had mods...that's his choice. Anyway, I kinda like being the "alternative" one and him being the preppy one. We look cute together that way.

Not that I don't think people with mods are exceptionally hawt...just haven't ever met anyone.

Piercingcraze......through all that you have written ill say this and i'm pretty sure almost everyone here will back me up. You're piercings are exactly that..."your piercings." I understand that Peer pressure is what it is but you have to be strong and stand your ground. Anyone to make fun of your piercings to me would not be a friend. With these "friends" that ridicule you for them I would attempt to educate them on the why's and what's. Then, if they still will ridicule you I would say that they are probably not true friends to you. I have found that as there will always be one's that like them, are curious, don't understand and just down right don't like. It boils down to who respects you. As far as work and interviews. These days it is all too common for people to have some sort of body modification. It probably would be very hard to prove but if someone were to not hire you due to a piercing i'm pretty sure that this would be a form of discrimination. To me it wouldn't be any different if you were Purple or 10 feet short. Any and all job interview should, yes be professional but at the end of the day it should be based on your qualities as a person. For all the Marketers out there...I know in an interview you are basically selling yourself. If someone that is the interviewer is not one that like body modifications then I probably would not throw it in their face. If your are concerned about that type of person then I would simply conceal during the interview. When I had my interview I did not and had a 65 yo Owner/CEO, 60 yo VP, 63 yo VP and a 32 yr Pres/Owners-son and if they did not see my tongue piercing they were blind as a bat. With in 2 hours of my interview I was offered a position, I am in sales and deal face to face with many types of people all day. Do what you want , be concerned for what you want but I would find some gumption and stand your ground. ITs all about being yourself .

Craig...Have you ever had any additional challenges working in sales because of being pierced? Besides real estate, i'm a business degree majoring in marketing. So within another year I hope to find a sales job and then work with real estate on the side. I should stand my ground, but I really hate fights and obstacles that I can avoid. Yea it would be discrimination for not hiring me because of piercings, but like you pointed out it would be very difficult to prove. I don't want to chance not being hired or fired once i do have the job because of piercings and tattoos I want to get. I didn't mean to complain so much in my earlier post. I just needed to blow some steam and I think part of it came out as I was typing that.

Oh yea...I agree about the friends. I thought they were my friends until all the crap they gave me. I still see them sometimes because I don't have a choice, but I view them more as an acquaintance now than a friend. Unfortunatly it seems like everyone around me is like that regardless of how well I know them or they know me. It makes me upset and it can get discouraging sometimes.

PC.....

Challenges in Sales I would say for me would be very few. Now keep in mind that I don't go out of my way for people to know. I just do my thing. For me the key is being professional and knowledgeable about what ever you are selling and most could care less about weather you are pierced or inked. Just like when we seek out a piercer we don't focus on the person as much as we do the quality of the skill. I hope that makes sense. But...that being said there will always be those people that will judge. For me , when I interviewed with my current company I walked in with 13 years of background experience and had previously owned my own company. Not saying you have to have that. For me is to have the skill and quality be the "item" you are selling and the item they see. If they want quality they will not look at a piece of Titanium or Surgical Grade SS. LOL Lets face it..in any interview we are selling ourselves. I don't mean to be vague on the interview part but just as they will size you up you have to do the same. Every industry is different so you just have to make your own judgements. Good you saw the light on the friends thing.

Feel free to PM me...

I'm quite lucky at work, in that I don't have much face to face contact with customers, although meetings with other companies could be more awkward. As long as none of my colleagues have a personal issue with it, then we're golden. The company doesn't actually have a standing on piercings/tattoos, and it's something I'm considering passing up the chain. It would be nice to have something concrete to point to.

Back the original topic, but bf has almost-but-not-quite vetoed a finger webbing piercing. Because "it makes me ick".
I'm working on him slowly, but I don't think it's going to be my christmas present. If I got it, he wouldn't dump me, or shout at me, or make me take it out (although he might ask - once). But I care want he thinks, so I'm not going to get it without his permission. Does that make sense? I think that's the compromise Karly meant.

I have dated ppl with and without tattoos and piercings i have no issue with the look( but do find modified men more attractive, lol). sometimes its hard for someone to understand you and your beliefs if they have nothing done. Ive had guys tell me to not get anoyhing else done but when I go ahead and do more they hae nothing else to say... Anyways, im just tryin to say, do what work for the both of you but dont compromise your own beliefs to make someone else happy.. The real you will sneak out eventually and then u are in for some trouble, LOL!!!

My significant other has no piercings or tattoos. It does not appeal to him at all. He isn't thrilled about my eyebrow or surface piercings, but he likes my nipple piercings and wants me to get a PDB. He likes "functional" piercings in his words. My nipple piercings make my nipples more sensitive, and a PDB would rub my clit (most likely a VCH). He likes the piercings that provide stimulation.

When I got the vertical piercing in my cleavage he was just like "Eh. Whatever." Wasn't really thrilled by it.

I know by dating him I will never be able to get all of the body modifications I want, because he is not as into them. But its a compromise I am willing to make for the right guy.

My wife and I both have pierced nipples and did that when we had been married for 40 years, it will be 43 next month so I guess that there is no problem with us dating as it is with each other.

i have 21 piercings & my bf has none, we both have tattoo's but he's not really into piercings for himself. he doesn't mind my piercings & even bought my nape piercing for christmas last year but i have dated people before that didnt like piercings at all, i even got dumped for getting my madonna & belly button pierced ( 9 years ago lol ). he came crawling back when i had the jewellery downsized & even said it suited me...

what im saying is sometimes times people have to accept you the way you are & if that means you have to be harsh then tough ! when it comes to things like this i get pretty annoyed, would you tell someone you just started dating that you didnt like their hair/clothes/makeup?... no ? then why should they tell you to take piercings out ?!

if its a long term relationship then it is a different matter, you do have to compromise otherwise you probably shouldn't be together... but then again i am the kind of person that gets told "don't do it" but does it anyway !! lol

Well Craig1970,

Won't say I have dated a lot but I got turned on by the first pair of pierced nipples I ever met. It took years before I got brave enough to gget mine done buy happy I did. Went out front with a cup of coffee this summer and saw a neighbor working on his car, he's not ver good at it and since that's what I do I went over and offered a hand. Forgetting that all I had on was shorts and a baggy tank top, later his live-in cam over to my place for something while I was having a beer. She asked me about my pierced nipples and I showed them off but that's as far as it has gone. She has 3 kidds and they all have bodmods. What can I say? I'd like to meet someone who has some bodmods so we have a little common ground to start off with but it took me 6 years to take the first step.
doc

I was lucky and met my boyfriend (pierced, wants tattoos but isn't sure what all he wants yet) before we were both planning to do a suspension at the barn the piercers do them at. We started talking and hit it off real well and decided to go up together on the spinning beam... have been together since .

Apart from him I haven't been with anyone with many piercings.. a tongue piercing or two, nipples, stretched lobes and a couple of tats on another guy. I have had an ex who ended up dumping me because I refused to change, which was pretty stupid. That's great you won't take yours out for anyone.