To PIerce or Not to Pierce: That is the Question

To pierce or not to pierce: that question echoed around my house for the past year and half. My daughter Finn started asking for a nose-piercing around the age of 14 and then eventually I said, ok, for your 15th birthday, which (oops), came and went without any action. I'll admit: I kept stalling. Nose-piercing is a fairly permanent decision that I didn't want her to regret. Or me!

Finn kept reminding me in her inimitable gentle yet persistent way. Um, Mom, my 15th birthday present? Truthfully, I was hoping the idea would fade to fad. Testing her level of commitment, we talked about pros and cons, the long healing process, the sports issue (by regulation, piercings have to be covered up during softball games...league rules...). Despite all of the caveats she still didn't waver. So I got the message: she was serious.

Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against piercing per se. While some looks are more extreme than others (go ahead: Google Images), a tiny glint on the nose looks fabulous on millions of women (especially when paired with a sari...). It's just that I personally have never even pierced my ears, so the whole process seemed daunting....

I tasked Finn with finding THE BEST piercing place by polling her friends, asking around. She located Venus by Maria Tash in the West Village NYC, highly recommended by her friend Caroline. Finally the event took place just before Christmas 2009.

These days, I'm the first to point out Finn's elegant fleck of bling, and in her circles she's had many rounds of thumbs up. Plus, she's been religious about taking care of it. Her choice to pierce? A bona fide rite of passage without an apparent downside. Style transcends the hesitations. And wins.

(If you're thinking about it or have a daughter exploring the idea, you can always contact Penelope Silverstein at Haven Body Arts in Northampton, MA. She's been featured in print, blogs and on the news....a real pro. http://havenbodyarts.com/)