Tattoos and piercings have become fixtures of American culture. Various cultures across the world have used body modification for centuries. The roots of this behavior, culturally as well as psychologically, are deep.
But most people with a tattoo will tell you that they have chosen this brand of art as a way to make note of something important. It seems that the meaning of the particular tattoo can be as individual as the person who chose it or the circumstances under which she decided to have it done. I believe the relative permanence of this style of art can reflect an underlying separation anxiety.
A man who feels insecure and small may choose to bond with the permanent image of a naked woman on his skin, thus feeling strong and manly when displaying this image to his friends. This image and his view of himself with this image help reduce his underlying anxiety of feeling small and childlike. It might also keep his friends’ eyes on him, giving him a kind of attention that leaves him feeling less alone or abandoned.
Piercings involve similar logic. They relay to the recipient an external confirmation of being special but do so in a self-mutilatory way. A girl may pierce her tongue to announce that she is sexually potent, yet, in doing so, she also permanently reminds herself that she feels her mouth is dirty and (in her perception) in need of punishment for these sexual wishes. As with tattoos, only the wearer can genuinely convey either the particular meaning of any piercing or any potential anxiety that wearing it might alleviate.