Although women in Western world today may not know it, wearing earrings is not limited to fashion and accessorizing.
Earrings actually have a very beneficial function. Wearing earrings has an acupuncture-effect on the body. In ancient China, earrings developed for health purposes rather than female embellishment purposes, stemming from the result of acupuncture of the ear.
The father of Western medicine, Hippocrates, wrote about ear piercing and earring wearing around 470 B.C. as a remedy and treatment for menstrual problems. Galen also wrote about the same thing. In ancient times, if there was a deficiency in energy or chi, gold earrings would be placed in a pierced acu-point for stimulation. Silver earrings were used if there was excessive energy.
Gemstones were added for their therapeutic effects. A ruby was used to regulate menstruation and to enhance fertility. An emerald was worn to prevent miscarriage and to aid in childbirth. Citrine was worn to boost sexual energy. These benefits were then transmitted through the gold or silver.
In modern times, the traditional point for ear piercing is in the middle of the fleshy lobe. This part of the ear is the intuitive, Third Eye, or psychic point. It is very important that only gold, and not silver, be worn here on the ear lobe. Gold, combined with an amethyst or emerald (which are both traditionally regarded as very spiritual stones), will have an added positive effect on the function of intuition.
Ancient people treated diseases of feminine Yin organs via earrings in the left ear and diseases of the male Yang organs via the right ear. The left side of the body is the feminine side and the right side of the body is masculine.
The belly button is the seat of eroticism and sexual passion. It arouses sexual passion. This is why most belly dancers have their belly buttons pierced. Belly dancing is a form of dancing that arouses sexual desire in men. It is very erotic and highly sensual, though friendly and innocent in nature.
The modern day piercing of the tongue, eyebrows, and nipples is simply a fad that some believe helps express their individuality and rebelliousness.
In the 70s and 80s, men started piercing single ear lobes to sport a stud or a burned broomstick straw in the ear lobe. But today, it is very common for males to have both ears pierced. In Biblical lore, a man who voluntarily gave up his freedom to remain a slave had to have an aul driven through his ear as a sign that he was a willful slave.
Some parents decide to pierce their daughter’s ears when she is an infant. This is potentially dangerous, as the baby’s immune system is still strengthening and the act of piercing can introduce bacteria into the baby’s bloodstream. It’s also an issue of choice. When the child matures into legal age, if they want their ears pierced, they can make that decision for themselves. Children don’t need balancing as adults do, so this reason for piercing is nullified.
For those readers who presently have your ear(s) pierced, take care of your ears. Do not use alcohol on your ears. Use hydrogen peroxide or Australian tea tree oil. Soak your earrings or stud overnight in a solution of water and either hydrogen peroxide or tea tree oil. Make sure to clean your ears weekly. Serious infection can result in unsightly keloid tumors. Also, don’t wear gold-plated earrings. Wear only 100% gold, silver, or copper earrings.
Vincent Stevens is the senior content writer at Dherbs. As a fitness and health and wellness enthusiast, he enjoys covering a variety of topics, including the latest health, fitness, beauty, and lifestyle trends. His goal is to inform people of different ways they can improve their overall health, which aligns with Dherbs’ core values. He received his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from the University of Redlands, graduating summa cum laude. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.
