Pearling (body modification)
Encyclopedia
Pearling or genital beading is a form of body modification
, the practice of permanently inserting small beads made of various materials beneath the skin of the genitals—of the labia, or of the shaft or foreskin
of the penis
. As well as being an aesthetic practice, this is usually intended to enhance the sexual pleasure
of partners during vaginal
or anal intercourse.
The practice seems to have been fairly common across world cultures and is still done today. In contemporary society pearling is usually done by professional body piercers, and sometimes by people who specialize in surgical body modification (who are often very publicity-shy, for fear of legal repercussions).
and the other being similar to inserting a subdermal implant
, and requiring more medical knowledge and specialized tools. Either procedure is relatively safe with risks and healing much like a subdermal implant in any other part of the body, although, like many genital piercing
s, the generous blood
flow to the genitals can reduce healing times considerably. Inflammation is very common, during and after healing, although careful healing can minimize this. Rejection is rare, but can occur.
, silicon
, surgical steel or titanium
are commonly used materials. Prior to the availability of modern materials, there is a long history of pearl
s being used in this implant, hence the name pearling. There is an alternate form of this implant, where short curved "ribs" are inserted, rather than pearls.
of Japan
, an organized crime
syndicate whose members perform several notable types of body modification
, including full body irezumi
tattoo
ing and Yubitsume
, the amputation
of finger joints in penance to their superiors. Pearling is performed in prison
by the Yakuza, with each pearl supposedly symbolizing a year spent in prison.
Pearling, called 'bolitas', is a fairly common practice among Filipino
seamen, especially among the older ones. They say they learned the practice from Japanese seamen.
Body modification
Body modification is the deliberate altering of the human body for any non-medical reason, such as aesthetics, sexual enhancement, a rite of passage, religious reasons, to display group membership or affiliation, to create body art, shock value, or self expression...
, the practice of permanently inserting small beads made of various materials beneath the skin of the genitals—of the labia, or of the shaft or foreskin
Foreskin
In male human anatomy, the foreskin is a generally retractable double-layered fold of skin and mucous membrane that covers the glans penis and protects the urinary meatus when the penis is not erect...
of the penis
Penis
The penis is a biological feature of male animals including both vertebrates and invertebrates...
. As well as being an aesthetic practice, this is usually intended to enhance the sexual pleasure
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
of partners during vaginal
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
or anal intercourse.
The practice seems to have been fairly common across world cultures and is still done today. In contemporary society pearling is usually done by professional body piercers, and sometimes by people who specialize in surgical body modification (who are often very publicity-shy, for fear of legal repercussions).
Procedures
There are two common procedures, one being very similar to a frenum piercingFrenum piercing
A frenulum piercing is a type of body piercing located on the underside of the shaft of the penis. A series of parallel frenulum piercings is known as a frenum ladder. A frenum ladder may be extended to include lorum piercings, hafada piercings and guiche piercings.-Placement:Frenum piercings are...
and the other being similar to inserting a subdermal implant
Subdermal implant
A subdermal implant refers to a kind of body jewelry that is placed underneath the skin, therefore allowing the body to heal over the implant and creating a raised design. These kinds of implants fall under the broad category of body modification. Many people who have these implants use them in...
, and requiring more medical knowledge and specialized tools. Either procedure is relatively safe with risks and healing much like a subdermal implant in any other part of the body, although, like many genital piercing
Genital piercing
Genital piercing is a form of body piercing and is considered a form of body modification. It involves piercing a part of the genitalia and subsequently inserting and keeping a foreign object in the opening until the wound heals. This forms a tunnel of skin around the foreign object, thus creating...
s, the generous blood
Blood
Blood is a specialized bodily fluid in animals that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells....
flow to the genitals can reduce healing times considerably. Inflammation is very common, during and after healing, although careful healing can minimize this. Rejection is rare, but can occur.
Jewelry
A wide variety of inert implant materials can be used for this implant. TeflonPolytetrafluoroethylene
Polytetrafluoroethylene is a synthetic fluoropolymer of tetrafluoroethylene that finds numerous applications. PTFE is most well known by the DuPont brand name Teflon....
, silicon
Silicon
Silicon is a chemical element with the symbol Si and atomic number 14. A tetravalent metalloid, it is less reactive than its chemical analog carbon, the nonmetal directly above it in the periodic table, but more reactive than germanium, the metalloid directly below it in the table...
, surgical steel or titanium
Titanium
Titanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. It has a low density and is a strong, lustrous, corrosion-resistant transition metal with a silver color....
are commonly used materials. Prior to the availability of modern materials, there is a long history of pearl
Pearl
A pearl is a hard object produced within the soft tissue of a living shelled mollusk. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is made up of calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form, which has been deposited in concentric layers. The ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth, but many other...
s being used in this implant, hence the name pearling. There is an alternate form of this implant, where short curved "ribs" are inserted, rather than pearls.
History and Culture
The most well known historical use of this involves the YakuzaYakuza
, also known as , are members of traditional organized crime syndicates in Japan. The Japanese police, and media by request of the police, call them bōryokudan , literally "violence group", while the yakuza call themselves "ninkyō dantai" , "chivalrous organizations". The yakuza are notoriously...
of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, an organized crime
Organized crime
Organized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
syndicate whose members perform several notable types of body modification
Body modification
Body modification is the deliberate altering of the human body for any non-medical reason, such as aesthetics, sexual enhancement, a rite of passage, religious reasons, to display group membership or affiliation, to create body art, shock value, or self expression...
, including full body irezumi
Irezumi
Irezumi is a Japanese word that refers to the insertion of ink under the skin to leave a permanent, usually decorative mark; a form of tattooing....
tattoo
Tattoo
A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...
ing and Yubitsume
Yubitsume
is a Japanese ritual to atone for offenses to another, a way to be punished or to show sincere apology to another, by means of amputating portions of one's own little finger...
, the amputation
Amputation
Amputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma, prolonged constriction, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on individuals as a preventative surgery for...
of finger joints in penance to their superiors. Pearling is performed in prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
by the Yakuza, with each pearl supposedly symbolizing a year spent in prison.
Pearling, called 'bolitas', is a fairly common practice among Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
seamen, especially among the older ones. They say they learned the practice from Japanese seamen.