Since time immemorial, Africans have been sticking pieces of metals through their skin. Both men and women have been piercing various parts of their bodies, including the ears, tongue, nose, lips, among others.
Currently, people get piercings for various reasons such as aesthetic appeal, self-expression and sexual pleasure.
But in ancient African civilizations, piercings had many cultural meanings apart from being a form of body modification.
Here are some of the traditional reasons behind the various types of piercings:
