Wondering how to become a piercing apprentice? Start by learning the basics right here.

Although body piercings and other methods of body modification seem like a modern phenomenon, they are only experiencing a revival — piercing has been around for thousands of years, with the oldest body piercing found in a grave dating to 2500 B.C.

Affixing jewelry to ones skin is indeed a way of self-decoration and expression that enjoys much popularity, both in the mainstream and in subcultures. Despite the stigma often associated with them, they are actually incredibly common. If you want to know more about piercings or are wondering how to become a piercing apprentice, check out these fun facts about body piercings to start building a body of knowledge about this common art:

• For men, the most popular piercing location is the nipple — 18% of surveyed men have a nipple piercing. The eyebrow at 17.5% comes in second, then the earlobe at 17%, next comes the the tongue (9.5%), nose (15%), and lip (13%).
• Elaine Davidson of Scotland holds the word record for most body piercings, with an impressive 6,005 piercings.
• Of the different body piercing types, the bellybutton is the most popular piercing location for women at 33% of surveyed women. Second comes the nose at 19%, then ear piercings other than the lobe at 13%, the tongue at 9.5%, the nipple at 9%, eyebrow at 8%, and lip at 4%.
• High schoolers love piercings — it was found that there was a prevalence of 27% for body piercings and 8% for tattooing among them. It’s really no surprise since high school is a time of identity formation, physical, sexual, and social transformations that warrant self-expression.

If you are looking to learn how to body pierce, it is best to start familiarizing yourself with the trends that come with it and the larger piercing culture. Familiarizing yourself with a list of body piercings, and getting a body piercing apprenticeship is probably the best way to go about it.