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Earrings are attached to the ear through a piercing in the earlobe or some other external part of the ear, except in the case of a clip earring, which clips onto the lobe. The simple term "ear piercing" usually refers to an earlobe piercing, whereas piercings in the upper part of the external ear are often referred to as "cartilage piercings." Cartilage piercings are more complex to perform than earlobe piercings, and take longer to heal.
A variety of specialized cartilage piercings have become popular. These include the tragus piercing, antitragus piercing , rook piercing , industrial piercing , helix piercing and conch piercing . In addition, earlobe stretching, while common in primitive cultures for thousands of years, started to appear in Western civilization in the 1990s, and is now a fairly common sight.
Earrings are worn by both sexes, although they are generally more commonly worn by women. There persists an unfortunate urban legend to the effect that a man's choice of pierced ear indicates his sexual orientation, with a pierced right ear designating a gay man, and the left ear, a straight man. (Compare hanky code). Although this concept was never actually true, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, some people in the general population latched onto the idea, and it persists today because a small number of people still believe it. In fact, both straight and gay men have pierced either or both ears throughout recorded history. Nowadays, single and multiple lobe or cartilage piercings, in either or both ears, are common with men and women of all sexual orientations and across all walks of life.
Earring components can be made out of any number of materials, including metal, glass, precious stones and beads. Earring designs can range from small loops or studs to large plates or dangling items. Earring size is generally limited by the physical capacity of the earlobe to hold the earring without tearing. People who habitually wear heavy earrings may find that over time, the earlobe and piercing stretch.
Earrings are worn around the world in most cultures, both currently and historically. Whereas most earrings worn in the Western world are designed to be removed and changed, permanent (non-removable) earrings have been used as a mark of slavery or ownership. Permanent earrings have made a come-back in the form of larger gauge rings which are difficult or impossible for the wearer to remove without assistance. In addition, locking earrings are occasionally worn by people of both genders, due to their erotic value.