Hollywood stars are considered icons in modern day fashion. May they be dresses or jewelry, people look up to their favorite stars and emulates the way they dress and how they accessorize themselves. Even in Hollywood, there are people who are fans of piercing and other body jewelry aside from the regular and normal extravagant rings, necklaces and earrings.

As the lights in red carpet events, you'll see actors and actresses adorned with gems and jewelries that sparkle in the lights. Nowadays, a number of Hollywood celebrities have become fans of platinum jewels which they wore in different events and awarding ceremonies.

The likes of Reese Witherspoon, Madonna, Brooke Shields, Michael Douglas and David Bowie seem to prefer body ornaments like rings, pendants, wedding bands and bracelets made with platinum.

But body jewelry and body piercing didn't come from the influences of Hollywood. It was more like the other way around. Historically speaking, some 4000-5000 years ago body ornaments have been used in the attempt of people back then to make themselves appealing depending on their culture.

Body piercing as well has been a practice in early civilizations. Even the Bible mentioned nose piercing. The Eqyptians wore navel rings in their various rituals. Some incorporates piercing as a religious ritual like tongue piercing for the Aztecs, Shamans, and the Mayans in Central America. Various tribes in Northwest America and in Africa still practice various kinds of body piercings.

Piercing and body jewelry has been around for centuries. It was only in the 1960s and the 1970s that the practice became more of a form of rebellion and self-expression. Jim Ward and his piercing shop, The Gauntlet, are often referred to as the first ones who popularized piercing in the United States.

The practice has grown from tribal rituals and religious rites into a form of fashion. Body jewelry and body piercing is now known as a kind of artistic expression. You'll find celebrities like Hollywood stars, rock stars, and sports figures that wear such ornaments proudly, making them models for younger generation and giving their throngs of their fans something to imitate.

However, one should not always mimic Hollywood celebrities. Sometimes, the way the stars dress and accessorize is not ideal for you. For example, if a celebrity actress dons a silver nose stud, imitating the same might cause you to have allergenic reactions to the metal. It is wise to make certain the kinds of materials that are bio-compatible to your own body.

Metals like silver or gold contains small amounts of nickel which could still cause irritations on the skin, especially if you're too hypersensitive. Nickel is not a bio-compatible material and any skin exposed to it can lead to problems like simple rashes which could lead to complications and infections. It is not always a good thing to follow blindly. One needs to think first and see if following their favorite celebrity is worth it.

Most celebrities can afford the more expensive stuff. The fans, however, have to think of ways to keep up. For fans there are other options. A lot of stores sell affordable accessories and body jewelry similar to the ones that adorn their favorite celebrity's ears, neck, nose, lips or tongue.