Reamer is a object used to enlarge some parts of the human body, principally ears and lips.
Currently, different “urban tribes” adopt the flares as an aesthetic adornment, which is considered a sign of beauty and style in these specific groups.
There are several different types and sizes of reamers, which are usually measured in millimeters. The smallest reamer is 1mm thick and it is recommended that people who want to place a reamer start with this measure.
As the body gets used to the size of the initial reamer, larger pieces can be placed (2mm, 4mm, 6mm, etc.). it is advisable to increase every 2 millimeters every three months, average.
As a rule, the body is able to heal and completely close the hole made by a reamer of up to 8mm, however, this process varies greatly depending on the body and structure of each person.
There are three main ways to place a reamer: insertion pins, scalp or dermal punch.
The use of insertion pins It's more common. With this technique, a hole is made in the earlobe (normal earring hole), after which a pin is placed, which has fine ends and thickens in the middle, allowing the hole to be dilated little by little.
O scalp consists of using a scalpel to make a small cut in the earlobe. With this, a reamer of up to 10 mm could be fitted.
already thedermal punch is the technique that uses a surgical tool for biopsies, capable of cutting a “circular slice” of the lobe, allowing the placement of the stent.
Remembering that the placement of a reamer must be done by a body piercer qualified, with all the necessary hygiene conditions.
See also the meaning of nose piercing.
Origin of reamers
The use of reamers may seem like a recent fad, but the act of enlarging ears and lips is very old.
Some researchers believe that peoples from Africa and indigenous tribes from the Americas were the first to use reamers as aesthetic ornaments and to symbolize power or wisdom.
For the indigenous people of the Kayapó tribe, for example, the use of the stent on the lower lip is a sign of great prestige, as it symbolizes that that person has the gift of oratory and wisdom.
In Africa, some tribes still use the so-called “lipplate”, that is, round pieces of wood or bamboo that they use to widen their lips as a sign of beauty.
Currently, people use the reamers only for aesthetic reasons, however, initially, these pieces were a symbol of social and hierarchical distinction of extreme respect.