Why I’m Pro-Faceblood and You Should Be, Too

Blood Flowers by Ear_Candy on rgbstock.com

Look around you. The world is full of fashion trends and passing fads, but it’s time we had a serious talk about faceblood, because it looks like it’s here to stay.

I first found out about faceblood in 2010 when a student at my high school was suspended for public faceblooding. Simply for taking part in an emerging fashion trend, she was treated as a second-class citizen and forcibly removed from the school. Yes, this was an injustice, and it should have been treated as one, but those were different times. I was on the fence about faceblood back then – I’m usually late to the fashion table – but looking back, it’s sad that there wasn’t more of an outcry. I regret staying silent, but it’s not too late.

Today, an understanding of faceblood is becoming ubiquitous. Thanks to social media, exposure to the trend accelerated in 2011 and peaked some time last year. Amidst the controversy, the original trendsetters formed local interest groups and pushed for legislative protection for those participating in faceblood. They recognized that, as part of a subculture, they needed representation, and representation did come. With that, the science behind faceblood also accelerated, and we saw safer grommets being used. While the public health “concerns” continued from parent groups, the public could begin to meet the real face of faceblood, and not the propaganda put forth by the CDC.

I am not a regular faceblooder, but I can tell you that if you respect the first amendment, you should be standing with faceblood. Faceblood as a movement deserves the respect and normality received for free by any other niche interest group. It’s no more strange than building model trains or getting a tattoo, and it’s certainly less permanent than the latter.

Did you know, that in a recent survey, only 8% of faceblooders regretted joining the trend, while 21% of tattooed adults regretted their body art. Faceblood is practically free and takes only minutes, and is entirely reversible save for rare incidences of scarring.

In fact, many active faceblood fans stumbled into the group accidentally. Just last week, I was leaving a lecture when I spotted a young athlete with a trail of fresh blood running from  his nose down into his mustache. He seemed confused when I sent him to the local faceblood chapter’s website, but grateful that I noticed his faceblood.

I’m sure everyone in the scene has some great stories about our early run-ins with faceblood. Back in the peak days, I could accidentally puncture my face 2 or 3 times in an hour while reading a book or going for a jog. It may sound overwhelming, but I can assure you the resulting faceblood was some of the most fashionable I’ve ever created.

And that’s the beauty of faceblood. Whether you use pre-bottled stock or opt for a fresh or live drain, it’s all about self-expression and spontaneity. Common folks are afraid of it because it’s new and different, but that is the essence of invention. Even if you wouldn’t enjoy doing faceblood yourself, it’s important to accept that art is art, and it isn’t the law’s job to impede our freedom of expression.

So what can you do to support faceblood?

1. Practice amateur faceblood. It’s fast and easy!
2. Join your local faceblood chapter.
3. Have grommets installed for a more permanent faceblood style.
4. Support a pro-faceblood congressman.
5. Boycott anti-faceblood places of business.

Remember. No one can tell you how to faceblood. The Bill of Rights guarantees you a right to your own body and no person or group may take that away from you.