DEAR HARRIETTE: I am dating a man who regularly gets his fingernails painted and has a lot of facial piercings. I didn't care for the piercings much when we first met, but as we grew closer, I realized that they were a form of self-expression, and now I really admire them. He will soon meet my family for the first time, and we've already started bickering about his piercings and nail polish. I don't want them to judge him or say something hurtful to him. I asked that he simply remove the piercings and nail polish before meeting my family, and he won't do it. He says that they should accept him for who he is, regardless of his appearance. I'm hurt that he wouldn't honor my request to make me feel comfortable. Is he wrong for refusing to remove them, or am I wrong for asking him to change? -- Piercings