Piercing, a form of body modification practiced for centuries, has evolved into a popular form of self-expression and artistry. Modern piercings typically use needles, a contrast to ancient methods involving the insertion of various objects through the skin. This guide offers a comprehensive overview of facial piercings, including different types, pain levels, aftercare, and safety considerations.
Why Facial Piercings?
Facial piercings offer a unique way to express individuality, but they require careful consideration. The face is a sensitive area, making it crucial to find an experienced piercer to ensure a safe and comfortable experience. Although facial piercings can be fun, they also demand diligent aftercare for proper healing.
Types of Facial Piercings
Ear Piercings
Ear piercings remain a timeless fashion choice, offering numerous options to suit individual styles. From traditional lobe piercings to edgier cartilage piercings, there is something for everyone.
Lobe Piercings
"The earlobe piercing is the easiest piercing to get in terms of pain and healing," says Rose. These are a great way to ease into the piercing lifestyle, as the earlobes are widely considered to be the least painful spot to get pierced.
Cartilage Piercings
These piercings pass through cartilage and must be performed by professional piercers using a needle. Various cartilage piercings on the ear, including Daith, snug, helix, and conch, have different healing timeframes and pain thresholds. "[Expect about] four to 12 months for healing," says Rose.
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Nose Piercings
Nose piercings are becoming increasingly mainstream, offering various options for self-expression.
Nostril Piercing
Many people find nostril piercings more comfortable than septum piercings, but the healing process is a little bit longer for this piercing.
Septum Piercing
The septum piercing is positioned in the cartilage between the nostrils and is known to cause a sharp, stinging pain.
Nasal Bridge Piercing
Technically considered a surface piercing, the nasal bridge piercing does not pass through any cartilage tissue.
Cheek Piercings
Cheek piercings are popular with women who wear glasses because they will not get in the way of eyewear! Cheek: 2 - 3 months for Approximate Healing Time.
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Lip Piercings
Lip piercings are a common piercing choice, but they’re considered difficult to heal. Oral piercings are usually done in the lower lip, but it’s also possible to get a piercing on your tongue. This type of piercing can be incredibly painful if you’re not used to pain, so make sure that you do plenty of research before committing yourself to this type of procedure!
Monroe Piercing
The Monroe piercing is quite similar to a lip piercing; it’s a surface piercing that passes through cartilage and can be easily hidden with makeup.
Tongue Piercing
This type of piercing takes quite some time to heal, but it can be an incredibly fun way to express yourself! Make sure that you choose the right jewelry size for your tongue based on how wide your mouth is. Tongue: 4 - 6 weeks for Approximate Healing Time.
Other Facial Piercings
Eyebrow Piercings
Eyebrow piercings are often described as a brief, sharp pinch, followed by mild soreness. The eyebrow area has more nerves, which makes the piercing slightly uncomfortable. Eyebrow: 6 - 8 weeks for Approximate Healing Time.
Infinity Piercing
This is the piercing that gives you an infinity symbol on your face. It goes straight through your cheek and does not require any jewelry for healing purposes.
Read also: PRP Facial Recovery Tips
Pain Levels
The pain associated with piercings varies depending on the location and individual pain tolerance. Factors such as personal pain tolerance, the location of the piercing, and the technique used. While pain is certainly subjective, and various causes can heighten sensitivity (underlying health conditions, medications, or even the consumption of caffeine/alcohol), some areas of the body are just more commonly sensitive than others.
Earlobe piercings: are among the least painful due to the soft tissue in the lobes. Many people describe the sensation as a quick pinch or pressure, making this a popular option for those nervous about pain.
Nose piercings: especially on the nostril and septum, are popular for their aesthetic appeal but are known to cause a sharp, stinging pain. Nostril piercings are slightly less painful than septum piercings, which are positioned in the cartilage between the nostrils.
Ear piercing styles: have evolved quite a bit over the years, making room for new and interesting placement options. However, it is worth noting that piercings in cartilage areas such as the helix, tragus, and conch can be more painful because of the dense tissue. Many describe the feeling as a sharp pinch, with possible aching afterward.
Eyebrow piercings: are often described as a brief, sharp pinch, followed by mild soreness. The eyebrow area has more nerves, which makes the piercing slightly uncomfortable.
The tongue: is loaded with nerve endings and blood vessels, making tongue piercings quite sensitive and prone to swelling for a few days post-piercing. However, the actual piercing process is quick, with the discomfort arising mostly during the healing period.
Nipple piercings: are known for being painful because they involve dense, sensitive tissue with many nerve endings. The pain can be intense but usually brief.
Choosing a Piercing Studio and Piercer
Selecting a reputable piercing studio is essential to ensure both a comfortable experience and proper sanitation, which minimizes infection risks and ensures a smoother healing process. Getting a new piercing is exciting, but you don’t want to spend your hard-earned money and endure the pain of a piercing only to have it end in disaster. Rose says that many states do not regulate the body art industry, so it’s up to the consumer to find a trustworthy shop with great piercers.
Key Considerations:
- Reputation: Look for reputable places that use single-use sterile equipment, implant grade metals, and have clean autoclave spore tests.
- Hygiene: The forceps, needle, jewelry, and any other metal equipment should be removed from an autoclave bag, with gloved hands, in your presence.
- Experience: Look at examples of piercings the piercing artist has done in the past. Do they look well placed? Do lobe piercings look even? If your friends have had a good experience, they will probably recommend their artist. If they've had a bad experience, they'll warn you not to make the same mistake.
- Cleanliness: “It is important to find a piercing studio that is clean, uses sterile tools, and takes proper care when performing piercings,” notes Garshick, who says this includes washing hands and wearing gloves prior to performing the piercing.
Materials:
Garshick advises it is best to use earrings that are implant-grade stainless steel, titanium, 14- or 18-karat gold, or niobium.
Preparation:
Nazarian says to ensure that your piercer thoroughly cleans the site of the piercing first to prevent future infection. "Prior to receiving a piercing, the skin [should be] cleansed thoroughly, often with alcohol to prevent infection," she shares. Additionally, Nazarian does not recommend getting a piercing if you are experiencing a flare of acne, eczema, other inflammatory skin conditions, or if you are feeling ill and/or if you have a runny or irritated nose.
Piercing Aftercare
Caring for Your New Piercing It is imperative for new piercings to have proper aftercare during the healing process. Not doing so can delay the healing time by months or sometimes years, do not take it lightly.
General Guidelines
- Cleanliness: Always wash your hands before cleaning or handling your new piercing. Clean piercing regularly: The piercing should be cleaned 2-4 times a day.
- Cleaning Solutions: We suggest using unscented antibacterial soap, Epson Salt dissolved in warm water, saline solution, or we have several aftercare products available for purchase. (Do NOT use - Neosporin, Vaseline, Alcohol, or Peroxide).
- Jewelry Check: While cleaning your piercing, you should check that jewelry is secure as well as slightly rotate the piercing. (Only rotate when piercing area is wet, never dry)
- Avoid Touching: Never play with your piercing jewelry or touch it with unwashed hands - this can cause irritation or infection.
- Swimming: Avoid swimming while it is healing: Pools, lakes and, oceans; typically 4-6 weeks
- Changing Jewelry: You should wait at least 2 weeks before your Jewelry is changed out, this should be done by a professional piercer the first time. We are available to change the jewelry for you.
- Do NOT remove your jewelry if you suspect infection. Irritation can be mistaken for infection. The jewelry must remain in to allow drainage. If you have any concerns, please call us immediately: 619-956-9563
Our experts say that, in general, the aftercare for a piercing is the same across the board-no matter where the new bling is located on your body. "Most piercing professionals agree that the best aftercare is a twice-daily saline soak to gently remove any debris that may build up, followed by patting dry with a clean paper towel," Faris says. Rose says that additional important aftercare instructions are to keep your hair up and away from your piercing for a few weeks, and avoid swimming for at least 30 days to minimize the risk of infection. “Avoid sleeping on the piercings, if possible. Lastly, Garshick says to always wash your hands before caring for your piercings.
Oral Piercings
Every time you “eat” or “drink” (besides water), “smoke anything,” “kiss,” “or put anything in your mouth”: you should rinse with (NON-ALCOHOL) Mouthwash. You can use Listerine, BUT use 1/2 Listerine, 1/2 Water in a clean glass cup. Brush teeth regularly.
Labret, Snake Bites, Monroe, and Dimples Piercings
As mentioned above, but also clean around the ball on outside with Bactine or Saline Solution on clean Q-Tip.
All Other Piercings
Clean around the ball with Bactine or Saline Solution in clean Q-Tip. AVOID USING FINGERS! First week: Twice a day. Second week: Once a day. Third week”: Every other day
Things to Avoid:
- Creams and Ointments: It’s important to avoid putting any creams or ointments on your piercing unless it was recommended by your piercing professional.
- Tight Clothing: You should also avoid wearing tight clothing while you’re healing a body piercing because this will make things more difficult!
- Picking at Scabs: Don’t pick at any scabs! This could be tempting because they can look unsightly, but picking will only cause more problems.
- Touching Too Much: Avoid touching the area too much once it’s healed because this could cause a reaction or infection! You don’t want to irritate it, even if you’re just playing around.
- Removing Too Early: You should never take out your belly button piercing until at least six weeks have passed from when you got pierced! This may seem like an eternity for those who are used to wearing earrings every day, but it’s important to give your piercing time to heal.
- Antibacterial Soap: Avoid using antibacterial soap on your belly button piercing! This could dry out the area, which will make it more vulnerable to infection. You should stick with plain old water and use a salt-water soak in order to cleanse it after taking a shower or bath.
Addressing Potential Issues
In the unfortunate case something goes south with your piercing, it's best to seek medical intervention-and soon. Garshick explains that if you experience pus, drainage, redness, tenderness, pain, warmth, or significant itching, it may be a sign that something is wrong. Some piercing sites may be prone to keloids or scarring and can lead to hypertrophic or keloid scar formation, which can be treated with cortisone injections. She recommends that you follow up with a doctor as soon as possible after getting a new piercing, even if your piercing seems fine.
Healing Times
Approximate Healing Time Please make note that everyone heals at a different rate, the healing time below refers to a standard healing time for those specific piercings.
- Cheek: 2 - 3 months
- Cartilage: 2 months - 1 year
- Earlobe: 6 - 8 weeks
- Eyebrow: 6 - 8 weeks
- Genitals: 4 weeks - 6 months
- Labret: 6 - 8 weeks
- Lip: 6 - 8 weeks
- Navel: 6 months - 1 year
- Nipple: 2 - 6 months
- Nostril: 2 months - 1 year
- Septum: 6 - 8 weeks
- Tongue: 4 - 6 weeks
Advantages of Body Piercings
- Customization: You can change the jewelry whenever you want! Many people find that they get bored wearing the same piece for too long and opt to switch out their piercings. If you’re one of these individuals then you’re in luck!
- Variety: You can accessorize with a variety of colors and styles depending on the type of piercing that you want! This is especially true if you get facial piercings because there are so many different types available these days.
- Acceptance: Most body piercings are incredibly common these days, so you won’t have any problems finding clothes that fit! Even if your piercing is exposed, most people will not bat an eye at the sight of it.