These days there are also permanent earrings, which are exactly what the name suggests. Thanks to a soldering procedure, these kinds of earrings do not come out and cannot be removed without serious assistance.
There is a serious health risk with permanent piercings, however, revolving around the idea of toxic and bacterial infections, because the site cannot really be properly cleaned. Many ear piercings in general come with various health risks. Standard earlobe piercing poses the least risk, although it is always possible than infection can set in if the site is not taken care of properly, and one must never underestimate the risk that an earlobe piercing might be torn or ripped out, creating quite the problem – because who wants a bisected earlobe? There is also the possibility of allergic reaction, although there are many, many types of hypo-allergenic earrings available on the market today. Kelloids are also a serious risk factor.
By and large, cartilage piercings hold more of a health risk. The act of piercing the cartilage itself causes trauma to the piercing site, thereby making the act of healing far more difficult. As well, there is less blood flow to cartilage areas in the ear, making the risk of infection much, much higher. However, making sure that the piercer uses a sterilized, hollow needle can lessen the trauma of the act of piercing, as well as the risk of a bacterial infection.
There are, however, a variety of clip on and stimulated earrings, for both the earlobes and the cartilage. People who want to see how they look with pierced ears or cartilage, or who simply want to stimulate the experience before committing to the procedure, can certainly consider clip-ons before having their ears pierced. Clip-ons are not as “tacky” as they used to be considered sometimes, but if a person has an aversion to the idea of clip on earrings, there are also varieties of cuffs and even magnetized earrings, which are painless, safe, and stylish alternatives – both to clip-ons and to actual ear piercings.
One of the most common and popular types of piercing available today is the simple ear piercing – although ear piercings are not quite so simple any longer. With a long, convoluted history which includes being used to brand slaves, earrings are almost standard for every little girl, and more and more men these days are interested in getting their ears pierced. It has, however, come to cross all cultural bounds, and nowadays, there are more varieties of ear piercings than there have ever been before – and, as such, there are more risks as well.
Before, earrings were most commonly located in the earlobe – in both earlobes, in fact. Then, people started getting multiple piercings in each earlobe. It is now possible, in fact, to have one’s ear pierced all the way from the lobe to the cartilage. These days, more and more cartilage piercings are becoming popular. There is the rook piercing, the tragus piercing, and the helix piercing, which is the most “standard” cartilage piercing, being located right at the top of the cartilage in most cases. The former two are located in little bits of cartilage located within the nautilus of the ear. There are also conch piercings, snug piercings (the corresponding shape just inside of the cartilage line), anti-tragus piercings, and daith piercings – all rather complicated cartilage piercing. Lastly, there is the industrial piercing, which usually involves a barbell (or even a safety pin, in certain cases), spanning from one side of the upper cartilage to the other side. Because none of these piercings are located in the earlobe, they are generally defined as cartilage piercings – but since they are located on or within the ear, they also still qualify as ear piercings. For the most part, cartilage piercings take much longer to heal than regular earlobe piercings. As far as earlobe piercing is concerned, the higher up the piercing is located, the longer it may take to heal. The usual estimate is six to eight weeks, just to be on the safe side.
Earlobe piercings may be first pierced with rings or stud. With cartilage piercings, piercers usually recommend using a stud at first, and generally encourage the person getting pierced to choose a gold stud. After healing periods have elapsed and the wearer can choose the piercing of his or her own choice, those choices are practically limitless. There are, of course, studs and rings, but there are also dangle earrings, which are made to “flow” from the earlobe and can be as long as the wearer wishes. There is also a French hook style of earring, wherein the earring hangs from the lobe thanks to a hook shaped in such a way that the earring will not easily fall out of the ear. There are “huggy” or cuff earrings, which cling to the earlobe. There are “slave” earrings, wherein, usually, a stud is connected by a chain to an ear cuff or cartilage ring worn somewhere higher on the ear.
There are also earrings known as ear threads, which are not actually earrings at all. Rather, these are chains so thin they can slip through the piercing whole. As well, there are earrings known as ear needles, which is a thin plastic stick that goes straight into the piercing hole. Generally, these do not fall out because they are a little bit larger than the hole itself. Jewelry used in other piercing sites, such as barbells, can also be used in ear piercings. Captive bead rings, rings with a ball closure, are another popular choice, as are circular barbells – which do not close all the way, unlike bead rings and captive rings (basically a captive bead ring, minus the bead) – and flesh plugs, which are also known as grommets and eyelets, and they are generally used in large gauge piercing or to stretch an ear piercing, which has become quite a popular trend. Similar to these are earrings called flesh tunnels, but they are hollow in the middle.
Next come a series of piercings located in or on the nose. First off is the most standard piercing the nose piercing. Here, the jewelry of choice – typically studs or rings – is placed through one or both nostrils. Because this is a cartilage piercing, this can be quite painful, and generally takes longer to heal. Most people say it takes an average of four to six weeks but, in fact, soreness may last far longer, as piercing the cartilage can be fairly painful.
People can also get their septum pierced – that is, the area between the nostrils. Most typically, people choose to pierce the septum with either a ring or a horse shoe shaped piercing. This piercing, too, takes about six to eight weeks to heal.
Another recent trend in piercing involving the nose are bridge piercings, which are located right between the eyes, high up on the bridge of the nose. These are sometimes called Earl Piercings because of the first person reported to have it done. Because this is a surface piercing, it takes longer to heal. It may in fact take anywhere from six weeks to ten weeks.
One of the most popular trends when it comes to facial piercing are eyebrow piercings. As you might expect, these piercings are located on the eyebrow. It is generally placed towards the end of the outer arch, near the outer corner of the eye. Although an eyebrow piercing can be horizontal, it is usually placed vertically. These take about six to eight weeks to heal, as well.
The estimated healing time for the types of facial piercing mentioned above is just that – estimations. Healing time depends on everything from an individual’s ability to heal, to the location of the piercing, to, most importantly, the way an individual takes care of his or her piercing in order to make sure that it heals properly. Saline solutions or sea salt solutions are almost universally recommended as the best way to clean facial piercings. In general, piercings need to be cleaned at least twice a day, and it is better to use a Q-tip or cotton ball than a towel or a wash cloth. Cleaning the piercing whenever showering or bathing is also recommended. When doing this, however, it is of the utmost importance to make sure that there is no soap residue left on or around the piercing. Soap left to dry can cause severe irritation and might complicate the healing process. Many piercers also offer antiseptic solutions.
It is also important to seriously consider the pros and cons of any facial piercing. For example, eyebrows, Earls, and vertical labret piercings – among others – are considered to be surface piercings, and surface piercings have a higher risk for rejection – when the piercing does not take or grows out for whatever reason – and migration – when the piercing moves from the location where it was initially intended. It is particularly hard to keep eyebrow piercings, because in our day to day lives are eyebrows generally move around a lot, simply due to the expressiveness of human nature. This could leave you with a fairly deep scar somewhere on your eyebrow.
Another con is how other people react to facial piercings. Some people, for instance, will not hire someone with a facial piercing, whether it is actually on the face or in the mouth. In a best case scenario, an employer will simply insist that a person does not have their piercing in during the job – which, of course, could cause the piercing to grow in and thus disappear, unless the person with the piercing chooses to wear a retainer and/or plug – and if, of course, the employer is all right with that.
Piercings are fun and they are fashionable. Some people want them in order to make a statement, some even like the pain involved. So this is not to say that you should not get a facial piercing. It is simply important to consider everything before going through with it. That includes everything from healing time to what you will do if your body rejects the piercing or it migrates, and how current and/or future employers may feel about it.
Although facial piercing has a long and varied cultural history – in the past, facial piercing has been used for everything from showing a woman’s marital status to being used as an identifying characteristic for certain tribes – these days, it is favored most for its aesthetics. Facial piercing has, in fact, almost become something of a fashion accessory. There is a wide variety of facial piercing available, with more styles being introduced every day. Some of these are safer than others and, as such, it is important to understand everything about the many types of facial piercing available today.
To begin with, there are a number of facial piercing styles which are focused on or around the mouth. First, there is the labret piercing, which is located just below the bottom lip. Usually, people choose to have it placed in the center of the face, but some prefer it to be located off-center. Another facet of the labret piercing is the vertical labret, which involves the piercing being placed vertically, through the center of the lower lip. Lastly, there are lip piercings, which is located directly below the lip. Again, it can be either dead center or off-center. On average, it takes a labret piercing – whether it is the standard labret piercing or the vertical labret – and a lip piercing about six to eight weeks to heal.
Most mouth piercings are also considered to be facial piercings. The most common of these is the tongue piercing, which involves a piercing directly through the center of the tongue. The farther back (to an extent), the better. There are also “frowny” piercings, which are located in the tongue web, and “smiley” piercings, which involve the upper web. The healing time for mouth piercings vary, but are generally fairly quick, because of a bacterial agent in human saliva, which can heal wounds quickly.
Next up is a more recent trend in piercing, which is called the Monroe. Usually located near the upper lip, diagonal to the nose, it is designed to look like a birthmark. Marilyn Monroe was, of course, quite famous for her birthmark, hence the piercings’ name. However, even more recently, only piercings of this type located on the left side of the face are called a Monroe. Those which are located on the right side of the face may also be called a Madonna or a Crawford, after Cindy Crawford. Another recently popular face piercing is called Medusa piercing, which is located in the dip above the upper lip. There are also piercings known as “snake bites,” wherein there are two piercings, one on either side of the bottom lip and just below it. These types of piercings generally take six to eight weeks to heal as well.
Another new trend in piercing is having the cheeks pierced – the facial cheeks, that is! Typically, someone interested in this type of piercing has two piercings, one on either side of the face, so that together, the two resemble dimples. Once again, six to eight weeks is the average period for healing time.
Next is male genital piercing, which begins with the piercing of the frenulum, also known as the Prince Albert. This piercing is located through the urethra, and then exits through a hole in the bottom of the urethra. Scarring is a very serious risk with this piercing, especially if the piercing is not deep enough. One problem with Prince Albert piercings is a man’s ability to urinate while standing up, so some men may have to sit down to pee.
The Ampallang is another male genital, although it is less popular and very difficult. It is located through the head of the penis, either above, under, or actually through the urethra, depending on the man’s preference and his penis. Some piercers prefer the penis to be erect before attempting this piercing. The process is both slow and painful, because the location is host to many nerves and arteries. It can take anywhere from six months to a year for this piercing to heal, bleeding during the first few days is quite common, and rejection or migration can cause painful, permanent scarring.
Another male genital piercing is the Apadravya. It is a vertical piercing through the head of the piercing. It, too, can be extremely painful, for the same reasons as the Ampallang, and like that piercing, this one can take up to a year to heal.
The next male genital piercing is the foreskin piercing – which, of course, can only be done on men who have not been circumcised. In history, it was used to ensure chastity in men, specifically in slaves. These days, it is popular because of its sexual enhancement affects. The foreskin can be pierced almost as many times as the size of the foreskin allows and there are generally no risks, although rough sexual exploits may cause tearing. As such, men who receive this piercing are encouraged to be very careful when it comes to sex until the healing is complete. If a man has sex before the healing period is over, a condom is seriously recommended. In general, this piercing takes about two to four months to heal completely.
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