There’s heaps of types of piercings and styles out there. Going to a piercing shop in one place could do something very different to a shop down the road. It’s all about the piercer themselves and their training and skill level. The most common type of piercing are the basic traditional piercings and as much as they are often very pretty, they’re the basics, going through the skin having both an entry and exit point.
Then there’s surface piercings, which are a little more interesting, they still have an entry and exit point but they over a larger surface and use a specifically designed staple bar. Then there’s dermal piercings which are a lot different. Entry points with no exit points. Very pretty but a little more intense when it comes to the procedure.
A traditional piercing in Western society is commonly just the ear lobes. It’s the most basic of basic piercings and most people have at least one lobe piercing in today’s society. Since the 2000s, it’s become more widely accepted for all genders to have their lobes pierced. An earring does not define you as a person.
There’s many ways to pierce lobes and cartilage piercings are a bit less common but it’s not a rare sight. Some tools to use are for these piercings are receiving tubes, forceps or to freehand. It is not recommended to freehand unless you’re an expert in the trade for many years. It might cause some issues for both you and your client (or your friend that you’ve convinced into a DIY piercing- maybe avoid that too until you have some sort of training!).
Ear lobe piercings have been around for more than 5000 years. Humans have figured out how to take care of them and even modify them safely. They also heal pretty easily, if you take care of them the way your piercer has directed they probably end up your best healed piercings.
Nose piercing have been a popular staple in cultures around the world. Indian women would pierce their nostrils on the left side to help with period pain and childbirth. But this could only work on some people, piercing aren’t magical pieces of metal that get rid of pain. It might work, it might not. In some ancient tribes, warriors would pierce their septum's to appear more terrifying.
So it’s a pretty old piercing as well, not as old as the humble lobes but up there. The best way to pierce a nostril is with a receiving tube. Do not let anyone come near your nose with a piercing gun, it’s not going to be a fun process for you. Once again they heal pretty easily, they take a little bit longer than lobes and a bit shorter than ear cartilage. It’s just a matter of taking care of them. The same with any other types of nose piercings, do not let that gun come near your nose. Those viral videos of people piercing their septum with a gun is nothing but a recipe for problems. Don’t do it.
For any traditional piercing it’s best to go to a qualified piercer and get it done. They might look easy to do yourself but there are a lot of things that might go wrong. With out proper infection control training and lack of understanding of these areas of the body can lead to contamination and potential disruption of the area. Make sure you research your piercers before you go get anything done. The same goes for surface piercings.
Surface piercings have a bit of a larger range than some people think. While yes they do include things such as staple bars which go under your skin and two gems or balls stick out of the skin, eyebrow and navel piercings fall into the category as well. If you think about it, staple bars act the same as an eyebrow piercing. Just a little bit more complicated to pierce. Surface piercings have been around for a while, in ancient Egypt only people of noble birth were allowed to pierce their navels and if you weren’t, you were to be executed.
They are a little more complex to pierce as well. Sites like the navel, depend on anatomy. To be able to pierce and have it sit nicely and not have a higher chance of rejection. Other sites that prove a tad challenging are rooks, vertical labrets and staple bars. Not having them in the right place could just cause you discomfort and a higher chance of rejection. With staple bars there has to be a good pinch of skin, similar to a dermal, to be able to put them in. Sometimes they won’t agree with you and want out and you can’t control it. If you think it’s rejecting it’s always best to see your piercer first before taking any drastic measures.
All piercings have a chance of rejection, sometimes our bodies just don’t want to have a bit of metal in them. It’s just important to know that your piercer is going to know more than you do about your surface piercing. They’ll be able to tell you if it is still just healing or if you need to take it out before it causes you some issues.
Surface piercings are tricker to heal in a sense they’re a little more demanding. They tend to move around a bit depending on the area they’re in, especially navels. Leaving them alone apart from your normal salt soaks and moving them in the shower to clean them is your best chance of not having pressure bumps or things like that. Keeping on top of your aftercare is super important with any piercings but these ones especially.
Surface piercing like staple bars are a bit more extreme and they share a few characteristics with dermals. While similar they’re different. Staple bars still have that entry and exit point technically, a dermal is like using a cookie cutter on the skin. They’re pretty but some people are exactly the type to get one.
Dermals appeared in the early 2000s in the USA. They have a very low rejection rate unlike surface piercing and can be put most places on your body. There are some rules, such as the area must have a good inch to be able to insert the jewellery.
Dermals evolved over time going from just the microdermal implants to skin divers, which are smaller and you can’t really change the top of them. It’s a fun look to have but the process is a little complicated and sounds a bit scary. Using a ‘dermal punch’ is the common procedure, sometimes a scalpel can be used. First the piercer has to pinch the area of the skin, no pinch no pierce. If there’s no pinch that means there’s not enough surface area for the jewellery to hold onto. Unfortunately your dermal might not be able to go where you wanted exactly but there’s other surfaces it can hang onto. Just have a chat with your piercer and you’ll be able to come up with something. Once they’ve got that perfect spot, they’ll use their tool to remove a little bit of skin. Before ethos has even started, there will be a pair of hemostats with your new diver or dermal anchor in its grip. Once that bit of skin is out, it’s time to insert the jewellery. This bit is a little tricky, your piercer will be as quick as they can. No one wants to be slow but you have to understand piercing isn’t the quick and easy process that it looks like. Your piercer is thinking about a million things during the procedure to make sure this comes out perfect.
There’s not really too many ways to perform a dermal piercing, just the two types of jewellery that can be used. A diver is a smaller piece of jewellery that can’t be changed out like an anchor can be. These are good for facial dermals, as there is normally less skin in the area. Anchors can be used as well but it’s a little easier for the smaller piece to go somewhere like your cheek. Either one can be used on any area of the body but anchors are better for places with a larger surface area. They kind of look like miniature surfboards on the bottom with a person standing on top. Except the person is a tiny metal pole with a twist gem. Use your imagination, it’s the best way to think about it. The skin grows through the holes on the bottom and lets the base have a better grip and a less chance of coming out than the diver does. They have a low rate of coming out but sometimes it just happens. Don’t be too bummed out if it does happen, once it heals up you can always get another one if it has healed nicely.
With healing these bad boys, it’s best to keep them covered for the first 24 hours after getting them done. Something as simple as a patch band aid, like after you get a vaccination from the doctor, are perfect. They aren’t going to fall out on you after a simple knock but you do need to make sure you aren’t getting them too caught on things like clothes or bumping them on corners. Salt baths are still the best thing to promote for fast healing and natural. Don’t mix up potions from different sprays, stick with salt and water for a nice natural healing that won’t dry your skin out.
The world of piercing is almost endless. There’s so many styles and techniques to explore and thanks to the brave clients (or friends) piercers have made an experience that can be enjoyed by everyone all across the world and time. It’s almost too hard to put it all into the world on just how many types of piercing there are and how they can be done.
~Eliza Catford
