June 28 has a special meaning. It’s International Body Piercing Day. That’s right; body piercing is so important that it has its own day.
Body piercing has various purposes. For many, it’s a form of self-expression. For others, it’s part of a rite of passage.
The thing about body piercings is that there are a lot of options to choose from. If you’re thinking of getting a new piercing, you have to pick the right body jewelry.
It’s best to have an idea in mind before going in to get your new piercing. There are several factors to consider. This body jewelry guide will tell you everything you’ll need to know.
Read on to learn about the different types of body jewelry available.
Ear Piercings
Let’s start by going over ear piercings. Earrings are the most common form of body jewelry. It’s the oldest form of piercing, as it dated back almost 5,000 years ago.
Chances are that you have your earlobes pierced. You likely have stud earrings. These are the most basic, as is the case with hoop earrings.
The good news is that you have a lot of room for ear piercings. You can work your way up to the upper portion of the ear. The opportunities to show off your style will depend on how many piercings you can handle.
The anti-tragus piercing goes on the outer ear cartilage. It’s right next to the earlobe.
If this is a piercing you want to get, you’ll need to keep a couple of things in mind. It can take between 8-16 months for it to heal. During this time, you can’t change the jewelry.
Up next is the auricle piercing. As the name implies, it lies on the auricle section of the ear. It can take 3-9 months to heal.
The conch piercing looks like a conch shell. You can choose between the inner or outer options. It makes a perfect pairing with the daith piercing which goes through the innermost cartilage fold of the ear.
The outer rim of the ear is the perfect spot for a forward helix piercing. You can opt for a helix piercing that goes through the upper ear cartilage. The latter comes with two holes.
There are several options for the inner part of the ear. The snug piercing is ideal for this section of the ear. It’s a horizontal piercing that goes above the anti-tragus.
Consider the constellation piercing. It’s a cluster of piercings that go up the ear. Looks like the galaxy constellation.
Nose Piercings
The nose is another popular part of the body you can pierce. If you decide to get a nose piercing, you can get one on the nostril or septum. There are a variety of options to choose from.
If you prefer a simple nostril piercing, you can opt for one that goes at the centre of the nostril. If you get two holes, you can get a double nose piercing.
The high nostril piercing is becoming more popular. This one is located at the higher end of the nasal bridge.
Variations of nose piercings include the nasallang piercing. It runs through both nostrils and the septum. Another variation is the rhino piercing. This one takes the form of a vertical piercing that runs through the tip of the nose and goes out the skin above the septum.
If you want another type of piercing that runs through the tip of the nose, you can opt for the Austin bar. If you please, you can get two of these piercings. One on each side of the tip of the nose.
Have you seen the septum piercing? This one is more commonly known as the bull piercing. It runs through the area of the nose that divides both nostrils.
Tongue Piercings
Next on the list of body jewelry are tongue piercings. There are unique and stylish tongue piercings that people can choose from. The fancy names alone give people a lot to talk about.
The lip Frenulum piercings are popular ones. There are two types of piercings that fall into this category.
First, there’s one called the smiley piercing. It goes through the upper lip frenulum, which is part of the upper lip.
Second, you have the frowny piercing. Think of it as the opposite of the smiley piercing. The frowny piercing goes through the lower lip frenulum, which is part of the bottom lip.
Web piercing is a distinct category. It’s found under the tongue and goes through the skin flap that resembles a web.
The horizontal tongue piercing goes through the tip of the tongue, hence the name snake eyes. If it makes its way through the centre of the tongue, it is known as a venom piercing. It’s up to each person to decide how to place this type of piercing on the tongue.
Face Piercings
A body jewelry guide is complete without going over face piercings. This part of this guide includes lip piercings. These are perfect for people who want to make punk rock cool again.
One can argue that lip rings are making a comeback, as many celebrities are wearing them. A labret piercing is a popular style. It’s located on the bottom labrum or lip.
If you want to set yourself apart, you can get multiple Labret piercings. You can end up getting snake bite piercings or spider bite piercings. You can even get shark bite piercings if that’s your thing.
Are you a fan of Madonna? If you like her, you can get a Madonna piercing which goes on the right side of the upper lip. It’s meant to resemble her beauty mark that’s on the upper side of her lip.
The philtrum piercing goes through the centre of the upper lip. This piercing only has one hole. It’s ideal for those who want to have something simple.
People who want to pierce their eyebrows can opt for a vertical surface piercing. It goes through the bottom of the eyebrow and comes out through the top part. If you decide to get this piercing, you’ll need to let it heal for about eight weeks.
What’s an eyebrow piercing without a cheek piercing? This is otherwise known as a dimple piercing. It goes through the cheek and into the oral cavity.
Other Types of Body Piercings
Let’s go over other types of body piercings that you might want to give a try. A popular type of piercing among women is the back piercing. You can get one on your lower back.
You can choose to get a back piercing in pairs. This will allow you to get symmetry. If you choose to get it as a pair, it would be called a double-back dimple piercing.
Microdermal piercings are surface piercings that are inserted into a flat surface of the body. These require an anchor. The anchor is to be placed under the skin.
Popular types of microdermal piercings include hip piercings and sternum piercings. Other popular options include wrist piercings and collarbone piercings.
Body Piercing Jewelry Types
Now that you might have an idea of the type of piercing you want, it’s time to choose the type of jewelry to add to your piercing. You’ll have to inform the person who will do the piercing what type of jewelry you want.
Barbells are the most standard type of body piercing jewelry. These are perfect for tongue rings and ear piercings. You can get them made out of surgical steel or titanium.
Industrial barbells are a perfect option for the upper part of the ear. You can add stylized ends to them. If you want, you can also add charms to them.
There are different jewelry types to choose from if you have a nose piercing. Septum rings require a hole to be placed inside the nose. Depending on your preference, you can choose between horseshoe rings or captive bead rings.
Stud nose rings are a simple but great choice for nose piercings. It’s like getting a tiny, little charm placed on your nose.
Size Does Matter
On top of the different body piercing types, there are different sizes to choose from. The body jewelry size you go with is important. You’ll want to stick with a size that you’re comfortable with.
There are two main considerations. You’ll have to decide on the gauge as well as the length of the piercing between the holes.
The gauge refers to the thickness of an item. It’s good to know this info if you get ear gauges. You can find more information on ear gauge sizes by clicking the link.
The Complete Body Jewelry Guide
As you can see, there are so many different types of piercings you can get. Use this body jewelry guide to help you decide what to get. It’ll help you make a perfect match for your style.
Make sure to explore the rest of our blog to continue reading for more great articles.
