Surface Piercings
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Getting a Surface Piercing
When you get a piercing, it is nothing more than a foreign object through your skin. Many times, your body will treat the jewelry like a splinter and try to push it out.
Surface piercings are different than most piercings. A proper surface piercing is pierced with a barbell, shaped like a staple with two 90 degree angles, one on either end. With the shape of a surface barbell, it becomes harder for the body to push the jewelry out. With improper jewelry, healing is more difficult.
Only skilled piercers should practice this type of piercing, as the rejection rates are very high. A lot of tissue can be damaged with this piercing.
As surface piercings are so sensitive, once healed, if you bump it several years after the fact, you can invite the migration and rejection process to begin. You do not want to have your piercing to begin rejecting because it is hard to reverse. If you do not remove the jewelry before it is too late, the piercing will be nothing more than ugly scars.
Popular Surface Piercings
Healing Surface Piercings
A surface piercing is one of the hardest of piercings to heal as it is a more complicated piercing. It takes up more skin than other piercings, causing more trauma to the tissues. To heal a surface piercing properly you need to make sure that you watch any friction on the piercing. Place a surface piercing in a low key area, and you'll be better off.
Watch the amount of movement in the area you chose. Many people love the look and appearance of wrist surface piercings as well as nape piercings, but both of these areas are high movement areas. You use your wrists for various activities such as writing, typing, eating, shaking hands, etc; your neck is a high motion and impact area because you turn you neck in various directions, brush your hair, lay on your back, etc.
You should clean the piercing with a saline solution, or a mild sea salt mix. Depending on where the piercing is, you can pour the saline in a small dixie cup, and flip the cup over onto the piercing.
This ensures that you are fully cleaning the piercing.
Watch for drainage, and do not let crusties, lymph, sit around the barbell for long. Now, do not pull off the crusty, as it will cause even more tissue trauma. Soak the area and use a Q-Tip or cotton ball to gently rub the crusty off the piercing.
Make sure that there is enough breathing room between the swelling and the end of the barbell. This will, also, help with the drainage. This can be achieved by using appropriate jewelry, so you're piercer will be most in control of this concern.
Many body jewelry companies have produced a surface barbell that has flat tips versus balls. This is a better option, as it is less likely to stick out and beg to be knocked.
Signs of Piercing Rejection
Causes of Migration and Rejection
There are several causes of migration which include:
Up Pressure: Where the jewelry exerts pressure up on the skin above it, which stresses the tissue and partially stops blood supply to the area.
General Damage: Damage caused from the piercing process, weakening the tissues around the holes.
Motion: Certain areas of the body receive more movement than others, and in the case of surface piercings, the more movement the higher your chances of rejection because of the added there pressure, stretching, twisting, and compression to the skin.
Impact: Again, placement is very important for surface piercings. If you get one in a location that is prone to wear and tear, your chances of migration are again heightened. Impact does not include just hitting the piercing, but any friction towards it, which include clothing.
Improper Drainage: If the piercing is not able to drain the dead tissues, migration can be a problem.
Nape Piercing
Surface Jewelry
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CZ Spikes Steel Surface Barbell 14g 3/4" Body Jewelry
Current Bid: $2.49
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BIOFLEX*SURFACE BARBELL*INDUSTRIAL*Cut Bar 2 ANY length
Current Bid: $3.12
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One 16g 16 Gauge Small Ball CZ Surface Barbell 11/16"
Current Bid: $12.99
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BLACK TITANIUM 90 Angle SURFACE Barbell 14g 1 Inch
Current Bid: $4.99
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Corset Piercing Pictures
Surface Piercing Procedures and Techniques
Traditional: Pierced with curved barbells or nylon bars. These do heal, but are almost all unsuccessful in long term aspects. A surface piercing is not recommended with a curved barbell.
Scalpelled: The jewelry sits under a low-pressure flap. Unfortunately, with this technique, the body pulls down the tissues, which only slows rejection, versus eliminate it.
Scar and Brace Technique:The jewelry goes underneath a brace of toughened tissues or under a small implant in the skin. This technique can lead to many other problems than just migration of a piercing. Not recommended
Surgical: A skin tube is created in which the jewelry can be placed.
Flexible Jewelry (Tygon): Plastic tubing has become a popular material for surface piercings. Tygon reduces the amount of pressure on the skin and can be a great choice on areas where surface bars cannot be used.
Surface Bars: The best option for surface piercings. Surface bars are shaped similar to that of a staple, with 90 degree angles on either end of the barbell.
Punch and Taper: This is a newer technique that is supposed to reduce the chance of migration and lesson healing time. It ensures that the path made by the needle is the exact shape of the surface bar that is going to be used.
Corset Piercing
Corset piercings are gorgeous surface piercings which are to imitate the looks and appeal of a true corset. Most are only temporary piercings. If not done properly, the jewelry will quickly migrate, leaving ugly scars. Make sure to use proper jewelry with special attachments for the ribbons. You do not want to use CBRs, unless you intend on removing the jewelry.
The corset piercing is most commonly performed on the back of a woman. In many cases, the corset may run just two sets of 4 piercings, but sometimes they will run along the entire back.
Many women get the piercing before a party or special outing, and remove the jewelry, in this case CBRs, before they have a chance to leave visible scars.
Temporary Corset Piercing
Pictures of surface navel and rejection are original. Other pictures can be found at flickr.com.
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Comments
Honestly, your best best is probably going to be having it repierced. Removing the CBR's and putting tygon in its place, may help. But, if you really want the piercing to be permanent, then repiercing it with surface barbells is the best idea. The surface barbells are made specially for surface piercings and you wouldn't even be able to put on into you current holes.
You really should find a new piercer, as he should have known that the CBRs would migrate and reject. (no offense to you or your piercer).
When I first mentioned the corset to my piercer, his first thought was 'it's going to cost you because I'll have to special order surface barbells and the attachment for the ribbon.'
Good luck with your corset.
I worried about that. I really like the guy, we have very close birthdates and when we figured that out we realised why we had so much in common. I'm definately not looking forward to another hour and a half of piercing my back and another healing process. I highly doubt anyone in the area knows much about surface piercings. We goto Carbondale Illinois for our piercing needs and our next bet may well be in St. Louis...
I do intend on it being permanent and I like the way these look, but I know already that some need to come out for a repierce. I'll give him a call and see if he even knew about surface barbells...
I got a discount because he had never done a back corset and the deal was that when it is done he got rights to a picture of it to show off his work. He should really know this and his other customers should too, because i know 2 girls are both getting corsets above their pubic line, or off to the sides of it. Which would truly be better than anything because i have to get my girlfriend to clean my back for me, with frontal piercings i can take care of it myself.
I was so ready to get alot more things done on my back too.
I would watch the pubic area, as there is a lot of friction in that area with pants and belts. This will cause rejection rates to soar! You best bet is the back. I would say sides, except there is a lot of movement in the sides (turning and whatnot). I do wish you luck in healing a corset permanent; there are very few cases in which they last.
I do agree that the back is a hassle; I have decided to wait for my corset until I move in with my boyfriend, so he can clean it. Currently, I'm at home, and I know they'd be squeemish. Until then, I stick with things I can clean myself. I've put my surface piercings aside for now. The last one I had pierced with surface bars, but they still didn't heal properly, as the bars weren't small enough.
Surface piercings are iffy in general. My piercer has done his share of surface piercings, wrists, hips, backs, etc. It's half the piercer, and half the piercee. Without the experience of the piercer, the piercing is more that likely doomed to reject. Of course depending on the piercing itself. A simple lobe, isn't too hard to heal.
Your piercer needs more experience with these piercings before he should be allowed to charge money for them.
i had my surface tragus pierced with a curved barbell and it had appeared to heal...till i went on holiday and bashed it and it quickly began rejecting :( Had to take it out last night in an attempt to reduce the scarring. really loved this piercing and was wondering if you think it would be ok to pierce again but maybe with the surface bar instead. how long should i give it too heal?
Also trying to think of other piercings but i'm restricted as i dont want anything on my face and am running out of ideas - also the growing out of surface piercing is always something on my mind. i dont mind having them for a short time before taking them out but i always fall in love with them and dont want to remove them!
You can get you anti-tragus repierced. I would definately go with a surface barbell. You should wait until it is healed before repiercing it. I'm not sure of your pain tolerance, but piercing it through the scar tissues will hurt more, but at the same time you may be able to keep the piercing longer as it is through scar tissue. Just a possibility, not guaranteed.
If you don't want facial piercings, you can go with ears (still visible but not a facial piercing), navel, genitals, and such. Other than that it's surface piercings, but they are mostly temporary without proper care.
And yes, it may have been healed, but even bumping a surface piercing years down the line can cause migration and regection.
Actually, I had lost a ball from one of them while cleaning it and when we tried to put it back in it got lost... so a week or so later the whole ring came out as I didn't get a chance to go see my piercer.
So I went in there and he had to repierce it, he went directly where the scar tissue was before and it hurt 10 times less than the first time. I just got my septum pierced the other night, without a doubt, the most painful piercing I got, my eyes have never watered until then, and for some reason I was laughing hysterically cause it felt so weird...
Anyway, we're going to order a ton of surface barbells, from this company that sells very high grade metal and I'll end up with 20 piercings on my back, I'm so excited :)
Yes, the septum is one of the more painful peircings. I'm really not a big fan of them, myself, but I know people who love them.
I do hope that you have better luck with your new corset. If you choose to put ribbon through the jewelry, do make sure to get the attachment. I just hope that your piercer knows how to pierce a surface piercing, as it is not the same as a regular piercing. Good luck.
alright so i really want to get my hip pierced... but i dont really get it... if i get it done by a professional.. will it reject and leave a fat scar? cus i dont want like.. a huge scar or a showable scar on my stomache...
Even if pierced by a professional you MUST make sure that they have experience with surface piercings! Also, yes, it is still highly possible that it WILL reject and leave a scar. If you don't want a scar, you'll have to remove the jewelry before serious rejection occurs.
Hip piercings are at a high risk for rejection because there is a lot of friction in that area from your pants, belt, shirt, etc.
Hip piercings, are also at a high risk because there is a good deal of movement in the area. The more movement, the higher your chance for rejection.
It's not impossible to have one heal, but there's no 100% because yrs down the line, any impact could cause a surface piercing to begin to reject.
gah. thats crazy... this is a tough decision. why does it reject if you have had it for like... 2 years and then you accidentally bump it or something?
Because there is a lot of tissue trauma with this type of piercing. As a surface bar is the shape of a staple, the horizontal and vertical portions must be inserted into your skin. Your body treats all piercings like splinters, but some are just more prone to reject. If you fight rejection, your body will eventually push out the jewelry as though it was a splinter. It's not a pretty sight.
Hitting a surface piercing years later can cause rejection becuase intially it's still a tender area. You're body will feel the impact as well as the jewelry, and procede to reject the jewelry. It's happened before. I've heard many cases as to a supposedly healed surface piercing hit years later on accident began to quickly reject.
The ratio of permanent surface piercings is VERY VERY slim.
I personally, would NOT recommend a surface piercing to anyone who does not have experience healing piercings, themselves. Reading and research is one thing, but experience is another. Yes, you must attempt in order to get experience, but you may want to attempt at another piercing. I'm making an assumption that this is your first real piercing besides ears. If this IS the case, find another piercing before you take on surface piercings. Try navel, cartlidge, nose, etc. Even still, these other mentioned piercings are much simplier to heal than surface by a long shot. As I cannot heal cartlige piercings in my upper cartlige, as it is too thin to support jewelry, the only piercing that I have been unsuccessful at healing is a surface piercing.
If you have your navel pierced, try a bottom navel. That's a little more complicated to heal, and would give you a little more experience. If you succeed that, try the sides of your navel.
well i have my nose pierced and my upper navel pierced and i had my cartilage pierced but that didnt work out for me. i just dont know of any unique piercings i could get that wouldnt show, because of running, i have to take piercings out, becausei guess its illegal in the "running world". so you have any other suggestions?
If you run then, surface piercings could be a problem for you in general, because they are high to reject with the excess movement. So I would count those out.. Sorry... My opinion only though...
If you get any piercing right now, while you're running you would not be able to take it out until it is fully healed, which can take at minimum of 3 months for most piercings.
If you want something hidden that you wouldn't have to take out, I would sugggest bottom navel. It's not very unique, though, but at the same time it's not as common as a standard navel.
hey
i recently got a horizontal surface peircing under my naval, and at the time i didnt know that surface peircings are more than likely gunna reject, i have my lip, upper naval and tounge done so ive had a bit of experience healing peircings, is this a good area to get a surface peircing ? and how do you suggest is the best way to look after it
I personally, think that surface piercings below the navel have a risk of rejection. There is a lot of movement in that area, and you risk a high amount of friction from the top of your pants, belt, and bottom of your shirt. If you hve to tuck your shirt in for work or school, that can cause another problem.
Reverse navel piercings, such as what you have, can be a problem to heal. I had 2 side surface piercings on either side of my navel (picture at the top), that did not heal. Although the jewelry was a little bit too big, I believe that they would still have rejected. You can clean it with a cup of saline at least twice daily; place the cup over the piercing and lay flat for 10-15 minutes. This will help, but not guarantee that your piercing will heal without complications.
Hi, I've had a horizontal bridge piercing for about over a year now. Healing was fine, and it's been great until now...over the past month it's been giving me problems. It doesn't hurt at all, but there is redness and pus, so I'm presuming it's infected. Is infection a sign of rejection? I know piercings are more likely to become infected when they start to reject, but I'm just not sure if it's only a small infection or not. How bad will the scarring be, in any case. As it's right in the moddle of my face I really don't want it to be very visible in the end!! Any help with this please?
^_^ thanks, felicity.
So I desperately want my hips pierced. I think it looks so cute, and yeah, I'm ready to get that done. How much is it gunna hurt? I have alot of piercings now, but the whole surface piercing stuff is new to me.
Felicity- When a piercing is rejecting, infection is not necessarily a sign, and even though a piercing may be rejecting, infection may not occur. It's hard to tell you whether or not the piercing is truly infected or just irritated. You may want to visit your piercer to have him check it out.
Gabby- Yes surface piercings at the hips are very cute, but the likelihood of them healing is slim to none. There is a lot of movement and friction in that area with clothing and such, so there will be a lot of wear and tear on the piercing. As for pain, I won't lie, the pain of getting a a surface piercing is the worst of all piercings I've ever had, and I've had my share my share of piercings. The pain afterwords, is even worse. (And please take into account that I have a very high pain threshold.) There is a lot of bruising and lymph as a lot of tissue is taking into play.
Surface piercings MUST be performed by a skilled piercer who has done them before because a lot of tissue trauma is involved with this type of piercing.
I, personally, do not recommend any surface piercings. For the most part they are not long-term piercings.
i've been thinking about getting my hips done for about 2 years now. i have experience with healing piercings, and i am very, very careful with my piercings. basically, i don't fuck around. ha. i'm looking into good piercers with experience in surface piercings. i'm actually very scared to get it, which is very odd. can you give me different tips on how to take care of them? and i was also wondering, can you get them in different sizes? i'd like to get the smallest possible. i've heard they're the easiest to heal.
lauren- No matter what size the surface piercing, it will still be very hard to heal. You can get the piercing pierced at different sizes, when using tygon. I believe, surface barbells, as well. Your piercer will just have to order the size that you would prefer. It's great that you know how to heal piercings, but as I said before hips are NOT the way to go with a surface piercing. There is just WAY too much friction and movement in the area. Can you be sure that your shirt, belt, pants, etc, will not hit the piercing? Can you be sure that a passerby will not have a large purse that may hit the piercing? There is too much involved with accidents with a hip surface piercing, that the likelihood of it being permanent is slim to NONE. It's not worth the pain of getting the piercing and pain of healing, as healing will be worse, to have to remove it. If you must get the piercing the only healing suggestion that I can suggest is saline in a small dixie cup: pour enough in the cup to cover the piercing and carefully lay down with the cup completely over the piercing, let it soak for 10-15 minutes. But please I strongly urge you to reconsider as surface piercing can leave serious ugly scars when they reject.
i just got my naped peirced tonight.. not knowing what could actually happen. and now i'm kind of freaking out.. i'm just wondering what the chances are that mine will be rejected. and how i will know if that's happening?
Amber- I'm sorry to say, but yes, with surface piercings there is ALWAYS a risk for rejection... Don't sleep on your back. Don't wear collared shirts. Try not to hit it with your brush. Be carefuly if you have long hair and the hair getting tied up in the piercing; loose hair strands can get stuck in the lymph (crusties) and tugs at it. Clean with saline. Be VERY careful...
The main problem with nape piercings is that the neck is a focus point for friction and movement. It's right up there with hip piercings. During healing too much movement will accentuate rejection.
okay i have three pircings already. my lobe my top of my ear and in my trousers =p me and my mate are having new peircings. we dont know weather to have wrist or hip. which would u say. we are defenatly having it done. which hurts more. what are the risks ???x
Both will hurt, but the amount of pain depends on your pain tolerance. And both will reject. Wrists and hips are areas that receive a lot of friction and/or movement. You must consider watches, bracelets, shirt sleeves, belts, pants, shirts. Plus, the movement in the areas. All this combined leads you straight for rejection. I do not recommend either of these piercings.
i got my hip pierced a few weeks ago and it didnt hurt at all hardly, and it still doesnt, but recently the barbells have been going deeper and deeper down under my my skin, and one of them is now completely under my skin and there is a lot of red around it. what should i do about this? as i really dont want the whole bar to dissappear under my skin!:(
Because I can't see the piercing, you should DEFINATELY go to your piercer to check it out. It sounds like it may not make it... :-(
i got my lower back pierced about a month ago and just recently it started rejecting and one of the balls has started to sink in. should i take it out as soon as possible or is there a chance that it might still heal? umm...and how would you take one of those barbells with the 90 degrees out because i tried so many times but the ball wont unscrew! could you give me any advice pls?
I would not touch the barbell. You need to go to your piercer ASAP. He is the only one who can determine the correct actions to take. If I were able to see the piercing, I may be able to assist, but your best bet is going to the shop that pierced you. With barbells, one side tends to unscrew easier than the other; you can try the other side. But, please just go to your piercer.
I am allergic to metal, but I really want my belly button pierced. Is there anything that can be used other than metal.
Most piercings are initially pierced with 316 surgical steel. Are you allergic to all metal? You should be able to be pierced with titanium, which is still a metal. I'm not sure about piercing with gold jewelry, you would have to ask a professional piercer about that, but again it's still a metal. The only non-metal body jewelry is tygon and acrylic, but neither are ideal for initial piercings.
Hi! This may have been pointed out by someone else...however..
The "sternum" picture that is on this page (with the lady wearing a pink sweater and a cross) is not a surface piercing at all. They are two dermal anchor piercings. Dermals are great piercings, low infection rate, no migration or rejection rate.
It is a surface piercing... Surface barbells can come with balls, spikes, or flat ends. This particular piercing uses the flat ends, which is preferred over the other two ends, as it is less prone to catching on clothing items, hair, etc. Dermal piercings aren't as simple as you describe. They are more permanent as it is implanted in your skin, so you better hope that you want the piercing forever. And, if not taken properly during the healing process, they can migrate under your skin. Find a piercer who actually knows what their doing when it comes to dermal piercings is even harder than finding one that knows anything about surface piercings.
ummm whitney05
regarding one of ur earlier posts....the septum is not, i repeat, not, one ofthe more painful piercings. i had it doneand yea it stung a little but that was aboutit. so yea get ur facts straight [:
Barbara- that's personal opinion so it cannot be proven right or wrong. It may not have bothered you, but everyone that I've spoken with who have gotten the piercing as well as body piercers, all claim it as very painful, one of the more painful. But, it depends on a person's pain threshold.
It's not facts, so there's nothing to get straight; it's opinion. So, I find that comment rude and uncalled for.
Eyebrows and naval piercings are both surface, yet there are people who have had them for years with no problems. I have heard that horizontal bridge piercings have a lower rate of migration/rejection than eyebrows. Is this true? Are bridges permanent, or are they as fickle as all surface piercings seem to be? I was considering getting one, but I've never had a piercing before and I would really hate to have a big scar in the middle of my face.
Eyebrows and naval piercings are actually not surface piercings. They are not a surface piercing the same that a bridge is not a true surface piercing bc (1) the jewelry is not a surface barbell or a piece of jewelry used for a surface piercing. The jewelry is specially formed to give the piercing room to move with normal bodily movement.
And (2) even though a bridge is unusual piercing it's technically not a surface piercing because, like the naval and eyebrow, it is not a true flat surface that would allow for the entire barbell to be hidden (minus the balls).
A proper surface piercing is so that the entire piercing and the barbell, itself, is completely under the skin except for the closing end beads. This excluding deep navals and eyebrows to which you can only see the ball. Proper surface piercings are ONLY pierced with true surface barbells with the shape of a staple, NEVER a CBR, horseshoe (circular barbell), banana barbell (bell ring), or a straight barbell (tongue barbell).
The rate of migration for a bridge piercing will be the same for an eyebrow piercing as long as it is cared for properly. But, if you're body doesn't want the piercing, it's going to come out regardless of what you do, how it's pierced, or how well it's taken care of in general.
Unless your body refuses to accept the piercing, as it is foreign, in any ideal situation the piercing is as permanent as you want it to be.
As a piercing, if and when you decide to take it out, it will leave scars on your face.
I have had a bridge for about 3 years, it had initial stages of rejecting but never did, and it hasnt swelled or anything since but the bar that was used was about a 14g and wasnt used very far back, because of the initial swelling and my relectance to change the bar soon after my jewwelry now looks awkward like theres too much space. I was advised to switch to a larger gauge like a 12 with a shorter bar, will this cause swelling and migration again, should i use a different material of jewlery
i just got my sternum pierced with a 90 degree surface bar. but the ends of the bar (where they go back up after the bend ) go above my skin abit. i dont think that this is right. I know migration is a possiblity but will this make it inevitable? If this is an issue how should i fix it...smaller bar or just take it out all together? any advice is more than welcome
So above the bend is above your skin? Does this include the bend? The majority of the sides of the barbell needs to be in your skin for less of a rejection risk, but eiither way there is a big risk of rejection. It sounds like you need to just have it repierced, which means remove the barbell, let it completely heal, and then have it repierced. The same size barbell could be used, but it sounds like the holes need to be further apart. Otherwise, yes a smaller barbell would suffice.
how do you know if your surface piercing is rejecting. i just got my hips like a week ago and if they start to reject i wanna take them out before they leave scars, but i don't know how to know if they're rejecting.
amber, look for abnormal redness and soreness. When my surface navel piercings rejected, I had excess lymph and soreness, redness and a little swelling. Then I started to notice more barbell and less skin. You want to keep your belt, pants, and shirt AWAY far AWAY from the piercings. Hip piercings are one of the worst surface piercings to heal because there is just WAY too much movement and friction in that area. Keep up the cleaning and care. It may take a week or two for rejection to set in, a month, 2, 3, or near a year. It depends on the care you put in and how well it was pierced, hopefully by a piercer who has dong the sort of piercing before.
thankk you!
I had surface clavicle piercings for 8 months, before finally taking them out December 27th '07. The last 2 months I had them, they started acting up, becoming red and sore, and I knew the rejection process had reared it's ugly head..It's been well over a month since taking them out, and the redness remains.. I'm fully aware that they will scar, I'm okay with that, I'm just wondering how long until the redness fades..Any help would be greatly appreciated!! :)
Kaleigh, it really depends on your body I would make sure they marks are fully healed and then apply a scar solution.
I've been using pure vitamin E oil on them a couple times a day, and the puncture marks seem to be fading, but not the redness :(
Kaleigh, the redness will fade with time. I would just keep at it. Maybe use a scar solution like Mederma or an off-brand, but only if it's completely healed.
okay, thanks so much Whitney!
I just had my naval pierced, as well as a veritical lower belly button piercing, about 8 days ago. The piercings seem to be healing well (as I am cleaning with Dial antibacterial soap, and sea salt with water). I was informed that generally naval piercings take around 4 months to heal (more or less depending on the individual), but since I also have my lower belly button pierced as well, is their a seperate healing time until I am able to change the jewelry and participate in swimming activities?
Thanks!
Vibeke, first off, dial is too harsh for any piercing. Use Saline instead of sea salt mix. Navel piercings can actually take up to 8 months to heal; it depends on your body and how fast it heals generally. No swimming until it's 100% healed. Pools, oceans, hot tubs, etc are sesspools for bacteria; you want to make sure that the piercing is definitely healed before partaking in swimming activities. No changing jewelry until 100% healed. You should go back to your piercer before change the jewelry, so that he can make sure that it's ok to change. Don't wear danglies or heavy jewelry for extended periods of time; try to keep in simple light-weight jewelry as to not irritate the peircing even when healed.
http://hubpages.com/_bodymod/hub/Belly-Button-Pier
You can't change the actual surface bars right?
You can, but there's no reason to. You can change the beads, but other than that there's no real reason you should ever have to take the surface barbell out.
oh god.. ok
i really want my hips done SO BAD, ive only heard negative things about it though. but a girl i know has had hers done, and she said it was fine until she went into lake water.
i have my septum and thumb webbings done. im not really one to infect easily.
the only thing is, i do competitive dance.. so idunno.. would that be a problem for it, like going into balances, bridges..
xo
kirasko- for a competitive dancer, I don't think that hips would be the way to go. There would be too much movement in the area. Lake are very unsanitary, and the piercing may not have been 100% healed. Never submerge a healing piering into anything other than saline.
ay daaamn
would you recommend it to anyone?
Hip surface piercings? No.
whitney- I want to get a new piercing. My friends say i should get an eyebrow piercing, but I think those are just too common. Im not sure exactly what i want, but I want to make sure it is safe, and wont get infected and leave scars- nothing too painful. I was searching the web and i saw a barbell (I think thats what it was, im not too familiar with terms) It was horizontal and above the eyebrow- I thought that would look pretty sweet but i thought i would check to see what other ppl think.
Jaz- When deciding upon a piercing, only you can decide what to get. I can say, yes the average eyebrow is a little played out, but I still enjoy a good eyebrow piercing. I'm not a big fan of the horizontal eyebrow piercings. These are harder to heal, and not as attractive, to me. It's going to be up to you to decide what piercing you choose.
I've been wanting to get the corset piercings going down both of my sides...but as I read more and more about it, it's starting to seem like a bad idea. If I did get it done, I would want it to be permanent.
Alyssa- surface piercings aren't permanent. They're mostly play piercings. Great for photo shoots and outtings to special events (obviously non-formal). Being on the side would cause a great deal of movement and a very high rejection rate.
Hey, im looking at getting a piercing roughly 1 centimetre fom the corner of my mouth but im not sure if im likely to bite it and destroy the piercing and my teeth??? Also im a diabetic and therefore im more prone to infection . whats the healing time on a face piercing?
If you're talking about a labret or lip piercing, it can take 3- 6 months to fully 100% heal. Long term mouth piercings will degrade your gums. Gums do not regenerate.
Check out this page on facial piercings: http://hubpages.com/_bodymod/hub/Facial_Piercings
I was wondering about the hip surface piercing. What if i got mine pierced right above my jeans so there wouldn't be any friction from it and what if i kept big cloth bandages on the piercings during the healing process so it won't get caught on anything? Do you think that would help on the rejection rate? Because i really want mine done and i have already talked to my piercer and he has done them before and he said it all depends on the body on if it rejects or not, but he has had clients that have had them fer years.
i read earlier in a post where you mentioned that you noticed your surface piercing rejecting when you saw more barbell than skin. well, i got my navel pierced about four months ago and though i never had any complications, (ie; redness, lymph, swelling.) it seems as though i have VERY little skin between the entry and exit wounds of my bellyring. can you tell me what's goin' on?
Hanger- It doesn't matter if it's above yur normal pants line. There's still a lot of friction in the hip area with your shirt and just averagte movement. Plus, when you sit down the pants line raises, so you would still risk your pants hitting the jewelry.
Nothing is going to help the rejection rate in with a hip piercing. Same with wrist piercings, there's just way too much friction and movement in the area for hte piercing to heal properly. Just becuase he has done them before doesn't mean that he's experienced with surface piercings. He is not correct that it's up to your body as to if it will reject or not. It's with friction, movement, your care, your body shape, your body's ability to heal, etc. Surface piercings are still pretty new in the piercing industry, so no piercer can guarantee that it will heal properly. Even though those people have had theirs for years, they could bump it just right, and start the rejection process and lose the piering in a matter of months.
The proper technique to a surface piercing is still being worked out. No piercer is perfect at it, and if you want the hip piercings go for it, but remember that you're risking at bare minimum 95%+ rejection rate.
jordantayler- I can't tell you what's going on without a picture. Your best bet is to go to your piercer and have him look at it. But, remember that with navel piercings there should be a good bit of skin taken up by the barbell. My navel piercings take up about 1/4"-1/2" of skin.
piercing not for me but my son has between the eyes pierce
Commentonthis- bridge piercings actually aren't surface piercings. But I understand, I'm not a big fan of them either.
I had a lovely clevage piercing, just took it out two days ago, it rejected badly, and i am left with a scar that i hope will heal, it was worth it though, i had it for like 5 months. I'm going to get my wrist done next but this time if i see early signs of rejection i will take it out to avoid scarring.
Lolly- wrists are highly prone to rejection. Thank you for your comment.
K I just got my surface piercings right below my clavicals ummm what would be the best way to keep them in as long as possible?
They're not going to be permanent more than likely, but hte best way to keep them as long as possible is to clean them, not bump them, and reduce and and all friction.
I recently got the underside of my forarm peirced (about 2 1/2 weeks ago) and I am worried about rejection. I have plastic barbells in them now, but I want to switch back to hoops so that I can lace them. I usually have a very high pain tollerance, but I am worried that they are so swollen and painfull that I will not be able to put the hoops back in...how long do you suggest I waite out the "healing process" until I give up and remove them?
(Thank you very much for your insight by the way, I found your advice to be very helpfull when researching surface peircings.)
You should not put hoops back in if you are referring to CRBs. You will definitely lose the piercings with CBRs. If you're already changed the jewelry once, you've probably irritated the piercing, which is why its swollen.2 1/2 weeks is not enough time to let the piercing heal before changing the jewelry. I would talk to your piercer, but usually you can see rejection when the ends of the jewelry are closer than when pierced and you can see scarring. Sometimes you may not see the scaring, but you will definitely notice a good deal of redness circling the jewelry as it exits your skin.
I WAS going to get my hips pieced two days from now,but im so glad i did my research before getting them done.Reading other peoples questiones and your answers has helped me alot. Right now i doubt i will get my hips pierced. I really want them done but i dont want to take the risk.Someone mentioned something about dermals. If you have those,are the chances of rejection still high ?
Dermals are more painful to get than a surface piercing, for more people. They have less risk of rejection, but are more iffy in terms of healing and finding a piercer who actually knows what he's doing. Many piercers will say that they can do it, but not really know proper techniques, so it's still an iffy procedure.
Hey whitney,I see you know a lot about this surface pierciengs,and actually i got my finger piercied,right above the knuckle,where the hair is hahah you know where right!? So you think the chances that my body reject it are high? And can you give me some care tips... Thanks a lot,Hope you answer!!
OH I forgot to mention that the piercer used tygon,do you think that would help!!??Well now thats all!! Hope you answer!! See ya!
Buddy, I know what you're talking about, and I think you have a very high risk of rejection becuase the piercing is on your hand. The only tips I can say is to keep regular cleaning, but don't over clean, and to not bump it.
Tygon isn't any better or worse. Rejection is going to be the same.
i just got my sternum pierced yesterday, but the guy who did it put a curved barbell in it and the bottom ball is leaning to the side. should i take it out and get it re-pierced somewhere else with a surface bar or could i just go have them put a surface bar in it now? plus, you can kinda see the actual bar under the skin. is this normal?
Aussi, If you remove the barbell, you're going to have to let it completely heal before having it repierced. That is my suggestion. You can leave it in, but the likelihood of it rejecting is super high. The likelihood of it rejecting with a surface barbell is still high, but not as high. Have the piercer remove it, advise him that he should learn how to pierce with a surface barbell, and find someone else. All nicely of course.
thank you.
i just went ahead and took it out. next time i'll be more cautious of who does it and what's being done.
I've been looking at all diferent surface piercings on the internet and the one I am interested in isn't featured anywhere. I'm looking at vertical piercing under my belly button. Is its possible and what are the risks?
does hip piercing hurt?
Aussi, I hope you are able to find a reputable piercer who knows what he's doing next time. It can be hard to do.
Jessyca, It is possible and very common. The risk are the same with any other surface piercing. High rejection rate. I've had surface piercings around my navel, and although the bars weren't 100% accurate to the piercing, with the high movement level in that area, I fought rejection for months. I would have good months, but then step back weeks. I ended up removing them near after a year of fighting to heal them, which they would never heal. I still have scars on my stomach from them, and it's been over 1 1/2 years.
sd- hip piercings hurt, but it will depend on your pain threshold. But most surfaces piercings hurt more than the average piercing.
i really want a surface piercing, sturnum, but i dont fancy having one of those staplers style bars in. can you have any other types of bars? And what are the risks of infection? I know that they can get infected, but are the chances of them getting infected LESS than hip surface piercings? and how long would a sturnum piercing last for? sorry if im asking ''Durrrrh'' questions, but i really wanna know. thank you =]]
abbi, the best results for surface piercings are with the surface bars, shaped like a staple. Risk of infection is slightly higher than other piercings because they take up more skin and tissues. All piercings have just about the same risk of infection, surface piercings highest of them all. If you mean more along the terms of rejection, then yes sternun piercings are slightly less prone to rejection in terms of hip piercings, but they have the same high risks as any other surface piercing. I have seen people with sternum piercings for years, but you have to remember that even years or months after the piercing is 100% healed, if you bump it just right, you can start the process of rejection.
I got my sternum pierced yesterday and got a long, straight bar put it in. It doesn't curve and doesn't look like a staple, it's literally just a long straight bar. I didn't really have a lot of skin to pierce there so we kind of just pulled at it until we found enough to pierce...this may be completely normal but i can see the outline of the bar in my skin, its not flat against my chest, there's a bump where the bar is under the skin. I was wondering 1. if this was normal, 2. when the "swelling" or whatever it is would go down, and 3. if i can go back to my normal every day workout plan. Thank you!
Sounds like it was pierced with a tongue ring abd because of this, I doubt that the piercing will heal properly. I would give the swelling down, and if the bar is still very prominent, then you will need to go back to the piercer and have him check it out.
alright sounds good, thank you!
I have a sternum piercing and after 12 months it seems to be gettign rejected. It has been pusing up real bad, the pus is like mega thick and yellow and after i squeeze all of it out it sometimes bleeds.
I realy ilke it and dont wnat to get rid of it but if i keep it i think that it will just end up worse, redder and possibly cause a massive scar.
i was told i can take it out flush it with salt water and then put it bac in but its staple bar so will i be able to get it bak in without professional help???? or should i just suck it up and remove it altogether?????
You shouldn't take out the barbell, especially since it seems to be infected. I would definitely go back to the piercer who pierced it and have him check it out. You shouldn't remove jewelry to infected piercings. You run the risk of trapping the infection in your body. Try to use saline and clean the piercing as though it was just pierced- twice a day. This should help with the infection. If it gets worse definitely consult your piercer.
ive had my lower back pierced for about 18 mo now with no problems up until a couple mo ago. there is what looks like a blister in the middle of the piercing. there is no pain or pussing or anything its just unattractive. do you know what this is or how to get rid of it?
Sounds like a possible keliod. Have your piercer check it out.
I have a navel and labret piercing, and have had my eyebrow done in the past. I've never had any problems with piercings healing or migrating, and recently i've been thinking about having my anti-eyebrow pierced (for those who don't know, that's the area underneath your eye). From reading your hub I'm guessing a surface/staple bar would work best, but have you any experience with the anti-eyebrow and any common problems? It's not as piercing I know overly much about, but it's sooo pretty!
Also on my pierce list are the - I don't know what it's called but they're kind of like a regular eyebrow piercing but on the inside by the bridge rather than the outside. I want a vertical bar through each one. I figured it'd be an alternative to the bridge piercing - have you ever heard of this piercing? I've never seen it on anyone except those who have multiple piercings all along their eyebrows - which I don't intend to do!
I've seen the anti-eyebrow, I'm not a fan. :-\ I like the regular eyebrow better. The surface barbell would be the best option, but I'm not 100% if they wouldn't use a curved barbell. I'm not sure how small the surface barbells get. I'd really talk to an experienced piercer about it.
I've never heard of that piercing. At least not by your description. I'm more into ear piercings, surface, navel, genital, etc. I'm not a fan of facial piercings. I've had my labret, but it didn't last but a few days. Couldn't stand it in my face.
I prefer facial piercings as it;s the only part of me I usually show! I'll ask the guy who did my labret about it :-)
Just make sure that he's a skilled piercer. I wouldn't leave a surface piercing to to any piercer who doesn't know what he's doing to the tee. Ya know? But this may not be considered a surface piercing, as I'm not 100% what you're talking about.
I'm not a fan of them on my face because I don't want to mess up my face and risk scars. I dunno...
Whitney, I've found a picture showing the piercing i'm talking about, it's on here: http://tattoo.about.com/cs/plip/l/blmultiple1.htm. It's the two parallell barbells either side of the bridge (pierced here with a spiked barbell) that i'm on about :-)
I can't find any mention of what this area is called though :-(
The link that you gave me is for an about.com with a ton of links. I didn't see any pictures or a link that may have a picture of what you're talking about.
Hmm...looks like they've changed the page; the picture was definitely on there when I left the comment! I'll keep looking for another pic but to be honest, I think it's probably just known as an inside eyebrow or something...
There's no such thing as an inside eyebrow piercing from what I've ever heard of... :-\ Plus I just googled "inside eyebrow piercing" and got absolutely nothing.
I know, maybe it's just one of those that simply falls under the category 'eyebrow piercing'. I found a site with a whole bunch of names for different piercings and it was none of them either. Still, it shows its not a common piercing, so that's good :-)
I checked through the bmezine pictures and couldn't find anything... In a way different and uncomon can be great for you as you'd be different, but it can be bad becuase your piercer may not know how to pierce it properly. If you find a picture or get it done let me know.
I really want to get three small horizontal rib piercing like captain howdy in strangeland. But as i've been reading up on it, it seems that they are extremely high risk for infection. Is there anyway to lessen the risks?
Nope. Surface piercings have high infection and migration risk no matter what you do. Sorry. :-\ The only thing that you can do is to make sure that you get surface barbells and clean with saline, but even still you've only slightly lessened the rejection and infection risks.
you seem to know a lot about surface piercings/ the risks. i was wondering if you were a piercer, or if you just know a lot about them...?
i got my lower back done recently, & i love it. Does the lower back have a high rate of infection ? because there is not that much movement in that area,i am not in any sports, take good care of it and do not wear clothing that causes friction. how long do you think that it will stay in? it was done with a right-angled bar, and by a professional. if it were to reject, would a tattoo cover up the scars ?
Even if it did reject, i would not regret it. the pain and scars would be worth it :)
I'm not a piercer, but my boyfriend is and he and I have had many a conversations about piercings.
Yes the lower back does have a high rejection rate as with any and all surface piercings. If by a right-angled bar you mean a surface barbell, then the risks are lessened but not completely erased. Professional does not always mean that he is well versed and experienced with surface piercings. A tattoo should cover the scars. You can also use a scar solution to get rid of the scars.
Are microdermals at a lesser risk of migration than surface percings? What's your opinion on them?
From what I understand, microdermals pose less of a risk for migration, but it's very hard to find someone with real experience that can do the procedure with his eyes closed and not have any problems ever. It's more of a surgical procedure than a piercing, but in some areas piercers do microdermals and sometimes you can actually find someone who really knows what they're doing, but it's going to be a search.
hey
im interested in getting a hip piercing
i no that there have a high rejection rate, but i loose & gain weight all off the time and am never one size for too long- will this matter?
Either way hip piercings have super high rejection rate. I'd say the fluctuating weight isn't going to be the problem but the hip piercing in general. If the barbell was sized correctly, then it may not be as big of a concern, but either way the likelihood of it rejecting is about 9 out of10.
I had a surface piercing done just below my belly button last september, and although it didnt hurt when they were actually doing it (and I mean it didn't hurt, the only other piercing I've had is my ear lobes, and I still think it was painless), for the few days after I'd had it done it was fucking MURDER. If I knocked it or anything, it hurt like you would't believe, like someone had a hook in my skin and was pulling me along by it lol. I eventually had to take the thing out because even though I cleaned it pretty much religiously, it kept oozing pus if you squeezed it, and looked like it was rejecting. Still have the scar, but kind of regret taking it out. Even though it was wonky, I loved it.
Knocking it increased your risks of rejection, as did having a surface piercing in that area to begin with. If you had not taken it out, and it was rejecting, your body would have pushed it out and the scar would be larger.
Okay so i got my hips done.and i love them. i suggest getting them pierced a bit higher then your hipsbecause there would be less movement and such...just be aware of them and clean then once a day. done.
mine are fine.
No matter where you get it pierced, it's going to still encounter a lot of movement. Good luck with the piercing, but you still have the same high rejection risks no matter where you had them pierced. Also, you should clean twice a day, not once.
i want to get collar bone surface piercings. I keep reading that the surface bar is the best way to go but some people at the piercing place said that the tygon would be better for the collar bone. now im really unsure which way to go. please help!
Surface barbell is always the best bet when you're getting a surface piercing. Tygon is ok, but surface barbells are better. Just remember even with a surface barbell there are high rejection and migration risks.
yeah i looked more stuff up too and everyone seems to say surface bar. ive also decide to only be pierced with the punch and taper method. thankyou!
i just had my hip pierced only one side and i love it don't want it to reject though but i have a week of school where i can be really carefull what do you suggest i do to stop rejection as quick ? wouild wearing like little shorts and tops for a week help ? and linen trouses and stuff ? please right back . i love them (:
Brittany, the punch and taper method is ok, but it's going to be very hard for you to find a piercer that knows how to do it properly and has real experience other than one or two customers.
Lois, hip piercings are very prone to rejection. The only thing you can do to reduce the risks even slightly is to clean twice a day with saline, don't bump the jewelry or piercing, don't wear tight clothes, and don't wear your pants too high. Shorts are going to affect the piercing whatsoever; it doesn't matter what type of pants you wear as long as they aren't worn too high to affect the piercing and as long as the belt or top of the pant doesn't knock the piercing.
The likelihood of rejection, is still very high no matter what. The movement in the area is going to end up too much for the piercing.
i live in a city that is not new to tattoos and piercings. there is a couple in the area that pierce with that method and have for quite a while. and this style is still better then just a needle piercing. but thankyou! :D
All piercings are best done with the needle. You should never get any piercing with the piercing gun.
Just remember just because they've done it and are experienced, surface piercings are still prone to rejection even with 100% proper technique and healing.
im sorry but no, not all piercings are best with the needle, perhaps you should read up a bit about surface piercings and i get that it can still reject. i would be ignorant to believe that it doesnt have a chance to reject.
You should never get any piercing with a piercing gun, if that's what you're referring to. The guns are multiple use and cannot be properly cleaned. They hold bloodborne pathogens, and most people who use the guns have at maximum 1 week experience, but usually only a few hours. You should get piercings by experienced piercers who use hollow, beveled needles.
I don't need to read up about them. Maybe you should ;-) By the way my boyfriend's a body piercer, and he'll back me up on this. He's been piercing for the past 4 or 5 years or so.
I too live in a town not new to tattoos, and there's probably 1 peiercer who can somewhat successfully perform a punch and taper, when compared to over 8 well-known and experienced piercers in the town.
I didn't mean to offend you if I did. I was talking about the punch and taper not the gun. But I really do have a couple in my area that does them since I live in a navy town on the ocean so piercing and tattooing have always been here. But I got it today with the punch and taper, my piercer had done quite a more then few and it went well! lets hope it heals nicely :D
Good luck with it. I'm in a military town, as well, but again means nothing in regards to the experience of the piercer. Hopefully he really did know what he was doing. Either way it's not going to reduce rejection by much.
lol thts nothin i got 2 surface piercing in my chroch lol
im gettin my hips done in three weeks an i know it will probs hurt and wont last but how long would it be before rejection might start? my friend had it done like 3/4 weeks ago and theres no sign of it with hers an shes been ran into an does gymnastics an everythin...i dont do anythin like that so are the chances lower? ive not had anyother piercings execpt ears an lip which i did myself an let heal after 3 days..its not scarred tho. all im woried about is if my parents freak if it rejects
Rejection depends on the person's body and cleaning regimin. I didn't see rejection until 6+ months. There's nothing you can do to lower rejection risks. The likelihood is that it will reject, especially with hip piercings.
how to know whether my wrist piercing is rejecting or infected
If it's infected, you'll see green puss trying to ooze out. The piercing will hurt and will be very red.
If it's rejecting, it will be red, slightly painful, and you'll begin to see less and less of the bar.
Wrist piercings are very prone to rejection.
oh okay thanks for that what must i apply on in order to prevent that?sodium chloride?
You can't prevent rejection of a piercing. If you body is going to reject it, there's nothing you can do to stop it.
You shouldn't use anything on a piercing except saline solution. Don't use anything stronger as it can dry it out and irritate the piercing.
okay thank you
i saw on here that someone said that they had a surface peircing underneath their belly button and said that it didn't hurt.... who the hell are you super woman? i have one on my belly and the back of my neck and they were both the most painful things ive ever experienced. but i love them both.
ive had them for almost a year now and there are no signs of rejection or migration.
my peircer told me to clean them in the shower only and only with antibacterial soap. it worked amazing.
The pain tolerance is different for different people. My surface piercings on the edge of my navel didn't hurt.
The anti-bacterial soap is one of the worst ways to heal any piercing.
hae.ive wanted to get my lower back pierced for a long time but last time i visited my piercer to get my hips done she said that she couldnt do it because there wasnt enough skin or fat to clamp. is there any other procedure i can get done?
Not really. Trust your piercer. If she said that it's best not to do it, then take her word for it.
Ok, so i got my hip done a week ago, and it didnt hurt, but around two days ago, the top hole started to hurt, it is poussing, and it is a little red. Is this a sign of regection, and if so, why is it only the top one, and not the bottom?
Stephanie, it's normal for it to be a little red and to leak a little. You need to watch out that it doesn't get worse, especially as you've chosen one of the worse places for a surface piercing. The top part is probably feeling more pressure as the barbell slides downward.
How will i know if my body is rejecting it, and i should take it out?
You'll start to see less skin and more barbell. It will be red and appear scarred.
Hi! I just got my wrist and navel pierced 3 days ago. I've been soaking it in sea salt and water twice a day and applying a little bit of antibacterial soap to the jewlery once a day. On my wrist, only the right side of the piercing is red and irritated. On my navel, only the top part of the piercing is red and irritated. Are my piercings infected? Or is this considered normal for only 3 days after getting pierced?
Also, what are the early signs of rejection? I'd like to know so I can take the piercings out as soon as possible to avoid hideous scars and leave the scars at a minimal.
I would stop using the antibacterial soap. I would also switch to saline; as sea salt mix can be hard to make so that the solution isn't too strong or too weak. 3 days isn't really enough time to tell whether the piercings will reject or not much less if they're infected. As for the wrist, it's just like the hip, and another one of the worst places to get a piercing.
Signs of rejection have been mentioned in the the comments above, but here they are again... soreness, extra puss, less skin, and more barbell. You'll also see a good deal of redness.
How do i keep the one bar in my hip from moving. It has the 2 90 degree agles, and one side always ends up sticking further out than the other!!
The bar may not be sized appropriate for the piercing. When it's in place, can you see the curves? If so then the piercing is going to reject, as the purpose of hte barbell to be curved is so that the curves are under the skin. Otherwise, There's really nothing you can do. I've tried cotton ball taped under the barbell, and the barbell would still fall wound the cotton ball.
umm. ok. ive read this whole page, and its been very Very helpful, but i still have a Question...
im very young, not even 16 yet, and i have been thinking about getting a surface piercing on the side of my navel, a hip surface piercing. When ur in school, you have p.e. and stuff. And i was just curious about that, Doesn't that effect the piercing, like when you run and workout? does that mean you couldn't get it?
(it would probably irratate it more, and have a high chance of rejection, right?)
Even though i would probably be Paranoid about it.. i love how it looks and stuff. But i don't know if i would acctually do it, because of the risk of rejecting it, and how much it would scar and hurt...
Yes the extra exercise can irritate the piercings, especially a hip piercing, as there's already a lot of movement in that area.
Okay, I do know that the anti-brow was mentioned...briefly...and you did say that you aren't particularly fond of it -but I am, I'll admit it, piercing obsessed. I have a petite face, however and I can't pull off any facial piercing other than the nose. Or so I thought. I spoke to my piercer and she mentioned the anti-brow, taking note that it would look lovely under my big ol' eyes, sort of like an accent, I suppose.
I prefer to research my piercings before I get them. It's part of my nature and the deal I made with my mom -get them done professionally, no lip piercings and no tongue piercing(s -hey, I've seen people with more than one) and research it, for this she'll either pay half or the full amount for getting it. It's her way of making sure I'm safe and such. I just can't seem to find much information on the anti brow. My piercer said that her's took no time at all to heal and she's had it for almost a year and a half now.
I do heal easily. While I still follow all the rules (cleaning and babying for so-so months), my piercings generally heal within a couple of days. I've had a needle under my skin for a few days too, before, and it just sort of healed around it and accepted it -which was not comfortable to take out when I did leave the hospital. >3<
So, personally preferences aside, what do you think of the anti-brow?
I understand there will be possible complications and risks of rejection, but with all that in mind -would it be a fair choice, considering my history, and how can I know if my body won't accept any chance of the anti brow?
I just want to be safe; I mean, my mom is paying for it, after all. Don't want it to be a waste of her money.
I would like to also add that I don't scar. If that plays a part in any way.
I've had objects (branches, bicycle pedal, pencils, a skewer, glass) in my leg or arm or whatever (all by accident, my dad and I are a tad extreme in our senseless adventures) and I have no scars. Even when the back of my leg had been torn into, I having nothing to prove of it -just some pictures and a the doctor's memory. My body just, I suppose, gets used to what I do to it and heals together nicely. It's quite possibly alien, but true.
Would this have any role in a surface piercing?
In the end it's really up to you, but with any surface piercing, you risk rejection, migration, and infection. Everyone scars. The only role that your supposide non-scarring body would cause is that your face wouldn't have 2 scars on it when the anti-eyebrow rejects. I have only heard of a few cases where the particular piercing has healed without complications. You must realize that with any surface piercing, even if it is fine for a few years, it can start to migrate and reject with the slightest bump.
Of course, thank you for your insight. I appreciate it.
:3
Has anyone heard of the cleanser hibsiclens(sp)? If so, could you please tell me what you think of it?
Stephanie, cleanser hibiclens is a skin antiseptic. Don't use it on piercings. Only use saline solution.
I got a surface piercing going in a horizontal direction below my belly button almost 12 months ago and it never took. I removed it a month ago and now i have quite a noticeable scar. Any suggestions on how to lessen the scarring?
Thanks.
Try purchasing a mederma or some type of scar minimizing cream.
I am addicted to piercings. My lattest one is a third serface piercing but on the back of my neck now. I know it will reject and that kinda sucks. So, I have been looking up new and cool piercings. My lattest discovery is Dermal Anchoring. I have researched it for a couple of months and getting pritty excited about getting it done. I was thinking on getting two on each wrist. To give the look of surface piercing. What is your thoughts on it? Will they reject just like surface would?
Dermal anchoring rejects similarly as surface piercings do. Here check this out:
http://www.alternativelook.net/transdermal-implant
Although, this is not quite the same thing as microdermal implants, it is very similar to what you're talking about. Definitely check out the risks. The success rate is only 20%, although much higher than surface piercings, way too low for me to risk it, personally. Also, you need to find a very qualified person to do it, not your regular body piercer.
Check back at that alternative look blog, as microdermal implants will be added tomorrow (6/25)
After 13 body piercings over 10 years with no rejection or infections, i experienced my tongue, having been pierced for 8 years, started to reject and skin was beginning to cover the ball underneath my tongue.Afer just one week the ball waqs almost completely covered by new skin. i figured it was time to take it out and realized that no matter how long you have a piercing for there is always a chance of rejection. After considering a surface piercing i am so glad that i read into it and you provided this info as i had no idea how high the chance for negative outcome. thanks whitney. and for everyone else that thinks they are excluded from rejection... think again!
I was thinking of getting a wrist piercing, and I doubt anyhting will change my mind at my current stage, since I believe I am goign through I suppose you could refer to it as my piercing stage, and I really want one. My friend is planning to pierce my wrist on friday, and I just wanted to know if there is anything other than saline water that can be used to help cure it. I was also wondering if there are any early signs of rejection, and if so what are they?
I
says saline is the best thing for any piercing. So stick with that. I'm sorry to hear that your friend is doing it and not a professional, unless your friend is a professional and then I appologize. But with piercings like this, you really need an experienced professional to give the piercing the slightest bit of hope. I'm not saying you're going to regret the piercing, but the success short term and long term of a wrist piercing is probably less than 1%, so be prepared to purchase a scar minimizer once the holes have healed. You'll know that rejection has set in place once you see more barbell and less skin in-between the two balls on the end. You'll notice more redness and tissue scarring, even while healing the piercing, and maybe an excess of lymph.
First of all, Whitney, this page has been AMAZINGLY informative and you are a saint for answering all these questions, many of them a repeated number of times. You mention several times that high-movement and high-friction areas like the wrist and hip are bad places for surface piercings. What are a few examples of better locations? I specifically ask because a friend of mine has a row of beautiful surface piercings (or they may be microdermals, I'll have to inquire) on her upper forearm, about two inches below the elbow crease, and I was considering getting something like that. Know that I have totally taken away from reading this page that the whole idea may be foolhardy and I will weigh the risks long and hard and make sure I find a truly experienced piercer (thank goodness I live in NYC) before I get it done. Thanks again. You rule.
Pretty much any area that is going to get very low movement and experience the least possibility of getting hit or rubbed. The upper arm or forearm wouldn't be as bad as the wrist as neither area twists, but you have to remember that both areas are in contact with clothing and are a part of daily life, in some form or fashion. As for surface piercings, there really isn't a good place for them. Microdermals have a much higher success rate, but they too have their complications. If you're going to get a something, microdermals are better than surface piercings, but definitely make sure that the guy or gal knows what s/he's doing, as it does require some technique.
Here's the info about microdermals from Alternative Look:
So, I got my wrist pierced yesterday. The piercer used a teflon barbell and I´m really paranoid about it rejecting and stuff. I know its only been a day and the redness is normal but urgh, I don´t know. I want to know if microdermal implants are a better choice for my wrist. I really want my wrists pierced so I´ll do whatever is safest and easier on my body. When should I take out my wrist piercing and how long should I wait before getting the implants, if I do get them? I eventually plan on having both wrists pierced and looking fabulous!
Wrist piercings don't last long, typically, especially with tygon. If you're going to get a surface piercing, at least use a surface barbell for best results. Yes microdermal are better in terms of healing and less rejection risks, but the risks are still there. What's going to be hard, is finding someone who can actual perform a microdermal implant and who has real experience. You don't want the guy who used tygon to do your microdermals. But you have to remember even with microdermals, the rejection risks are still there, and are still high for wrists. And when you're older, if you opt to have them removed, you' going to run into more complications than getting them in the first place. You'll want to remove the tygon at the first signs of rejection, which is going to take more than a few days, on average. You'll want to wait until the area is 100% healed before attempting to get the microdermal.
I've been trying to find some place that will do a corset piercing properly, like with the surface bars and everything but i have no idea where to even begin to search and ideas or suggestions?
I'd just suggest asking your local tattoos shops. Talking to the piercers. I love corset piercings, but I'd never get one, as that's way to many scars to treat afterwards. It's not a permanent piercing, typically.
Ive had my Bridge done now for a few months and its been fine apart frm now it seems sum kinda red lumps have appeared above the entrance of the piercing. Im not sure how to get rid of it and need to becareful in case i cause future scaring and i really don't want to take it out. Any suggestions to what I could do, it would really help. :) thanks
Bridge piercings are technically not surface piercings. As for the red lumps, continue cleaning with saline. Some people say tea tree oil will help, but I've neer tried it. I'd keep an eye out on the red bumps, as they may be your first sign of rejection.
Thank you :)
i would just like to add to one of the earlier posts about septums. your septum piercing should actually only hurt if it hits your cartiledge. a slight pain of course comes with all piercings but it should not be seriously painful. i do piercings myself and you should always make sure your piercer and you yourself find your sweet spot before going through with a septum piercing due to high risks of infection if hitting the cartiledge and possible sinus damage if infection occurs.
i just got my hip pierced... my piercer put in bioplast instead of metal barbell... is that better or worse for rejection/migration?
Rjection rate is goign to be about the same.
I want to get my hips pierced and I was wondering how long the bars should be. can anyone help me out?
it will depend on long the piercing will be. You piercer will be able to determine how long the bar should be.
Hiya,
I got a vertical sternum piercing 2 days ago, and I want to take it out. Should I just take it out and let it heal, or should I go to the piercer and let them do it. And, is there anything I should do while it is healing, as I am all too aware that infection could get trapped inside my skin, and that it is a little tunnel under my skin.
I'd go back to the piercer and have it professionally removed so that you don't mess up. I'd still clean it for the first few days after removing it.
i have a nipple piercing and its been 1 year and almost a half since i got it, and its still not fully healed, like liquid still comes out when i change it, how do i know if my body is rejcting it?
also what is the best material for tygons?i might be getting my back or my neck pierced next week and i was wondering would tygons be usually used for lower back or neck or would surface bars be used?
x
You nipple piercing is just still healing, sometimes it jsut takes some people much longer to heal than others. I would get surface barbells instead of tygon. And as for tygon there is only one type...
I have had my upper navel peirced for about a year now, and the other day I went to get my lower navel done but the peircer recommended that i shouldn't because my bellybutton didn't have a "lip" on bottom, and therefore it would reject quickly. so i guess he meant that i shouldnt get it peirced with a curved barbell like the top? but what if i wanted to get a vertical surface peircing on bottom, is it likely that it will reject quickly? Will it reject more quickly than a regular navel peircing with a curved barbell???
he means period. it shouldn't be pierced with any type of jewelry. what do you mean by a vertical surface piercing in the navel? a belly button piercing is not a surface piercing. a curved barbell is the norm jewelry for a belly button piercing, and you should not have it pierced with a loop (cbr). Without the lip, as the piercer put it, you will have a hard time healing any bottom navel piercing no matter what you get it pierced with. listen to the guy; you'll probably waste your money getting it done, if you do it.
Im thinking of gettin my lower back pierced how much will it hurt and is this one of the better places to get surface piercings? will be able to lye on it or drive etc? how long do they take to heal?
back piercings are not the best place to get a surface piercing. no you shouldn't lie on your back with a back surface piercing. It can take up to and over 12 months to heal.
i have a questioned for you i have 5 surface piecings on my hips the frist one i got was 6 months ago and it has developed a bump like blister in the middle of it was does that mean its not infection or anything and the one between my breast has the same thing i went to my peacer and he says everything is fine but will this leave a scar or anything its flat and red circle with no infection what should i do what does this mean
it's not an infection, but possibly an keloid which is scar tissue. I would keep cleaning twice a day. this may be the start of rejection. Keep an eye out.
I was thinking of getting the hip surface piercings, I'm not worried about pain or anything like that. I was more worried about what might happen after I get them. Is the hip area a huge problem like the neck? I really want it done, but I just want to make sure it stays good, doesn't harm my skin, and that i won't have to get them re-pierced. So what are some of the huge risks with the hips, and what are the probabilites of them happening?
Thank you,
Ali
Ali hip piercings are one of the worst to get. They are about 99% prone to reject. The risks are the same with any and all surface piercings.
Well thank you. So let's say really quickly, cuz' I've already got some huge scars. For example me and my friends thought it'd be cool to brand ourselves, like ranches do to there cattle. So, I'm not nervous about scars after it rejects. So how many times could I get them repierced? And how long will it be before it begins to reject, if it's possible to predict that. I read how to notice the rejection process, should I take the jewelry the second I notice it rejecting, or is it possible to wait further into the rejection process?
Thank you agian,
Ali
okay. so i've wanted to get my surface collarbones done for a while now. i just wanna know how much pain im gonna go through. and if they have agood chance for rejection. ive googled it before and they come up with it being underneath the collarbon. but isnt that a clavicle? which would you say might be better to have, surface collarbone or clavicle? or neither..
Ali you can get them repierced as many times as you want, it will just hurt to go through the scar tissue each time. You can wait until further rejection if you want, the scar will just be more noticeable.
Jessie, the pain will vary upon your pain tolerance. there is a very high chance of rejection. the clavicle is the collarbone from what i remember from anatomy class (it's been a while, so I could be wrong though).
Okay thank you very much....
I'm going to wait a little longer then planned.
Thank you for your help.
<3 Ali
HII! soo...i just got one side of my hip done about 2 weeks ago...I'm really good with piercings, i have 13 in all, including my lip x2 and my nape. My nape turned out really really well and I've had it over a year, so that's why I decided to get my hip. **might I add all my piercings are done by the same guy. But...I'm noticing that the sides around where my balls are getting really dried and crusty. I'm still using saline, and a hot hot washcloth over it for 10-15 minutes everyday. I'm scared that that's what is making it dried out tho. It's starting to look bruised and a little red/tender only on one end...is this still the healing process? Or should I be worried?:(
i had my nape done and it did not take half as long as that one on this page and as far as the pain aspect its all how you think about it when you go to get it done
Chelsie, hips are a terrible place to get a surface piercing. I don't think the saline and washcloth would dry it out. But I'd just stick with the saline. After 2 weeks, it really shouldn't be bruised around the edges.
why will i have a hard time healing if my lower bellybutton doesnt have a lip? like people get other parts of their bodies peirced that dont have lips and they dont have a hard time healing right?
Becuase there is not going to be enough skin for for your body to "want" to heal the piercing properly. Remember that you are shoving a foreign object through your body, and the body's natural reaction is to remove it liek a splinter, and if your body is not formed for the piercing it will more than like try to reject it.
okay, that sounds good...but i also have mono right now...do you think that could slow down my healing process? or am i just crazy?...:)
I would wait. You want to have your immunity at full speed or you will have more problems healing than you are already going to have. Patience is a virtue, which is something everyone should learn.
i have my belly button pierced, and i want two more done so it looks like this
|
/ \ do you reckon the two diagonal ones will hurt mor than the top one, and will they be done with a normal bellybar? and whats the chances of them rejecting?
thanks
The pain will very. If you are getting them on the navel rim, it is not a surface piercing. Bottom navels are harder to heal since the jewelry falls down and is easily hit. I have had my bottom one done twice, and each time it took longer to heal than the upper rim. I only had it done the 2nd time again because it migrated during the first healing proces. I see a little migration this time as well, just not as much.
hey i need an immediate-ish response for this. I'm betting the answer is to remove it though. I have had my surface hip piercing for coming up to 3 weeks now and for the last 2 days the top of one of the balls has gone very sore. Since this afternoon it has actually started going into my skin. You can see only the top bit of the ball now. I'm going to leave it till tomorrow and take it out if its worse, cos i cant see my piercer till saturday to se what he says. So yes vote now remove immeditely or leave?
In a way you've only had it for 3 weeks, and you've only given the issue 2 days. If you can wait, I'd see the piercer, but more than likely you'll just need to remove it. It's hard to say from your description.
right I'm sorry for the absolutely crap quality of this pic but i have a better one but i will not post it on the internet to show. http://i36.tinypic.com/f03cyp.jpg As you can see the ball on the left hand side has kinda sunk in to the skin. I now have an appointment for tomorrow with a different piercer but still wuold like advice
The picture is way too blurry to tell. It looks very irritated from the redness hat I can tell other than that it doesn't look bad.. It just looks like a VERY irritated surface piercing.
Okay well i had to get it removed the next day because by the morning it had entirely gone into my skin and i phsyically couldnt remove it myself so yeah.
I've managed to keep two anti eye brow surface piercings for over three years now and never had a problem with them. I got three surface piercigs done around the top of my chest and those, despite it being the same piercer and the correct jewellary it rejected. Shame as they were pretty.
I don't have to bad scars, thankfully my body seems to heal alright, and I knew they weren't going to fully heal so took them out before it rejected to far.
Just goes to show that it doesn't awlays last. Tempted to try again but as it rejected the first time it probably won't last.
Must say you've got a good page here and if people come here they can see quickly and clearly how hard surface piercings are to keep, the importance of a good piercer, and the attention and care they require. Hopefully it'll stop some people from getting any nasty results! Great page.
Hi i jus had a surface percing done to my hip, however im not quite sure but i belive it was peirced straight through the skin rather than staple like.. there is a straight bar through which makes the bar risavble through the skin...?
If it was done with a straight barbell, like a tongue ring, you should really go ahead and take it out, let the area heal, and have it done properly by a different guy. It will never heal this way.
Yeah it has a clear straight flexiable bar. so the bar is bendable but yeah its still jus a straight through bar. Any reasons as to why it wont heal with the straight bars?
Then it's a tygon bar which is ok. It's better than a tongue barbell, but still not the best thing to heal a surface piercing with. Basically with the straight barbells it puts a lot of friction and tension on your body, and you body treats it like a splinter and pushes it out. The surface barbells put less tension on the tissues, making it a little more likely to heal, although healing is still pretty slim to none. Basically, a piercing is a foreign object through the skin, and naturally our bodies reject anything foreign, which is why some people just can't heal certain piercings, and then having the surface piercing which takes up more tissues than ther piercings, the body typically doesn't heal it at all because it's trying to reject it. That's basically the simple gist of it.
well thanks heaps guess i will see if it heals. if not maybe try the other way to have it peirced. its been a week and its a bit red around the balls and itchy but not sore. so im guessing thats normal.
Yea, that's normal. Just keep cleaning it with saline or sea salt solution.
I recently got two surface piercings on my clavicle, after reading this I relized that I was pierced with a curved barbell insted of the proper ones. Is it possible to just have him switch to the surface barbell without having to be repierced?
This is one of my first proper piercings (other than ears and such) is just a little redness at the entrance and exit place common after the first couple of days or is that bad? and what are some signs that my surface piercings are being rejected?
Not really. You're best bet is to just have them repierced. If you leave them, they'll reject and if you shove surface barbells in them, they'll surely reject especially because the area is already irritated. Because you just recently got them, the redness is probably normal. Just keep an eye on it. I believe I covered a few basic signs in the article. Redness, swelling, puss, and visible rejection of more barbell and less skin.
hey. I've had my nape peircing for about 8months now and ive had no problems up until about a week ago. the skin between the peircing is starting to feel thinner and is slightly discoloured. i dont want to take it out but i think it is probably rejecting. what do you think? thanks.
It is rejecting. I would go to the piercer and have him remove it.
Hi! I'm planning on getting an anti-eyebrow soon, but I'm only keeping it for two months because I'm starting school and they won't allow it.
I'm thinking of using a curved barbell instead of a surface bar since I'm only keeping it for two months - because it seems that the people who did pierce with a curved barbell didn't see any signs of rejection after 2 months, unless they hit it, or something.
If I see any signs of rejection before the end of 2 months, I'll remove it immediately. I will try to find a piercer who offers tygon bars, but if I can't find anyone here I'll have to go with titanium.
Taking these measures, how bad do you think the scarring will be?
Thanks! (:
Anti-eyebrows aren't really surface piercings. You'll have scaring because you're putting metal through your face. It's pretty pointless to have it done knowing you're getting it removed, especially since it's a piercing that can be healed.
I had my hip pierced a couple of days ago, i got it piercied with curved barbell jewellery and not with the proper bars. Its fine atm and the piercer said that its a good depth under my skin. Ive got 8 other piercings and their all fine but is there a possibility that my hip piercing will grow out even though its a good depth under my skin?
Yep. It's going to reject. No possibility it WILL.
I have a horizontal eyebrow piercing...it was pierced with a surface bar. Unfortunately it has been bumped one time and now it is looking a little like the infected picture in the article.
Just wondering if it would be best to remove it or to go get anti biotics?
I wouldn't remove it but start cleaning it just like when you first got it with saline solution twice a day. It is kind of weird that it was pierced with a surface barbell, though. I would just try cleanings for now and if it doesn't improve or if it gets worse within the next few weeks, go to a body piercer and have him look at it before you remove it.
Hey Whitney,
I've been reading through your comments so far but haven't seen specific mention of this particular problem. My girlfriend has her hips pierced with proper surface bars, for almost two months now. They are still red and scabbing. However, whenever she soaks them with the sea salt solution, the scab will come off leaving a bright red"blow out" type thing which is raw and coming from the inner holes of each piercing (the ones closer to the centre of her body). This eventually becomes a scab in turn and the process repeats. It seems as though soaking is aggravating this process. I was wondering if she should just leave them alone to heal by themselves or should continue soaking? Or is this in fact a sign of rejection? Oh maybe I should mention that about a week after they were pierced they had to get upsized, and this caused significant trauma for the skin. They havent been returned to the original size but the bars arent sticking out of the holes at all. Any help appreciated!
Sounds like it's rejecting. Hip piercings are one of the worst that she could have gotten. Scab is where the piercing is leaking and trying to heal, but the red bumps sounds like where the body is rejecting the jewelry. The scabs are just covering the bumps which are revealed after she soaks. Soaking isn't harming the piercing one bit, but helping to attempt to heal it, but it really sounds like rejection to me. I'd say when she had the jewelry changed the first time, she started the rejection process and that was her first mistake. Never change the jewelry on a healing piercing, especially a surface piercing.
Hip piercings have the rejection rate of about 99%. Too much friction, movement, etc in that area.
Thank you for your advice. It's a bit of a bummer, we went to a very good piercing studio and they performed the procedure well but they really didn't say much (if anything) about rejection or migration. We thought with the proper surface bars, lack of twisting skin in the area and proper aftercare would be enough, WRONG. Thanks for the straight answer :>
Yea, typically the body piercer isn't going to tell you about all of hte risks with a piercing. And most of them assume that because you're asking for a surface piercing, you've done research to understand that they have a healing and permanent rate of about 97%, all depending on aftercare, personal body, placement, etc.
i have a surface piercing on the side of my face... and i think it is regecting but i dont want to take it out. is it normal for it to be red on top of the bar?
How long have you had the piercing? It could be normal, but it could be rejection.
I want a bridge piercing, but if it gets rejected how big will the scar be? and does it go through cartilage?
The scar will depend on 1) how long the piercing is there, 2) how bad you let the rejectiong get before removing the jewelry, and 3) your body in general.
i reallyy want my collarbone (obviously the surface of) pierced.. but i havent heard of anyone getting that done.. (of course they do but i havent heard how popular it is) pain isnt an issue. but i am trying to figure out how much it will be irritated, what type of jewelry should be used. can you change the kind of jewelry after it is pierced? or do you have to stick with the same shape? is the fact that it is right over a bone going to be a problem? would having right below the bone help any? or would it just get bothered more by having to constantly be rubbing against the bone. ive read that surface piercings arnt always permanent. i know the risk of rejection and infection, but if the piercing doesnt get rejected right away, what is the percentage (or general idea) that piercing is rejected overall..?
Collar bone piercings are pretty popular, but they typically don't last long. They are surface piercings that aren't as unique as you seem to think. No offense, that is. You want to use surface barbells,, which is the shape of a staple. Surface piercings are nearly never permanent, and will reject more times than heal. Rejection risks of surface piercings are about 97-98%
hi i got my nape pirced in a good place 5 days ago, when i got it pirced it didnt hurt much and was fine( not red sore etc.), ive been cleaning it as good as possible, but its a little sore and red on the inner side of thebarbell (like the inside on the sides in the middle of the pircing, not on the outside). is this ok? i have long hair but ive not really got it caught. it also aches a little.basically i would like to know if this is normal.
thank you=]
I recently got my sternum pierced. A surface barbel was used. I didn't bleed at all at the time of the piercing and now, days after, it hurts pretty fierce. After I clean the holes, it swells and sleeping on my chest is a joke. The piain is so intense it knocks the wind outta me. I've spoken with my piercer and he's told me thatthis is normal. I'm afraid of infection and rejection. I've experienced it before and it is not fun. I had my belly button pierced 3 yeaers back and within days it just looked nasty. My body had rejected it.
Becky, for 5 days it sounds normal.
Mez, Pain that strong isn't normal. You should stop sleeping on your stomach, as this will only make the piercing worse.
thanks for the above made me feel better
do you know how deep mircodermals are, because id like another surface pirceing under my coller bone, but im not sure if theyd work better than a bar, because my chest is quite bony and id like 3. ive heard they dont reject as much as well so i could keep them for longer?
thanks again
xxx
Microdermals are hard to find an experienced person to do. They have a lower rejection rate, but it is very hard to find someone truly experienced, which can increase risk of rejection if they're not done right.
check this out:
I have 13 piercings, in my ears, tongue, navel, nose, and surface piercings on my collarbone(both sides), nape, and hips. All my piercings are perfectly fine, there is no need to get freaked out about rejection just read up on them, ther is mild discomfort at first but I cleaned mine everyday and when I slept I put bandaids over the ends(make sure the sticky part doesn't touch the ends!) I have had no rejections, and I even have tattoos around them. I've gotten all my piercings in the last 3 years and I am 20 yrs old and have a full time job and school, if you know ho wto take care of them you have nothing to worry about!
There is fear for rejection. Even years down the line, your surface piercings can easily reject if you knock them wrong. Please, don't give people the wrong idea. That's great you haven't had any problems so far, but you realize that the rejection rate for surface piercings is at minimum 97%. Even for highly experienced piercers to perform the piercing and a highly experienced piercee to take care of it, that doesn't guarantee that they will heal. I've had well over 15 piercings to date, all of which healed exept my industrial and my surface piercings. My piercer has been doing piercings for over 7 years, and we tried everything for my surface piercings. You are giving the wrong impression, and there have not been any hip piercings that I have heard of to date that lasted long term.
hi again
sorry i keep coming back but you seem to know what your talking about
my nape feels fine but its still quite sore looking around studs had it done nearly two weeks ago how long is this normal for?
also the bar that was like straight between studs and going under skin is now flat is a upside-down u (like its twisted up) is this ok?
xxx
This friday i am going to have a vertical tragus peircing , but it is a surface peircing. i am wondering because it doesnt move that often , would it have a lower chance of rejection ?
I want a permanent peircing that not many people have , i have a rook and that healed pretty well =]
x x
Becky, Are you sleeping on your back? The discomfort will vary on your body. After weeks, you may still feel bruising. I'm not sure what you mean but it's upside down like a U. If the piercing was don correctly, it should not be able to flip like that. Was a surface barbell used because it doesn't really sound like it?
Hayley, vertical tragus is not as unique as you think. It's going to be hard to find something permanent that is still going to be unique. Sorry... Vertical tragus piercings aren't true surface piercings, but the rejection rate is still high from what I've heard and seen.
yea i try to sleep on my back, i thought it would be better, try not to let it touch the pillow. Its a curved barbell, when i got it pirced it when straight between the balls under my skin but the bars moved up above the studs
xxx
You don't want to sleep on your back, as you're irritating the piercing. A curved barbell will never heal. You're better off removing it or having it removed. You want to let it heal and have it repierced with a surface barbell for better results, but even then the likelihood of healing is slim.
My hip piercings have been fine and those were done when I was 13, and its been about 7 yrs that I've had them. I've been going to the exact same piercer who is very, very experienced, I'm not giving the impression that all surface piercings heal, but I'm also not trying to scare people into not getting them. You have to know your body inside and out and know what you can handle. Surface piercings are a win'lose situation, you gamble you can't say every surface piercing will be rejection there are those people like me who never have a infected piercing and never have a rejection. I went through a pregnancy and all my piercings were just fine the entire time. It varies from person to person and from piercer to piercer all surface piercings are different and so are the people that get them.
Well, congrats that you've been successful, but throughout your comment you never posted about the rejection risks even years down the line. You are one of the few and rare who have been successful at healing them. Surface piercings are typically a lose situation and almost never a win situation. Even if you know your body inside and out, that doesn't mean that you will be able to heal surface piercings. Again, I know my body nearly to the tee, and I wasn't able to heal them. I am willing to try again, but not right now, it's not worth it. I don't want to be one of those that says because I couldn't do it, neither can you. I asked around, checked stats, checked all over, and the healing rate of surface piercings really just isn't the risk for anyone. To go through pregnancy and still have your piercings sounds pretty unlikely if you ask me. Honestly, I highly doubt what you are saying... Sorry...
Hi there...wanting a surface piercing, know exactly where i want it and i have been searching for info and pics of it but can't see it anywhere. I'd like a surface piercing just under my nipple...say about a centimetre under it, can anyone tell me if this is actually possible? Thanks
Anything is possible. Whether it will be permanent is highly unlikely with surface piercings.
i have somewhere around twenty piercings and have a nape piercing that has never rejected or been infected but i was curious as to if top heavy women should get sternum piercings.
ive been wanting to get mine for a long time but i heard the pressure from my chest could but too much weight and pressure on it.
Typically the sternum piercings are dong with 14 gauge surface barbells. Depending on where exactly you get it placed, you could run into some problems in terms of pressure from your breasts. Otherwise, you'll run into the same surface piercing problems.
hey. well i just got my hip done a few days ago and its kinda of red at the top
is that a sign of rejection or is it just healing?
This is gay, i have over 45piercings and they never turned out like anything you've said. All mine are fine,never infected or anything. I think its cool that your trying to inform people on this stuff and everything,but you act like it will happen to anyone that gets it done,no i dont know where you live but they must have some messed up pierciers there,cause where i live,their all great,so are my piercings and my body loves every single one,ha.
I want to get my hips done, but i dont want my body to reject it. Is there anyway i can see if my body would reject it before i got it done,or do i have to get it done to find out.
Alex, it's just a sign of a new piercing. Neither healing nor rejection.
Manny/Jenna- if you have 45 piercings why are you asking me about hip piercings. You must have all the information as you're just a guru at it right? Anyway... Just because you claim to have so many (which I highly doubt bc you would have some knowledge about the hip piercings that you're asking about) it doesn't mean that you have 45 surface piercings. Surface piercings are unlike a regular ear lobe piercing. There's nothing that you can do to prevent your body from rejecting the piercing. Oh and I thought that your body loves piercings and that it wouldn't reject anything that you stuck through it? If that's the case why claim it when your follow up is how can you prevent it from happening becuase you obviously know that you body won't do it ever. ... Don't spam up my comments box. I'll remove any more, unless they're serious questions and concerns.
Whitney-
I was interested in getting a surface piercing on my upper back, between my shoulder blades. I was thinking a star like this: http://www.scarabbodyarts.com/piercing/ . I know you talk a lot about rejection and movement, so how would this apply to this particular piercing at this particular place? Just wanted to get some insight. Hope you can help!
Hey Whitney,
I just want to know if you have heard anything like this before...is it real or am I crazy ? :)
I've had my sternum piercing for two years now and it seems that any time I put in my nose or earings my sternum gets infected, (red around the top hole always and with a little bit of puss.) My only thought is that I am mildly allergic to metal and my body can only handle a certain amount...ever heard of this?
And just as an interesting note, I had put a water tight bandage over my piercing when it was four months old because it was unavoidable for me to be in lake water. Of course, murphy's law, the bandage let water in. My piercing was not happy and grew a red bump on the top hole. This bump also comes back whenever i bump it (i do hula hoop tricks and end up smacking the poor thing every few months) Anyways my point is that I can get the red blister thing to go away by putting oil of oregano on my piercing. This also worked when i noticed the skin getting thinner and i was seeing more bar. i used the oil of oregano twice a day and stopped the rejection process. (is that even possible, maybe i just slowed it down???) Have you heard of anything regarding this? This may be a good option for those who would otherwise have to remove a rejecting piercing, why not give it a shot? :)
Thanks :)
Also as for scarring from rejection, obviously there will be a scar where the holes are, or a line if the bar pushes out like a sliver....but if you take it out is there ever a possibility of the skin between the holes (like the imaginary line where the bar used to be) dying and making that red line even if the jewelry has been taken out?? im not sure if you understand what i am saying??? i'll try to explain better if you dont.
thanks
Hey,
I have my tongue pierced and my cleavage. it seems that ever since i got my cleavage done i have have lowered immunity and get sick a lot. my acupuncturist told me she has heard of this as both of those piercings are on the body meridian and mess with energy flow. that reason or not, have you heard of people getting sick after more major piercings?
- cindy
Meg, where that piercing is very attractive and I have seen it before, it will be hard to heal, even harder if you get them all done at once. My only suggestion would be don't sleep on your back and only getne or two piercings at a time, waiting at least 4-6 months in-between sessions giving some time for initial healing. Otherwise that placement and that many surface piercings in one area is very unlikely to heal permanently.
Sheena/Cindy as for the sternum piercings, NEVER EVER use oil of oregano on a piercing, that's not smart by a long shot. Also, you just slowed rejection that or it was more than likely just your imagination. There will be a scar where the holes are. I do understand and if you let the piercing reject enough there will be a line to some degree. As for all your other piercings becoming infected, when you wear the jewelry after having the sternum piercing, that seems pretty much coincidence, there's nothing that would cause this to happen. As for getting sick after major piercings, that's also coincidence. You overall immunity will not lower bc of a surface piercing. Alse NEVER EVER get in a lake, pool, or ocean or rather any body of water after getting a new piercing. And never do any activities that may canse further trauma to the tissues around the piercing. You were told right by not swimming, you opted not to listen. You don't HAVE to get in the lake.
ok, in the nicest way i can, i just want to get across that me (sheena) and my sister (cindy) do not need a lecture from you. haha. we're grown ups :) (i'm not trying to be rude and i understand you are trying to help:) it is just that what i choose to do after i get a piercing is up to me, it is just a piercing for goodness sake you act like it is the end of the world. so what if it rejects, it is a surface piercing it is going to reject eventually anyways. if i make something else a priority over my piercing i am a big girl and can handle the consequences. it is hurtful for you to pass judgment without enough information which is the only reason i feel the need to respond this way. and you have no idea what my lake situation was so who are you to judge me? what if it was my gramma's dying wish that i swam her ashes out when she died and she got hit by a bus 4 months after i got my piercing, (lol that wasnt it but you never know lol ) just remember you have information on piercings, you are not god or anyone's mother. i'm sorry if this is sounding rude, text is not as good as in person for explaining yourself.
anyway, i was asking you a question that could have been answered without you telling me and my sister things are our "imagination." I appreciate you taking time to answer questions but then stick to answering the questions ie. "no i have never heard of this." as opposed to "it's your imagination" as for it being my sisters "imagination" after she got the piercing she continues to get sick all the time. i have researched other medical sites and i work at a clninc and have consulted DOCTORS there... and just in case it is interesting to you at all :), i have come across more than one professional that says with a piercing with an indefinite healing time, and being that close to the heart it may be that the body spends a lot of it's energy freaking out about infection in such a sensitive location. eventually you can wear down your system much the same way you would if you continued eating a food you had a mild sensitivity to, eventually it bogs down your immune system. all she was wondering was if you have heard of anyone else telling you that they had gotten sick after their surface piercing. the conclusion that having an unhealed wound for 8 months letting in bacteria resulting in a taxed immune system is not that far fetched.
oh and i am quite aware not to do activities that traumatize the area :) so thanks for caring about my well being, but at the same time i am not gonna stop living my life (i am a hula hoop dancer for parties) because of a piercing. you take them so seriously which is awesome but remember not everyone is the same as you. :) :)
so haha ya...sorry for the rant. :)
one more question if you dont hate me by now :) the oil of oregano is the ONLY thing after many trials that actually helped my piercing. everyone is different and you are against it so i am not recommending this to others now, but do you know why it is bad? too strong or something? if i stop using it the bump comes back. thanks :)
just to back up what i said since that is important....here are two piercing websites that talk about how piercing can lower your immune system. :)
http://tattoo.about.com/cs/beginners/a/embar_faq.h
Getting the piercing can even lower your immune system and make you more prone to illness. Take vitamins to keep your immune system healthy and keep up with your allergy medication to ....
http://www.querycat.com/faq/b54461e55a175ae4980e93 metals like steel can often tire your immune system
i really want to get my hip surface pierced, what are the chances of them being rejected? and how long do they take to heal? i know it all depends on how their done and the persons body. but how about on average?
Okay hopefully it will post my question this time!
Hello Whitney I have a few questions about a horizontal bridge.
I see from other comments you don't actually include this piecer to be totally a surface piercing, but since you have a vast knowledge i was hoping you could help me.
I recently had mine done about one wee ago to be exact, and here are my questions.
I feel a slight ridge or bump where the bar passes under the flesh of my nose, should this be? Or is it maybe still from swelling? I'm , of course, paranoid of it being rejected so any insight on that would be helpful.
Also how long should i expect swelling for? I still have redness around the ball areas , should it have gone by now?
Thank you
Sheena, I am sorry if I accused you of being two people, but it is very common for people to do that. Also, I've never heard an adult refer to him/herself as a grownup to another adult, which makes it hard to believe that you are an adult. I'm not saying otherwise, I'm just saying that it is hard to believe. You are right that after getting the piercing, as it is up to you how you treat it, but it is your body not just a piercing, and you can get severe staph and other illnesses from open wounds and bacteria infected waters, and a new piercing is just that - an open wound. I'm sorry to hear about your grandmother, but you spoke as though you had to swim daily after getting the piercing and you didn't care what could happen. You are correct in the at a more complicated piercing with a longer healing time, but it's not going to cause your immune system to go so far as getting sick all the time- I have consulted other body piercers besides about.com, which is frequently wrong on many of the articles that they have posted. A piercing may lower your immune system, but not to any degree that will make you pysically ill. Metal will only make you sick if you have an allergy to that particular metal, which you should have talked piercer beforehand. The likelyhood of getting accurate information from about.com is a 50/50 shot, and what you have found is not accurate. I was not being rude by saying it's your imagination, I'm being honest; the rejection stopping or even reducing from oil of oregano as well as the infection from putting in jewelry to other piercings after getting your surface piercing is all coincidence and imagination. There's nothing that would cause your other piercings to get infected after getting a surface piercing. The only thing that would cause infection with the other piercings would be if you got the surface piercing right next to one of the other piercing, which it doesn't sound like you did. Oh and by the way, I verified all of my information that I have given you by a body piercer who has been a professional body piercer of over 8 years. He is also very knowledgeable about surface piercings.
Lauren, hip piercings will reject about 99% of the time. It will take 9 months and over to semi-heal a surface piercings.
Liganna, The bump could be a keliod. It is possible that swelling is still a concern. The swelling will vary, but I'd estimate about 2 to 4 weeks depending on your care and how well your body is reacting to the piercing.
i just got my sternum done and it was done traditionally with the curved barbells. now i'm scared that it wont heal correctly. :[
how long would it take that to heal?
It can take 9-12 months at minimum to heal a surface piercing with a surface barbell. It will never heal properly with a curved barbell.
i want my hips peirced i understand that they might get rejected and the might be sore in the process of healing but if they heal and they turn out ok will the still only last up to a year ?
In theory, if it heals properly then it can be permanent, but the likelihood is slim, very slim... It will take up to 1 year or longer to heal.
Hi I Got My Wrist Periced 3 Weeks Ago. It looks like its healed and evrything.
I clean it everyday and soak it In sea salt water 1once a day and clean it with antibacterial soap. And yesterday i was cleaning it and puss came out from the piercing and it was weird cause this was the first time it happend even though its not infected its really clear n clean . Is it bad when you get puss when its really not infected and when can i change the piercing because i have a plastic bar not a metal one. Im kind off afraid to change it because i think its going to heart do you think thats a bad idea to change it when it completly healed. Or i shoild just leav it like it is cause i want to clean it.
Thanx IzzyF NYC Manhattan
It's not puss if it's not infected. It's normal. It's still healing or else it wouldn't have had the lymph come out. You need to leave the tygon in. That's tne next best thing to a surface barbell. It's not fully healed. The outside is, but not the inside, and by removing it you'll cause complications.
hi i got a horizontal surface piercing below my belly button about 6 months ago and it was healing well for the first few months however gradually a red bump(about 3/4 the size of a 5p piece) appeared in the middle (in between the 2 barbels) and although one of the holes is healed perfectly the other one is still red and sore. I think the bump might be a hypertonic scar or something? I heard that using hot salt water and compression helps them but i've been doing it for a few months and there hasn't really been any improvement. Would I have to do it twice a day for it to make a difference? Is there anything i could do to help the bump go away or will it gradually fade in time or are those kind of scars permenant? Also the area between the bump and one of the barbels is inflamed and painful to touch, is this a sign of rejection eventhough both holes havn't got any bigger since they were initially pierced? Thanks alot!!!
If it's a scar, it will stay as long as your body normally keeps scars, so to speak. It will go away eventually. The outter portion heals before the inside, which is why the one half looks healed. It sounds like it's infected or just badly irritated. I remember the pain distinctly, as I went through the same thing. It could be a blockage of puss (not healthy lymph but puss, by an of infection). If it was lymph, it would drain normal, but sometimes puss will get stuck. After a shower, you may want to bare the pain and try to gently squeeze the puss out. Don't push too hard, as that will only further the irritation on the piercing. If nothing comes out then just leave it as is. Doing it twice a day won't really do much in comparison to once a day; it'll be about the same. You clean twice a day for initial healing for a few weeks and then just once a day after that. You may want to try twice a day since it sounds to be infected, but for me that never made much of a difference, but it may for you. Another thing that I only recommend in just a few cases is to put a small dab of antibiotic ointment on the jewelry and GENTLY slide the jewelry through the piercing, never removing the jewelry from your skin but putting the ointment around the outside of the holes. Then just wipe away any ointment left on your skin. Q-tips work great. for this. Just don't over clean or over apply the ointment.
The holes shouldn't get bigger after being pierced. Rejection is more the body rejecting the jewelry, kind of like the concept of getting a splinter. The holes wont get bigger but you'll start to see more barbell where the barbell and less is moving out of the skin tissues.The holes aren't going to change size.
I would keep trying, but it doesn't sound like the piercing is going to have a permenant effect.
thanks alot for the advice!
Hi,
So I've wanted a surface piercing on my stomach for a long time now. I've researched it a little and I'm not 100% sure if I should or not. I've read that it shouldn't be in an area that gets rubbed against a lot (by a belt or pants etc) but i have a long torso so the area's not close to my pants/belt at all if i get it done half an inch lower then my navel. However, I do competitive dance. I'm on break now so it would have healing time for around two weeks of no dance/tight clothing anything like that.
So my question is, is it still a good idea? Being at dancer and all. Also what are the risks if i do get it?
Thanks!
atilla, 2 weeks is not nearly enought time to heal a surface piercing. please read what happened to luci with her belly surface piercing. I don't think it would be a good idea, unless you can devote at least 6 months of non-dancing to let the initial healing take place, even then the piercing will not be 100% healed and rejection can start.
hello.
is the anti-eyebrow a surface piercing? (below the eye) if so, i've had it for about a month now, and my peircer told me that it would become blue and puffy in the morning. so i was expecting that, but what surprised me is that it didn't hurt afterwards and it didn't even become blue nor puffy! my piercer said that she loved my skin, it was easy to pierce. (:
i was thinking of getting my hip done, not right now, cuz i want my spiderbites first. lol. anyways, does it hurt? the hip piercing? and with my skin, will it heal well? cuz i'm kinda scared. i'm a dancer, but i don't dance everyday... but still, i'm still afraid. any advice?
thanks. (:
Yes, that is the anti-eyebrow piercing. As, I've mentioned loads of time, the pain will depend on your pain threshold, that's somethign that you can't ask anyone. Hip piercings typically don't heal well at all. Just about the only advice I have is in the above comments and the article itself. You may want to do a CTRL+F and search for 'hip piercing' and you'll be able to narrow down the hip piercing comments and answers that I've given.
hey i had my clevical done like 2 days ago ive been reading all theese comments and became woried :/
mines very sore the woman that peirced used numbing spray and its left a red rash is this noraml ?
Also ive had it done horizontal rather than vertical will this slow any healing process?
thanks
The rash would be from a possible reaction with the spray, not the piercing necessarily. Also, the numbng sprays are really unnecessary, for future reference, as once the needle has passed the outside of the skin, the spray does not good, and most of the pain is the inside, not piercing through the skin.
Nothing will slow rejection in terms of verticle or horizontal. The healing process is what it is...
I had a vertical sternum piercing for about 3 months and Whitney is right in what she says that these surface piercing reject like crazy and are a total bitch to heal. Anyways, I just took it out about 30 min ago, it wasnt' rejecting I just got really sick of having to have an extremely watchful eye on it and with school starting soon I'm gonna be way too busy to take the full care that these piercing require. My question is, is what is the removal aftercare for these piercings. I took it out, cleaned it and slapped some a+d ointment over it. Is there anything else I should do to reduce scarring and infection?
so i got a vertical surface piercing on the side of my head in front of my tragus.. i got it back in august and its been fine for a while i was cleaning it 2 times a day when i got it and i went down to every 2nd day and then this last month it got really irritated and now its rejecting.. i have tried cleaning it everyday and its making it worse when i dont clean it it seems to be getting better?... that i dont understand ive had my share of piercings and ive always been good about cleaning them and i know how, im always reading about piercings so i dont understand that.. i really dont have time to go see my piercer.. the place is in the opposite side of the city and i work everyday by the time im off they are closed... but i cant get the balls to unscrew... im not sure if both ends can unscrew? and if only one does im not sure if it would be the top or buttom? but i want to try and get it out before i have a very bad scar i really dont want to have to settle to let it reject all the way through...
any help/comments would be appreciated
The piercer is the best choice, especially if you are having problems getting the balls off. Other than that I'm not sure what to tell you. I have never heard of not cleaning causes a piercing to be ok, whereas cleaning causes it to worsen. A piercer could try to answer that for you.
I got my hips surfaced pierced about 5 days ago and I had a few questions. My left hip surface piercing is fine, a little bruised and such, but the bar fits nicely and it's not really at all painful to touch. No redness, just light bruising around the area.
BUT, I noticed that my right hip surface piercing seems to have not been put in deep enough. When I was getting it done I noticed my left hip hurt more because it felt like the needle was going deeper than the right one had. The bar in my right hip is with the two flat heads, which kind of stick up from the skin, compared to my left hip where the flat heads lay flush with my skin. I don't know if this is bad or not, the flat heads not laying flush with the skin.
My left hip has shown no problems, but my right hip is continually red and somewhat painful to touch. I don't know how to judge what's happening since it's only been 5 days since I got the piercings.
Also on my right hip, on both ends of the flat heads of the bar it looks like the skin is ripped slightly around it, and I didn't know if this was normal or what. It didn't rip after it was pierced because it looked like that right after it was pierced and even bled while my left one didn't bleed at all afterwards. Now, around my right hip piercing, there is a white kind of puss? Like the skin is trying to make a scab to heal up the area that looks torn. I want to know why my right hip is acting this way and my left hip is not. Also, should I go into a piercer to look at it? Is my right one rejecting or infected, and is it because of the bar not being as deep as my left one is? My right hip isn't bruised like the left one, does that mean it didn't go deep enough?
Also [lol, sorry it's so long] on my left hip I only see the flat heads, no part of the actual bar, but on my right hip I can kind of see where the bar makes it's 90 degree angle. Is this another sign that my right hip piercing isn't deep enough? Also, if I DO need to remove my right hip piercing, how soon should I? I honestly don't care about the hip being the worst place for a surface piercing because I love how they look and I take very good care of my other piercings. I want my right hip piercing to improve or at least heal in order for repiercing. Any suggestions on my long list of questions? Thank you!
It isn't puss that you're seeing, that's normal lymph where your body is trying to heal the piercings. It sounds like the one wasn't pierced nearly deep enough if you can see where the bar is angled. You should go back to the piercer and have him look at it. The pain, soreness, and redness is normal, at only 5 days. But being able to see the bar as much as you do isn't. You want to definitely go back and have that looked at.
You won't really see signs of rejection at 5 days.
You are right in that the hips are the worst surface piercing you can get, and longterm prognosis isn't the best. The only thing you can do is not hit them and clean twice a day. Surface piercings are unlike any piercing you will ever get much less have, and they are more temporary piercings than anything else.
Thanks for the advice. As of today I can no longer see the angle of the bar in my right hip because the "normal lymph" as you say has covered the open "rips" I saw. I'm hoping this is a good sign. It's less red than before and I clean it regularly. It is also not as painful as before. If the lymph is normal and my right hip is healing itself, will I still need to visit a piercer about the bar not being deep enough?
I had a different question as well. I know that rejection is extremely high for surface piercing, hips especially, but I've have my tongue pierced, my nose, my ear lobes and I pierced my own ear cartilage myself, twice. I have never had an infection with any of my piercing, healing went on schedule and I've never had any piercing reject itself. Does this better my chances of my hip piercings not rejecting? Or does it really not matter since a surface piercing is rather different from the other pricings I have? Thanks again!
I really want to get a surface piercing on my neck under my right ear in a vertical manner. It's a very low contact place so i don't think i have to worry about much rubbing it or hitting up against it.. atleast i dont think? I've gotten a tatto on my neck and my nose pierced and those were basically painfree to me.. What would be a comparison on the pain levels.
Becky, just because the lymph is covering the angle, doesn't mean that it's not still there. You just have the lymph covering it. You should soak the piercing in saline, and the lymph will come off, which in turn will cause you to see the angles again. No that does not better your chances. Nothing really will help the chances, as surface piercings are a relatively new piercing that is 98% prone to reject.
Life in Cali, Pain is going to vary on your pain tolerance. The overall pain is going to be different than any other piercing and any tattoo. I've had tattoos and various piercings, and the surface piercings are a completely different deal. The pain of the particular piercing is hard to gauge in comparison to anything else. Please read comments before you ask questins. I'm sorry to be blunt, but I've answered this question many times.
Thank you for the advice. I actually visited a different piercer who specializes in surface piercing today and he told me what I needed to do. I'll probably end up getting my right one repierced because of the way it turned out. But thanks for helping me with my questions!
You're welcome. It's good you were able to find someone experienced with surface piercings. I'm not so sure that he necessarily specializes in them, though. That's hard to believe as it's fairly new and not many people know about them in comparison to other piercings. He wouldn't make much money.
what would be the best kind of surface piercing to get? that lasts longer.. also how long to surface piercings last? how do you know when to take them out?
No surface piercing is better than nother, in all reality. Nape piercings tend to do a little better from what I've seen and heard. Hips and wrists are some of the worst. The extent of keeping a surface piercing will vary. You typically just know when to give it up and take out the jewelry. When you notice signs of rejection, then it's time.
Hey i posted a few comment a couple of months ago on my nape pirceing. I think its helaing up nice n i was just being paranoid but i think more bar ight be showing than there was, but theres no rejection signs on the skin aroung it so is it rejecting or not pirced right?
also one side looks really good and ive not had any problems but on the other the skin looks idk abit darker where the bar goes under is and its always been is this ok too?
thanks again
xxx
That's good it's doing better. The dark spot could be scarring. If you're seeing more bar than you used to be able to see, that is a sign of rejection. Are you able to see the curves of the barbell? If so , either rejection or improperly pierced. If you've been able to see the curves in the past, then improperly pierced; if that's a new thing, then rejection.
So question, it may be off the topic a little, but I just got my septum pierced about 5 days ago, and I am absolutely DYING to take it out (It just doesnt suit me...and I honestly miss picking my nose and not being so damn careful)
Now...I have a few concerns...
will I have a noiceable hole? Like, I know there's going to be a hole, but will I be able to see it? It'll freak me out!
I cant seem to unscrew t he balls....Or maybe I am doing it wrong?
Should I wait to remove the piercing once its completely healed?...It's actually healing very nicely for me....not painful, only when accidently bumped, it move around on it's own when I am cleaning it, (I so sea salt soaks about 3 times a day...and every so often just blow bubbles through my nose with really warm water....to be it nice and lubricated)
I know if i were to take it out before it's healed, I would still have to clean it as if I still had it..to ensure cleaness and prevent infection..
This really helped, now i know what to expect when i get my sternum piercing!
Thanks for all the info (:
Desiree, ok wow that's kind of gross. :-p I would cut down to cleaning just twice a day. If you don't want it, you don't have to wait until it's healed to remove it. You can remove it at any time. Have you tried both balls and unscrewing both ways?
Polly, glad it helps.
Hola :D
Loved this whole article, or "hub page" very nicle done and answered all my questions about surface piercings :]
Reason why i read this was because i wanted to get my anti-eyebrow done, and i thought it was just a normal piercing like me snake bites or my nose, turns out i'm wrong xD
And all that talk of how much moving and friction is caused there, honestly i think anti-eyebrow is the best because absolutely nothing happens (except mayb when u smile or laugh).
I just want your opinion
If i clean it thoroughly, more than once a day, with saline/salt water or peroxide, would u recomend getting it?
You will need to watch out for bumps and scraps. I cannot necessarily recommend it or not. I would suggest talking to your body piercer. Depending on how it's done and where it's placed, it's really not 100% a surface piercing.
i have a microdermal implant underneath my right eye and i recently got another one right above it and after i got the second one my first one started acting up and getting painful and im afraid that it might be rejecting. i have a ton of experience healing piercings, ive got my dermal implants, upper navel, double nostril, septum, vertical labret, both nipples, and nape done and have healed them all just fine. ive been using saline on my microdermal to try and get it to stop acting up but its still painful and red like a week later...any suggestions?
I would just continue the saline. You should also ask the guy who did it for you. He may have more advice in the area.
whitney- i already have a few piercings. my ears, cartilage, lip, & top navel. but now i want something more interesting. i've heard from several people that hips aren't a good idea and one of my friends actually had his ripped out. i actually want to get the skin next to my ankle pierced. it's not very common and i haven't really found any research on it.
what do you think ?
In all reality, there is no unique piercing. I wouldn't really suggest a surface piercing, but it is more unique than the rest. You are correct that hips are probably one of the worst. I would just suggest something that you like and not really worry about being different.
ok, so i had my belly pierced about a year ago and i'm not sure why but now it seems like theres very little skin pierced. i think it may be because i change to a heavier ring too early and the weight pulled my skin.. in? i was just wondering if i should take out my ring and wait for it to heal and then just get it repierced later on.
Hi,
I am interested in getting a surface piercing on my wrist.
I saw that my piercer had one on her temple, and it just looks like a little gem (only one visible aspect to the piercing).
Is it possible to get this on the bottom of my wrist (where my veins are)? I just want it to look like a little diamond is sitting on my skin.
Thanks!
Hiii Whitney--
I have my ears, nose, and tongue pierced, and now I'm looking to get a surface piercing on my chest. However, it's winter and every day I wear sweaters that cover my whole chest. Should I wait until summer to get it?
Christine, sounds liek rejection. I would remove it and attempt to have it repierced.
seejayloves, if you get it on the bottom of your wrist there is no way it will heal. Wrist piercings have enough complications on the top of the wrist, imagine it on the bottom. You will hit it much more often. Can't type on the computer, can barely write properly, etc. It will never heal on the bottom, and nearly never heal on the top.
Lana, It is in the end up to you when you get the piercing. In any season you will find great complication healing it.
Hey, I am really interested in a sternum surface piercing, and I am aware that they only last a few years usually before they show signs of rejection and have to be professionally removed, leaving minimal scars. I was wondering if I am better off to go with dermals? But I also was informed that dermals can only be removed surgically, and that it is often more painful and a hassle to get dermals removed, and their risk of rejection is almost as high as a plain old surface piercing. I was wondering what my best bet was for a vertical sternum piercing? I really want to get this done but I don't know what is the better option for me. I don't want to have something absolutly permanent, but I want it to last awhile and be as little of a hassle as possible. Thanks!
Sometimes they don't even last a few years and show rejection within 6 months or so. Microdermals are better, but it is much harder to find someone skilled enough to perform the task. Both processes are still fairly new, with microdermals being newer than surface piercingsNot only will you have problems finding someone who knows how to insert microdermals, but as well as remove them. Both will be painful and both will have healing concerns. Both also carry risks. Those are pretty much your only options as far as I am aware.
i have my wrist pierced, and i was owndering if i can take the bar out then put it back in? you see i have a new job and i cant have any visable piercings
You can if it is perfectly 100% healed. But when removing and replacing jewelry on any piercing, it can cause irritation. I have lost piercings this way.
I know this has been asked and said a million times with all these comments and that you do not support it, but I am determined to have my hips pierced. What are all the pre-cautions I should take in terms of type of jewellery, piercer, care for it and for how long, and best time of year to get it done for healing (odd I know, but is summer better since I can not wear a shirt, or winter because the cold will numb it?) Also, is there anything I can do to cover the piercings without cutting off the oxygen and actually touching them that will prevent them from being bumped? I know this was a long question but you seem to be very helpful and know your stuff =) p.s. I'm a guy so I'm not sure if that will affect healing in terms of clothing and my ability to work out and stuff?
You are right, in that I have answered all of those questions before. Time of year doesn't matter; up to you as long as you don't wear tight clothing, go swimming, etc. Precautions- there are none, it will reject. Jewelry- surface barbells or tygon. Nothing you can do for covering the piercing to prevent bumping it. Hips are just the worst place next to wrists for any piercing.
And your view on microdermal anchors? I would be getting them done by a guy that has done them for 12 years and won various awards for his piercings. He said they normally heal pretty nicely and if I was determined on getting my hips done its the only thing he would recommend.
dermal anchors are better than surface piercings. They still pose complications. I would say research complications and remove practices, as it will be harder to remove and more painful. Experience is always better.
I recently got my nape pierced a month ago and although it doesnt hurt or anything, it is still quite red but only on 1 side. what do i need to look out for regarding migration?
Redness is pretty normal, but if it continues at times that could be a sign of rejection. Typically, you'll just start to see more barbell and less skin. Sometimes you'll notice excess leaking and bruising.
Hi, i got my upper ear done 2 and a half weeks ago, as when i got it done i got told to use savalon, now its really sore and i think its went infected, i got told also to turn it alot and now when i do its sometimes really stiff like somethings holding it in a certain place, my boyfriend said he could see a wee bit of green puss coming out, should i just remove the peircing or keep it in till its after the 5 weeks??
Use saline to clean the piercing. Also, consider getting an antibiotic for the potential infection. You do not want to remove the jewelry because you risk potentially blocking the infection into your body.
my boyfriend got a vertical labret pircing last week and about 3days ago a bump appeared in the middle of the pircing (between the top and bottom ball,on his lip) the bump has yellow pus.can anyone tell me what this may be?
just keep cleaning it. it's still healing. It's not infected unless the puss has a green tint to it. More than likely it's just normal lymph.
I got my sternum pierced last june with something that was like a flat bar with three holes and then a thing sticking out to screw on the gem. i can see the bar where the jewelry is screwed onto sticking out of my skin a little bit. like the blue gem i have isn't completely flat against my skin. is this rejecting or is the bar supposed to stick out a little. just to clarify it's not the flat part that's sticking out it's the vertical part.
I'm not really sure what kind of jewelry you are talking about really. If you weren't able to see that part before but now you can, then I'd assume it's rejecting.
Hey Whitney I just got my right hip pierced last Saturday. My piercer used PFTE material. The first two days I was really paranoid because I didn't want to traumatize it. Its offically been 6 days and I start to see a scab forming around the holes. Its a little red. Or those signs of rejection? Or is it expected in the first few days of surface hip piercing.
I clean it with Dial Anti-Bacterial Soap. Than spray it with H2O Seat Salt Spray. Is that good enough?
I want to change my bar to a surface bar in a week or so? Should I do it or is it a bad idea. Are there any other cleaning products I can use.
Don't use dial. Switch to saline. You can't change the bar until healed. It would be stupid to rush a surface piercing. As a hip piercing it will reject at some point, so if you change the jewelry this early, you'll speed up any rejection. The crusts are normal right now.
i love piercings, i have my ears, tongue, hand web, and belly,
ive been readin the comments on hip piercings as i reaaly want them done.
it seems rejection and infection depends on how you clean it or the type of person.
i think im going to go for it anyways, ill just have to see for myself,
thanks for all the info.
A few years ago I had a punch and taper sternum piercing with jewelery shaped like a staple. After about 11 months it started to reject, so I had it removed. There really isn't any scars however I can still feel where the "tunnel" was. I would love to have that piercing again, but I am wondering if dermal anchors would be a better choice, and have a lower risk of rejecting? My piercer is very experienced.
maddison, rejection doesn't have anything to do with cleaning. for the most part you can treat a surface piercing 110% perfect and you still have HIGH chances of rejection.
chrisbo, dermal implants are a slightly better choice, if your piercer has experience with them. even very expierienced piercers may not have any experience with dermal anchors.
heya
ive had my nape pirced like 4 months and im pretty sure its starting to reject so ill take it out soon probs, but i love it sosososo much was wondering if its ok to get it repirced in the same place and if it would act the same again, or if mircodermals will be better. Well im gonna get some of them done under my collerbone first, soon as i can get into town really, to see how they work etc.
thanks
xxx
You can get it repierced once it's healed up and closed. It will reject again. Microdermals are better, but they can cause problems when implanting if the piercer is not properly trained, and they require much more work to remove if you run into complications.
Hi, Ive had my navel pierced for about two years now. while it was in the healing process I lost a significant amount of skin. I have about 1/8" left there and have been to scared to get it repierced. What would you suggest I do because when I was younger I had pierced it myself a few times and have alot of scar tissue.
It will be harder to piercer through the scar tissue, and since you've had it done so many times with no permanenty results, you may not be able to heal one period. I would suggest taking it out and not getting it repierced. You'll probably encounter the same rejection.
hi I'm thinking about getting a surfacepiercing and all the web sites i go on tell me its dummed to fail. i really want to get a clevege piercing but if its dummed to fail is it worth it?
No it's really not worth it except for temporary/short term enjoyment.
Dont get your sternum pierced with the surface bars. I've had mine done 3 times and they keep rejecting sooner each time. If you're getting surface piercings get the microdermal implants instead. They hurt a lot less and they're way less likely to migrate cause they have this fucked up thing that sits underneath the skin so you're scar tissue cant push it up. Basically i've had my sternum nape collarbones and wrist done. most of them 3 times. I now have the microdermals and theyre healing way faster and they look better.
So I have both my hip pierced and I was wonderning if they had a better chance of healing if I kept a bandage over them during the day and off during the night so that the wound can breathe?
No. by putting a bandaid over hte piercing, it can't breath and it will cause more complications. Plus even with a bandaid, there's no support and there's no more protection than without.
okay so i got my hips done a week ago yesterday they seem fine clean them twice a day with saline solution and im carefull not to bang them but i was wondering when they reject roughly how long will i have to wait till i can get them repierced? thanks.
You should have them heal before re-piercing. It's good you are in the mindset that they will reject though.
sounds stupid but how will i know when the holes are healed?
oh and the bars are a few mm too big so some of the time the bend is visable.
will this effect them trying to heal or make the reject any sooner?
The bars being too big will increase the rate at which it rejects, meaning yest it will reject faster. Typically the outside of the piercing will heal before the inside. It can take over a year to heal, and it is very rare for that to occur.
So I have a question about hip piercinings. I have two surface piercings on my left hip and have had them for around 4 months. They are healing really well and don't have any signs of rejection. They were done with Tygon though, and I was wondering if it would be possible to change them to the metal barbells. What do you think about that?
I wouldn't touch the piercings!!! If you remove the tygon and change to the surface barbells, you'll potentially start irritation because the piercing is not healed. You should never change the jewelry on a healing piercing, no matter what piercing it is. Also, because the piercing was not pierced with the surface barbells, it may have problems adjusting to the 90 degree angle, even after it heals (if it heals).
I want to get a surface piercing on my wrist. I was just wondering, can u change the decoration, like can u change the balls to flat surfaces, or even diamonte jewells maybe, something like that, or once u have it done can u not change it at all.
If it ever heals, you can change the silver balls to whatever will fit onto the barbell. Typically, it's best to have it pierced with the flat pieces.
i have a surface piercing in my chest. i want it out, how do i take it out?!
I would go back to the piercer who did it or another piercer so that it can be properly taken out to reduce any irritation.
I got my hips done on the 11th of febuary and its now the 16th of april and they seem to be healing fine, just still a little sore, is it possible for both the piercings to heal? cus a lot of the people on here say theirs havent, I just wanna know if its too good to be true or am I a lucky one lol
Alex
unfortunatly i made the big mistake of getting a surface piercing (curved barbel) on my stomach instead of getting a surface bar. it began to migrate and i had to take it off before it completly came out and left an even uglier scar than what i have now. i miss that piercing alot and i wanted to know, how long should i wait untill i get it repierced? and what kind do you suggest i get?
Alex, It's near impossible for them to heal, especialy so fast. You're seeing the outter holes heal, but it takes much longer for the inside of the piercing to heal.
Cristy, You have to wait until he heals before gettign it repierced. No, I do not have a recommendd surface piercings, as generally they will all fail. There are very slim odds that one will heal.
I got a surface piercing on my lower back a few days ago, a 20mm staple shaped one. My pants dont rub on it, but i do jog regular if that affects it :S. Will it definately reject, and how long can/should i leave it before i take it out. Ah after reading your page, i am scared it will scar and reject, will it be able to last at least for a year? At the moment it looks perfect, no redness swelling and i just salt water wash it for 10 minutes twice a day. The guy that pierced me said to do that and it will be fine he never even mentioned rejection.
lauren, Sydney Australia
Running could have an effect. It may last a year, but it's hard to tell. Rejection is a big concern and problem with surface piercings
i got my nape peirced 3 times 2 days ago. it has a red bumpy rash all over my neck like tiny pimples everywhere and very itchy.what is it??
Sounds like a reaction to the metal or something.
So I really want my hips pierced. I've healed piercings in the past and I'm very meticulous when it comes to them. I've been doing a lot of research and talking to a lot of people. I'm having trouble desiding between dermal implants and surface piercings. All I hear about surface piercings is how likely they are to reject and I want my hips to be more of a perminate thing. But I was wondering if you knew any information on the transdermals. I hear they leave major scars but I can't find information on how likely they are to reject.
Dermals last a little longer but it can be very hard to find someone who is experienced in them. And, it is a semi-surgical procedure to have them removed if there is any complication.
Transdermal:
http://www.alternativelook.net/transdermal-implant
Microdermal:
http://www.alternativelook.net/microdermal-implant
cant be a metal reaction as the bars are plastic
Could be a reaction to the plastic. Like I said "or something"
its been a month since a got my hip piercings
and i think they may be rejecting as i said the bars were
too big when pierced and their not very deep
theirs still redness around the holes although their not hurting anymore :s so im not really sure what i should do?
Sounds like rejection. I'd go to the guy who pierced it
(or a more qualified piercer) and have the jewelry removed.
I want to get my collarbone pierced (not the actual bone! just the skin above it). I have no idea what to do because it's illegal for me to get it proffesionaly done without parents and I live with my sister who is the same age as I am. Does anyone have any idea how I could do it myself or what to use?
Surface piercing are bound to reject, especially if you have NO clue what you're doing. Just wait till you're old enough.
hey, i got my back pierced liek 2 weeks ago. It was perfect until a few days ago its a little red above each ball. Will it go away? and how long will it take? it doesnt hurt or anything just looks a bit ew from close up.
It may go away just keep cleaning as normal, and try not to sleep on your back.
i went to a piercing shop (a different one as the one i got them pierced at wastnt realy good) + they said one was rejecting and it should be took out but i got them both took out cause they said it would start rejecting soon as the bars were too big i only had them in a month + now i have 4 scares on my hips wich i hope will clear and it was a waste of £40 i really wouldnt reccomend surface piercings to anyone - iv had one before underneath my bellybutton with the right size bar and everything (surface bars) and even with leaving it alone and cleaning correctly still only lasted 9 week :/ their always gonna reject and are a waste of money and leave scars yeah the look nice but not for long. But thanks for your help and everything :)
I've seen a lot of posts involving hip piercings and all i have to say is that you have to BE CAREFUL. I did my own hip (i couldn't get the right angle for the other one) and I got extremely lucky because it hasn't rejected-yet.
However, it can be really painful in the healing process, even if it didn't hurt to pierce. It is, as has been said, an issue with pants (i've had to wear my jeans extra low to decrease friction) and other clothes, and you have to watch out if you are walking with a bag (i was walking at school and it caught on one of the balls on my bar and almost pulled it out! yikes!)
anyway, I'm only 16 so I know I don't know a whole lot but to those of you who do want a hip piercing, be ready for maintenance unless you want it to reject or migrate.
good luck!
-Ali Unholy
ah my names whitney too! aint that exciting haha (not really)
anyway i was planning on getting my nape peirced but i was curious, Would it be better getting a barbell or microdermals? Which would you prefere and why?
microdermals. both will have rejection risks,but microdermals have less rejections risks. problem is that it's going to be hard to find someone qualified in surface piercings but hard for microdermals. Also microdermals are harder to remove.
I want to get my collarbone pierced but Im really afraid of it being so close to my bone.the guy who dies my piercings said that there are two options for these kind of piercings.Is that true?
Two options are surface piercings or microdermal implants. Both hard to find a reputable person who is experienced in them.
I've spent a long time doign surface piercings, originally starting on myself.
I've never tried to fully heal any of them, simply taking them out shortly after getting them pierced.
If you are new to piercing, then i wouldnt recomment trying it. But If you really want to get it done, then do it. You'll learn the down sides yourself.
If you're worried about scarring at all, in any of your piercings, then dont get it done. It's going to happen.
I dont come on here much, but i've seen Whitney writing a lot of sense. I think at the end of the day, make your own decisions.
Personally with any neck surface piercings, the best success i've had is with PTFE plastic. You can buy reems of the stuff really cheap.
A close friend of mine has had his neck done (about 10 piercings in a pattern) for about 6 years. He's had to replace 1 of them, but the PTFE held better than the surface bar bells.
Other than that, make sure you use surface bar bells (slightly dependent on what you are getting done, you basically dont want the bar putting any pressure on the surface of the skin) but make sure you go to someone with a good rep. Not Blue banana!
i got my left boob clevage surfaced piercedd. im really worried its infected ive had it in for about 3 mnths i started off cleaning it with seasalt soultion but have since been cleaning it with metholated spirits. it has cleaned it really well but i am concernd about the redness its not crust or no pus its jsut like a scarring red not a infectious red. but will it go away.
3 months is a long time for it to still be red. It is possibly scarring, and if so that won't just go away. It may fade but not completely. I've never heard of metholated spirits; I'd stick with saline.
I am seriously considering getting my hips pierced and nobody seems to be able to fill me in. Pleeeease help me out here. What are the chances of migration and rejection? Is there anything special that I should ask my piercer or make sure that he knows? What should I do to lower my chances of rejection? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Afterthought! Would getting a microdermal hip piercing be possible and if so, better?
There's nothing you can do to minimize rejection of hip piercings. They are about 99% likely to reject no matter what. It's a waste of money to get surface hip peircings. Microdermals are better but harder to find a reputable piercer who is well experienced in implanting and removing them. Less chance of rejection, but infection is still a big risk, and if infected microdermals pose a bigger health problem and more complications
I Just got my hips pierced with surface bars about two weeks ago, they're both still a little red around where the balls are but theyre feeling pretty good. I play vollyeball so even if I make sure to tape them will there be a chance of me risking rejection?
You're always going to risk rejection. Taping isn't going to help. You can still hit the piercing while playing. Getting the piercing alone without playing volleyball is risking rejection; you could sit on the couch for 6 months and not play sports with a surface piercing and you'll still have high risk of rejection even if you clean it properly.
Hi, I had a sternum piercing about 6 months ago but I was forced to take it out because I did competitive fighting. It didn't reject but did leave two scars. Now that I'm done fighting, is it possible for me to pierce the same area again (preferably through the scars so they're not visible)? Thank you :)
Sure but your risks of rejection is going to be high.
Hello ,
My first time getting my navel pierced it healed fine , i started changing the ring and i could tell my hole was healed. I bought a ring and was told it was real silver , but it was a crappy fake metal. I kept this ring in for about a week , then noticed my hole was rejecting , it finally completely rejected. The next year i decided to get it re pierced at the same place underneath my scar tissue, it rejected 4 months later. I've read that gold belly button rings usually won't reject , do you think it is the ring , or just my body. Should i waste my money on trying again , or risking getting the bottom pierced and having it reject as well ?
please help .
thanks , Stacy.
Navel piercings are not surface piercings. It is possible that your body just can't heal a navel piercing. If it were the metal, it would have caused irritation and not necessarily rejection, but rejection can be caused by irritation.
I got my eyebrow peirced on the forth, and I know earlier you said it's not a true surface peircing. I think it's going well, but would just like to make sure it's normal.
My peircer was trained to do it free-hand, so I didn't have to deal with clamps.
I have had only minimal swelling which was gone within hours. There is no pus, no blood, it's not even sore. I clean it twice daily. I can see around the very edge of the entrance and exit wounds that there seems to be a tiny purplish ring. I was was wondering if this could be bruising from the trama of the needle? I hope this pic is good enough to see what I mean?
http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/3738/img2431u.jpg
I already know I'm definately going to have to downsize when it heals. But other than that, does it look fairly normal?
It looks fine to me. just keep cleaning.
Jacob says:
2 years ago
I just got my back corset done, and my girlfriend is considering doing it as well.
This page has however taught me that my piercings are apparently using the improper CBR's, which is a shame because I like them a lot better than the surface barbells. It's been a little over a week since I got it done, but some appear to be migrating and some are super-sensitive.
I just got to the point where I can lay on my back and I've been leaning back in a car or chair for a few days now.
Instead of having him replace these with the proper ones, is it possible to have him remove it temporarily to insert the plastic bracer or the surgical option.
It would be a shame to remove these and re-pierce it. Although with this type of piercing (the CBR's) I'm afraid if they all migrated out and I repierced them behind the scar tissue, they would be that much stronger against migration and/or removal next time.
Some girl at school just told my dad about it, god knows what he'll say. :)