Facial Piercings

There are countless types of facial piercings that are popular.  From the various sections of the ear and the mouth to the nose, brow, and cheek, face piercings are getting more popular by the minute. 

Some facial piercings were practiced thousands of years ago.  In Aztec, Mayan, and American Indian civilizations, the septum was commonly pierced by the warriors before battle.  Septum piercing is a piercing made through the cartilage or tissue that separates the nostrils.  It was thought to “toughen up” one’s appearance and scare opposing tribes.  Septum piercing has become popular again today, along with other nose piercings, such as the nostril and the bridge.

Of course the ear is an extremely common place to get pierced.  When using the term, “ear piercing,” it is actually the earlobe that is being referred to.  Piercing other parts of the ear are also becoming widespread.  The ear cartilage is another part of the ear that is often seen pierced.  Because it has several different layers of tissue, the cartilage can take up to six months to heal.  Specific ear cartilage piercings include the conch (located in the middle of the ear where it caves into a bowl-like formation,) the daith (the softer cartilage in the inner ridge of the ear,) the helix (the upper edge of the ear,) the tragus (the triangular shaped piece of cartilage towards the front of the ear,) the anti-tragus (the opposite piece of cartilage from the tragus,) and the industrial (referring to two or more piercings connected by one barbell.) 

The eyebrow ring has certainly made a name for itself as a facial piercing over the past decade.  The actual piercing is typically made vertically, so that the ring will lay perpendicular to the actual eyebrow. 

Oral piercings are another category of facial piercings, which include lip piercings, labret piercings, tongue piercings, and cheek piercings.  With the increase of popularity amongst these piercings, also comes the increase of concern.  Because the mouth is a part of the body that is swarmed with bacteria, these piercings are more likely to get infected.  Additionally, about a quarter of those with oral piercings end up chipping their teeth on the oral jewelry.  Blood flow in the oral region is also heavy, presenting the possibility of serious bleeding.  With these concerns in mind, use caution when you go to get your oral piercing.