It may not have been in fashion last year or even last month, or it could become one of the hottest trends next week. Whatever the case, eyebrow piercings are a truly unique stand-out style, in a class of their own. There are many who love the idea of an eyebrow piercing, and even more who put it on their bucket list. Some, however, dare to just take the plunge and get a piercing at the earliest opportunity.
Is that the best way to get an eyebrow piercing? Well, not if you don’t know the kind of commitment it requires, and the problems that can arise if you don’t give it the care it deserves. While getting an eyebrow piercing can be a fun experience, it can also go downhill fast and cause you more discomfort than you signed up for.
Knowing the right way to care for your eyebrow piercing, and taking it on as a personal project that will let you show off your cool new look without issue, can’t hurt, can it? We think so too, and so we’ve done some extensive research and will be listing out everything anyone needs to know about eyebrow piercings, how to care for them, and maintain their eye-catching uniqueness without annoying problems.
Some Eyebrow Piercing History – Where it All Began
Body piercings have been around for centuries, while eyebrow piercings on the other hand have a more recent history. They originated as a fad in rebel punk culture way back in the 70’s, and maintained a solid unisex standing in social circles. Since then, eyebrow piercings have slipped in and out of trends enough that they have successfully woven themselves through the very fabric of fashion as an expressive and diverse style.
Finding the Right Piercer
Piercing expert Brian Keith of Body Electric Tattoo is famous for working with clients like Beyonce, Jennifer Lawerence, and Emma Stone. He cautions about carefully selecting your piercer to avoid a bad experience or a botched piercing.
Google and Yelp are great places to start your search. Next, find a studio with a good rating, and be sure they have a website detailing their work. If they don’t, then there’s not much to go on, so it would be best if you continued your search instead of settling. A piercer with a portfolio that fits your style is what you’re looking for, as well as someone with a genuine client list and great reviews. Placing yourself in the hands of an experienced professional is super important when getting an eyebrow piercing.
Your Eyebrow Piercing – Place it Well
An eyebrow piercing is usually vertical or horizontal. For their first foray into eyebrow piercing, most people opt to have it done vertically at the corner of their eyebrow. An easy way to measure this, would be at a slight upward angle from the corner of your mouth. – 35 degrees to be exact. Getting creative about where you place your piercing is great, but be sure to also talk to your piercer about it and make an informed decision.
The Piercing Process and Pain Levels – What To Expect
Unlike some other body piercings, the process for an eyebrow piercing is relatively simple and much less painful than most expect. Remember, there aren’t all that many nerves located near the eye, so the piercing in that area of the face will be a little uncomfortable at most.
One important thing to keep in mind, is that eyebrow piercings are closer to the skin’s surface than other body piercings. Therefore, there is a chance that your body will either reject the piercing, or the piercing itself could shift around and toward the outer layer of your skin. Needless to say once again, an experienced piercer is vital for your eyebrow piercing process, as they would know how to achieve a firm hold without causing any tissue or nerve damage.
Depending on your skin, and also your face structure, the piercer will most likely opt between a 12-18 gauge needle. For a regular piercing, a 16 gauge needle is used. This kind of piercing is simple enough to be done by hand, and the task will be completed in a short amount of time.
X MARKS THE SPOT
First, the piercer will mark the area for your approval, before they proceed. This is absolutely the time to consider and reconsider the eyebrow piercing and be sure it’s what you really want. The scar from an eyebrow piercing is permanent, so once again, be certain. It’s completely okay to change your mind, and/or delay getting the piercing.
GO FOR GOLD
To avoid your eyebrow piercing getting rejected, or worse, infected, one of the best decisions you can make is to use 14 karat gold for the initial piercing. Nickel-free titanium, or platinum are also great choices, but are more expensive and not within everyone’s budget. Gold works well, and is more than likely to give you a trouble free experience.
Aftercare – Heal Your Piercing Well
Once you’ve gotten your desired eyebrow piercing, there is a final step to ensure it remains secure and infection-free. Proper healing and aftercare is the most important part of any piercing experience. For eyebrow piercings, the healing process can take anywhere between 2-4 months. What you do and don’t do during that time will make all the difference in keeping your fresh piercing from unnecessarily shifting around, and worst of all, getting badly infected.
A few simple steps and a little more effort is all you need to get to the end of the healing process and have a problem-free eyebrow piercing.
Step One – Keep it in Place
For the first few months, don’t change your new eyebrow jewelry, or move it around. Also, be careful about getting the jewelry snagged on clothes and bath towels. This can be a little frustrating at first, but with a little effort it can become second nature for you.
Step Two – Keep it Clean
That means no eyebrow waxing for a while, and no makeup either. Sorry. Maintain a proper skincare routine with a simple and 100% natural face wash, and creams approved by your piercer. Chemicals are always harsh, and can cause the wound to become infected. So, exercise caution here.
Step Three – Keep to a Good Routine
Eat those leafy greens, sleep your eight hours, and hydrate! As silly as that may sound to some, sticking to a more health-conscious routine will help your piercing heal faster and remain trouble-free.
A Little Caution Goes A Long Way
Once completely healed, your eyebrow piercing is set to be shown off. However, from here on out be careful about the kind of jewelry you use, and never opt for jewelry that’s smaller than what your piercer recommends.
Another thing to keep in mind about eyebrow piercings is that some tend to migrate, which means your body could reject this new and foreign object and begin working to protect itself. When this happens, the piercing begins to ‘migrate’ and pushes more towards the surface of the skin. Depending on your body, this could happen anywhere between a few months of your piercing, or a few years, and while it doesn’t happen to everyone, it’s always better to keep a check on your piercing to avoid problems and infections.
Should you start noticing some shifting, or feel discomfort, get your piercing checked by a professional piercer. If you need to have it removed, do that early. It is way better than letting it get infected. The scarring from that is never pretty and should be avoided. So, keep a lookout, but yes, definitely don’t obsess.
With all of that out of the way, you’re going to have a super cool eyebrow piercing to show off and have fun with, so go through the steps, focus on the aftercare, and enjoy the fruits of your labor.
