The Eyebrow Piercing: Five Things You Might Not Know March 23, 2023 – Posted in: Informative, Piercing Advice – Tags: , , , , , , ,

Eyebrow piercing highlights:

  • Although they have a reputation for rejecting, a properly placed eyebrow piercing won’t reject easily.
  • They eyebrow piercing is relatively easy to heal as long as you keep it clean.
  • You can choose from many placement options, so be sure to fully consider your choices.

 

Piercings, like fashion, are cyclical. When a piercing becomes less popular, you know that it will come back again eventually. So is the case with the eyebrow piercing.

Originally taking the punk scene by storm in the ‘90s, eyebrow piercings have recently seen a resurgence. But, this time, it crosses social boundaries. Eyebrow piercings are seen on everyone from celebrities, business professionals, and of course, the alternative crowd. The great thing about the eyebrow piercing is that it can easily go from classy to edgy depending on whether it’s adorned with diamonds or spikes.

As a facial piercing, the eyebrow piercing may elicit some anxiety. While mishaps in cartilage or navel piercings can be easily hidden, piercing bumps or scars from an eyebrow piercing may be prominently visible. The good news is that complications from eyebrow piercings are actually quite rare, and it’s among the easier piercings to heal. Just make sure that you choose a reputable piercer, wear proper jewelry, and maintain aftercare practices, and there’s no reason why you can’t enjoy your eyebrow piercing complication-free for years to come.

However, as with all piercings, there are a few things that you need to know before making your piercing appointment. Here are the top five things you should know about the eyebrow piercing.

1. Properly placed eyebrow piercings won’t reject easily

Many people, including piercers, claim that the eyebrow piercing will easily reject. This isn’t completely true. Although eyebrow piercings do see a high level of rejection, this is largely due to improperly placed piercings or wearing the wrong type of jewelry.

To enjoy a successful eyebrow piercing, you need enough piercable skin in the eyebrow area. If your eyebrow isn’t pierced deeply enough or if it’s placed too close to the bone, your body will start to push it out. Therefore, you must choose a reputable piercer who has proven success when it comes to the eyebrow piercing. Furthermore, if your piercer decides that you don’t have enough piercable flesh for the eyebrow piercing, listen to them. Not everyone’s anatomy is suitable for an eyebrow piercing, and there are plenty of other facial piercings to choose from.

Wearing jewelry that’s too heavy or an incorrect shape can also contribute to rejection, even in a healed piercing. You should only wear curved barbells or hoops in your eyebrow since these are more suited to your anatomy. The weight of your jewelry will depend upon your anatomy; some piercees can wear bigger jewelry than others. To determine the correct jewelry size, talk to your piercer. If you buy a piece of eyebrow jewelry, and you’re unsure if it’s suitable for your piercing, don’t be afraid to reach out to your piercer and have them confirm that it’s okay to wear. 

2. There are many placement options

Although most eyebrow piercings appear vertically toward the outer edge of the eyebrow, there are actually quite a few piercable areas in the eyebrow region. Part of the reason why most eyebrow piercings are placed the way that they are has to do with how the piercing looks with the curvature of the eyebrow. Other placements look unnatural.

That being said, if you want to get creative with your eyebrow piercings, there are options. Horizontal placement, for example, is seeing surging popularity. You can also get multiple eyebrow piercings.

If you have an idea in mind, be sure to consult a piercer before you get too attached. Some placement options may look unnatural, and others may not be possible depending on your anatomy. An experienced piercer will know what looks good, and if they advise you against a certain placement, you should listen to them.

3. Your eyebrow will probably look a bit weird the first few days after piercing

While the piercing itself is relatively painless, you might feel some discomfort the first few days after healing. Although this is not the case for all eyebrow piercings, some tend to swell fairly considerably. This will obviously result in a bit of a strange look. Furthermore, due to the swelling, your jewelry might stand up a bit straighter than normal rather than sitting flush with your skin. Don’t worry, once the swelling goes down, your jewelry will, too.

Because of the potential for swelling, consider getting pierced before a weekend so that you can stay home if needed, and don’t get pierced right before a major event. As with lip piercings, this swelling will also mean that you will need to be fitted with an initial jewelry piece that features a longer post to accommodate the swelling. Once swelling has gone down, you should get fitted with a smaller piece that’s less likely to snag. 

4. You might need help changing the jewelry when your eyebrow piercing has healed

Due to the long piercing channel and the location on the face, the eyebrow piercing is notoriously difficult to change. Don’t be afraid to have your piercer change it the first few times (or maybe even forever).

Even healed piercings can get damaged if you mess around with the piercing tunnel and the jewelry too much. Besides this, if you are unable to change your jewelry, your piercing may begin to close before you’re able to visit a piercer to put the jewelry back in. It’s probably best to assume that you won’t be able to change your jewelry on your own at first and have a piercer do it.

Do not change your jewelry if a piercer hasn’t confirmed that the piercing is fully healed. Healing piercings are super delicate, and it’s too easy to cause harm that could lead to prolonged healing or jewelry rejection. Even if your piercing seems healed, have a piercer confirm that healing is complete. Piercings appear healed on the outside before they have fully healed internally. Additionally, healing times are only a generalization, and even if you adhere to aftercare practices perfectly, you may experience longer healing times than others.

If you must change your jewelry before your piercing has healed, have your piercer do it. They have the proper tools and expertise to change the jewelry without damaging the piercing.

5. As long as you keep it clean, the eyebrow piercing is relatively easy to heal

In spite of its reputation for rejection, the eyebrow piercing is actually quite easy to heal, relative to other piercings. Because of its short healing period (2 – 4 months), you don’t have to adhere to aftercare practices for too long. 

Like all piercings, you should clean it with a piercing aftercare saline solution 2 – 3 times daily. Make sure that the aftercare solution only contains salt and water. Some aftercare solutions contain additives, like tea tree oil, that can irritate the piercing. 

During the healing period, you should also keep the piercing dry, avoid standing water, keep the jewelry as still as possible, and avoid sleeping on the jewelry. As long as you can stick to these rules, your eyebrow piercing should heal perfectly.

 

We love the eyebrow piercing for its surprising versatility, and we think you will, too. Simply choose a reputable piercer and take proper care of your piercing, and you’ll rock that eyebrow piercing wherever you go.

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