Eyebrow Piercing: Eyebrow piercing is on top of the facial piercings list because, it is the most common and popular facial piercing. An eyebrow piercing catches one's attention immediately. This is the latest fashion of attracting attention to your eyes! Eyebrow piercing is said to have been first done by an American tattooist. You can experiment a lot with eyebrow piercing as the position of the stud is not fixed. You can have it anywhere on the brow. There are three types of eyebrow piercings: horizontal eyebrow piercing, vertical eyebrow piercing and anti-eyebrow piercing. Out of these, horizontal eyebrow piercing is most common. Anti-eyebrow is not exactly on the eyebrow, it is positioned around the eyebrow. Eyebrow piercing generally takes six to eight weeks to heal. These have to be done by a sterilized piercing needle only. Barbells, rings, and hoops are common eyebrow piercing jewelry. Hoops are more popular with girls, while guys tend to prefer barbells.
Ear Piercing: Earlier, ear piercing was popular only with girls. But now, it has also become quite common with guys. You can have a variety of ear piercings as there are more than 10 different types of ear piercings! Here is a list of some of the common ear piercings:
- Ear Lobe Piercing: Ear lobe piercing is extremely common and has been prevalent since centuries. Ear lobe piercing can be done on both ears or one ear. Healing time for ear lobe piercing is six to eight weeks. The latest trend in ear lobe piercing is gauging your piercing. The term gauging refers to stretching of the ear lobe to put heavy earrings. Larger the gauge, smaller the number. For example, a 5 gauge is bigger in size than a 10 gauge.
- Helix Piercing: Helix piercing is done on the outer ridge, on the upper part of the ear (generally the cartilage). Helix piercing can take six to eight months to heal. Helix piercing should be done only with a piercing needle. Twelve to fourteen gauge jewelry is ideal.
- Industrial Piercing: Piercing done on the upper part of the ear, from one cartilage to the other, is called industrial piercing. Four to eight months are required for an industrial piercing to heal. It can be quite painful, so extra care has to be taken. Do not use any cheap industrial piercing jewelry, use good sterilized jewelry so as to avoid ear infections. Fourteen gauge jewelry is recommended. Read more on industrial piercing care.
- Rook Piercing: Rook piercing is done in the inner upper part of the ear, namely the anti-helix. Rook piercing can hurt a lot as the flesh at the anti-helix is thick. Rook piercing takes four to nine months to heal. Sixteen gauge jewelry should be worn in this piercing.
- Daith Piercing: For daith piercing, the inner cartilage, below the rook, is pierced. Daith piercing is uncommon. The healing time for daith piercing may vary from three to eight months. Sixteen gauge jewelry is the ideal jewelry for daith piercing.
- Tragus Piercing: Tragus piercing is placed on the outer ear, below the daith piercing. Tragus piercing is done opposite the ear canal (the place which supports a ear phone!) Jewelry of sixteen gauge is advisable. Tragus piercings take about two months to one year to heal.
- Anti-Tragus Piercing: Anti-tragus piercing is done opposite the tragus, the cartilage inside the ear just above the ear lobe. It is a rare kind of piercing. Anti-tragus piercings can take about a year to heal. Proper care should be taken or like other ear piercing infections, you could have an anti-tragus piercing infection.
- Conch Piercing: Conch piercing got it's name from the conch shell. This piercing is done in two locations, namely, inner conch and outer conch. The outer conch is done on the outer rim of the ear, above the ear lobe. The difference between anti-tragus and outer conch is that conch piercing is done on the cartilage outside the ear, unlike the anti-tragus. Inner conch is above the anti-tragus. It takes a year for conch piercings to heal. Light jewelry should be worn in conch piercings.
Lip Piercings: Monroe and Medusa are two different lip piercings. Monroe, as the name suggests, is named after the gorgeous Marilyn Monroe's famous beauty spot! Monroe piercing is done on the the upper lip. It is also called Crawford piercing (after Cindy Crawford). Monroe piercing is less risky compared to other piercings, and also takes less time to heal. Fourteen to eighteen gauge labret can be worn in a Monroe piercing. Monroe piercings take six to eight weeks to heal. Monroe piercing is getting famous with guys as well, with celebrities like Trace Cyrus and Travis McCoy getting Monroe piercings! Medusa piercings are located exactly above the upper lip, below the septum. It takes about six to eleven weeks for a Medusa piercing to heal. The next common facial piercing is labret piercing. Labret piercing is done below the lower lip, mostly in the center, though it can also be off center. Labret piercing is located just opposite the medusa piercing, and so the same amount of care and healing time is required for labret piercing. Labret stud is the most common jewelry used for both these piercings. Lowbret is another lip piercing which is done far below the lip. Generally studs are used for lowbrets.