Index

1. Ear Piercing
2. Nose Piercing
3. Facial Piercing
4. Nape Piercing
5. Corset Piercing
6. Navel Piercing
7. Nipple Piercing
8. Genital Piercing
9. Materials Used
10. Some Tips

People pierce their body parts for various reasons, ranging from religion and culture to sexual pleasure and fashion. It is a form of body modification that has existed in our society since ancient times. The traditional way of body piercing is by inserting a needle in some part of the body. This creates a small opening which is then adorned with a piece of jewelry. However, with the advent of technology, many innovative body piercing techniques like piercing guns, indwelling cannula method, dermal punching, etc., have been developed. Let us find out more about the different kinds of body piercings. This is supposedly the most common type of body piercing. Though ear piercing is largely done by women, even men prefer this piercing in certain cultures. Earlier, piercing was usually done on the earlobes, but nowadays there is a trend of piercing all areas of the ear. It is mostly done for ornamental purpose. This is the simplest form of body piercing and the healing time is very short. The piercings are done on the lobes, stretched lobes, tragus, antitragus, conch, rook, snug, daith, helix, etc. The different types of piercing jewelry for ears include spirals, labret studs, charm barbells, ear cuffs, surgical steel balls, circular conebells, threaded accessories, gauge earrings, industrial ear piercings, stretching tapers, flesh plugs, flesh tunnels, etc. The most common position for nose piercing is on either side of the nostrils. This kind of nose piercing is very common in India, where it is said that piercing the left nostril of a woman makes childbirth easier. This type of piercing became quite popular in the western countries in the 1960s and 1970s. Another type of nose piercing is done on the center of the nose, that is on the dividing wall between the nostrils, called the nasal septum. However, it can lead to certain complications. You can also have piercings on the bridge of the nose, nasallang, high nostril, vertical nose tip, etc. Some types of nose rings and studs are captive bead rings, L-shaped nose pins, nose hoops and studs, nostril screws, straight barbells, curved barbells, horseshoes, pinchers, bull nose rings, etc. The various parts of the face where you can get a piercing done are anti-eyebrow, cheek, chin, eyebrow, medusa, vertical medusa, lip plate, tongue, etc. Piercings like monroe piercing, snake bite, angel bite, smiley, and frowny piercings, etc., are also some other types of facial piercings. However, one of the most popular type of facial piercings is lip piercing where a ring or stud is inserted in the lower lip of the person. Eyebrow piercing is another form of body piercing that is in vogue. Other than these, one can also go for piercing that is done between the eyes and the nose. Tongue piercing is done on the tip of the tongue. If done properly by an experienced person, there are very less chances of infection. However, after the piercing, proper care should be taken to avoid any problems. There are also chances of infection occurring on the teeth and gums. Usually, it takes 6 - 8 weeks for the piercing to heal properly. One can face certain difficulties while talking and eating, initially during the recovery period. Nowadays, people also pierce their dimples. Studs, barbells, rings, labret, vertical labret, horizontal labret, bites, etc., are used as jewelry for facial piercing. Nape piercing is a surface piercing which is usually done on the back of the neck. It needs to be placed carefully as there are chances that the piercing might shift from its place or irritate the skin. This is because it is placed on a body part which moves constantly and the piercing can also get stuck in clothes. Usually surface barbells, bent barbells and surface bars made of teflon or titanium are used for piercing the nape. This type of piercing requires special care. Multiple piercings are usually done on the side below the arms and legs, and on the chest or back. It is worn for a very short duration as it can be extremely painful and difficult to carry. For temporary corset piercings, multiple surface piercings are done with the help of captive bead rings. For permanent piercings, surface bars, teflon tubes, and tygon tubes are used. For the corset look, the piercings are attached together with lace, ribbons, chains, ropes, etc. Navel piercing, also known as belly button piercing, has become the second-most common type of body piercing after ear piercing. This is said to be a difficult form of body piercing and can take 6 months to a year to heal completely, varying from person to person. It can be painful and discomforting. You can either go for horizontal, vertical or multiple navel piercings. People who have a belly button which protrudes out can also opt for true navel piercings. Jeweled barbells, spirals, curved barbells, ball closure rings, segment rings, gripper rings, banana bells, etc., are used for navel piercings. A person's nipple can be pierced with a stud or a metal ring, either once or multiple times. However, this can be a little dangerous and painful too. It is said that it can cause problems for women while breastfeeding. The usual time required for this kind of piercing to heal completely is about 6 - 7 months. The jewelry used for nipple piercing includes studs, straight barbells, circular barbells, captive bead rings, curved barbells, ball closure rings, D-rings, segment rings, surface bars, nipple shields, vibrating nipple piercing rings, etc. Genital body piercing is done by both men and women for increasing the sexual pleasure. For men, genital piercing can be done on the scrotum, scrotal skin, foreskin, the rim of the glans of circumcised men and the pubic bone. In women, this is commonly done on the clitoris, but can also be placed on the triangle, hood, fourchette, vulval vestibule, and on the inner and outer labia. The healing period can extend from six months to a year. Some people also get anal piercings which can be painful and difficult to care for. For male genital piercing, jewelry like tygon tubes, straight barbells, segment rings, horseshoe circular barbells, vibrating genital piercing rings, curved barbells, etc., are used. While ball closure rings, curved barbells, captive bead rings, captive bar segment rings, D-rings, triangle rings, circular barbells, clip-in accessories, threaded accessories, etc., are used for female genital piercing.

• Ensure that the facility where the piercing is taking place is clean, and the piercer wears gloves and uses sterilized equipment.
• Do not touch your piercing as it can cause infection.
• Avoid using nickel jewelry as it can cause an allergic reaction.
• To be on the safer side, use jewelry made of surgical steel.
• Use an alcohol-free mouthwash or an antimicrobial or antibacterial mouth rinse if you have piercings in your mouth.
• Avoid using alcohol-based cleaning solutions to clean the pierced area.
• Prefer to have piercing jewelry that does not dangle as it is less likely to cause pain.
• Using a piercing aftercare spray can also help to heal the wound quickly.
• The area of piercing should be cleaned twice a day and one should avoid using soaps and ointments that may cause an allergy or infection.
• If you have body piercings, wear cotton or loose-fitting clothes while sleeping.
• Extra care needs to be taken if you have genital piercings.
• If you experience pain, swelling, discoloration of skin and itchiness due to tissue rejection, seek medical help immediately.

It is important to do a thorough medical checkup before piercing any part of the body. One should only go to a professional body piercer who has good experience in this field. After the piercing is done, the recovery period is a very crucial time. Do not change the jewelry before the pierced part of the body has healed completely. Moreover, take proper care and precautions to ensure a speedy recovery.