Facial piercings are one fashion trend that will always be in style. Humans have adorned their faces with jewelry in subtle and dramatic ways since time immemorial. It’s become more rampant these days, perhaps due to the ‘90s revival, remote work freedom, or the rebellious vibe among young adults.
If you’d like to enhance your facial appearance with some jewelry, you’re in the right place. This guide dives into various types of face piercings and their healing times. Whether you’re looking to draw attention to your lips, accentuate your nose, or flaunt your well-carved eyebrows, you’ll find the ideas you need to make a style statement and ramp up your confidence.
Types of Facial Piercings
Ready to adorn your face with jewelry? Start with any of these:
Nostril Piercing
This is the most popular type of nose piercing. It usually goes through the soft cartilage of the lower sides of the nose, mostly around where the nose begins to curve. Jewelry like studs, hoops, and L-shaped pins are suitable for a nostril piercing.
Jim Kelly, Head Piercer at Banter by Piercing Pagoda, recommends waiting two to four months until your nostril fully heals before changing your jewelry.
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Septum Piercing
This piercing goes through the soft tissue in the lower part of your nose that separates the nostrils. The result is usually jewelry hanging from your nose or anywhere in between. It’s also easy to hide—once the piercing heals after about two to three months, flip it inside the nostril, and no one will know it’s there. Hoops are mostly used for this type of piercing.
Bridge Facial Piercings
This horizontal piercing passes through the space between your eyes, aka, the bridge of your nose. It uses a straight barbell as jewelry. However, you can try curved barbells too. A bridge piercing typically heals within two or three months.
Ashley Facial Piercing
Otherwise known as an inverted vertical labret piercing, an Ashley piercing is a single piercing that goes from the center point of the lower lip into the mouth, leaving only the jewel visible. Averagely, it takes three to four months for an Ashley piercing to heal.
Eyebrow Piercing
This eye-catching facial piercing sits on the arch of your eyebrows. It’s a prominent piercing you can’t even try hiding. It draws attention to your face, emphasizes your features, and helps you make a bold statement. Different jewelry styles work for this piercing, from barbells to rings and bead rings. It typically takes two to three months to heal.
Medusa Piercing
A Medusa piercing is located on the philtrum or cupid’s bow—an indented part of your upper lip, directly under the septum. Initially, your piercer would insert a long labret stud into it, but once the piercing heals, swap the stud for a shorter piece to avoid damaging your teeth and gums. The philtrum piercing averagely takes three to five months to heal.
Double Nose Piercing
As the name implies, this type usually features two piercings on the nose. It’s bolder and edgier than standard nose piercings. For example, it can be two nostril piercings or a septum piercing and a nostril or rhino piercing. Furthermore, since double nose piercings stay on different parts of your nose, it takes a long time to heal.
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Rhino Piercing
This is a vertical nose piercing that enters through the tip of the nose and exits at the top, between the eyes, creating a bold and unique look. Its name is due to its placement and appearance, which resembles a rhinoceros’s horns.
Cheek Facial Piercings
This piercing goes through your cheeks into the mouth, giving the illusion of dimples without having them. Better for you if you have dimples—the cheek piercing will highlight them.
Snake Eye Piercing
This piercing involves puncturing two symmetrical holes through the tip of your tongue and passing a curved barbell through them. When you stick out your tongue, the piercings spread out to resemble two snake eyes. When properly cared for, it takes about six to eight weeks to heal.
Frog Eye Facial Piercings
The difference between this and the snake eye is that it sits in the middle of your tongue while the latter stays at the tip. Furthermore, while they both have a horizontal look, the frog eye piercing uses two separate barbells placed in the same location on either side of your tongue.
Third Eye Piercing
This vertical facial piercing sits between the eyebrows to resemble a third eye.
Anti-Eyebrow Piercing
The anti-eyebrow piercing is a surface piercing that sits on your upper cheek or cheekbone, just below your eyebrow.
Make a Bold Statement with Facial Piercings
Would you like to exude a bold, unconventional, and non-conformist aura? The quickest way to do so is to rock facial piercings. These body adornments complement and highlight your facial features.
Pick from the types shown above and take the plunge. But before making an appointment, search for professional piercers and check their past work to confirm they often work on the part you want to pierce and that their style aligns with yours.
