Have you considered getting pierced? If so, you might only want t get your earlobes pierced, along with 83% of other Americans. However, there’s another 14% of Americans today who have some other kind of body piercing and they often use these piercings to set themselves apart.
If you’ve seen a list of body piercings and you’re still not sure which ones are which, here’s a quick breakdown of some commonly seen yet not commonly known body piercings.
- Orbital Piercings (and Other Less Common Ear Piercings): Ear piercings may not seem all that interesting to some, but there are several types of body piercings that go through the cartilage rather than the ear lobe, like most standard earrings do. Typically a hoop of some kind, the orbital goes through the ear twice, so the ring sits inside the ear rather than dangling from it in one hole. If the orbital seems a bit too extreme for you, you might opt for another ear piercing, such as a conch piercing inside the shell of your ear or a tragus piercing on the little nub in front of your ear canal.
- Monroe and Madonna Piercings: Designed to mimic beauty marks above the upper lip, Monroe and Madonna piercings are named for actress Marilyn Monroe and the mononymous singer. A Monroe piercing, however, is on the left side at or around the nasolabial fold; the Madonna goes through the right side.
- Medusa Piercings: Similar to a Madonna or Monroe, the Medusa is worn above the upper lip, but this one is placed in the center in the philtrum, or the tiny indentation above the middle of the upper lip. This type of piercing, like the Madonna and the Monroe, is typically a stud rather than a ring.
- Labret Piercings: The labret piercing is a lip piercing that is typically worn lower than a typical lip ring. It may be worn as a ring around the lower lip or as a simple stud. At times, labret piercings may be worn off-center on one or both sides below the lower lip or in conjunction with Madonna, Monroe, and/or Medusa piercings. These and other types of lip piercings earn names like snake bites, vampire bites, or, with a Medusa, cyber bites.
- Septum and Bridge Piercings: Perhaps you’ve considered getting your nose pierced, but you’re not looking for a simple stud or ring through the side of your nostril. Instead, you might consider getting a septum piercing or bridge piercing. The septum is the central part of the nose and the bottom of both nostrils. The bridge is at the top of the nose, normally where a pair of glasses would rest, but can be pierced by a straight or curved barbell.
No matter which types of body piercings you opt for, make sure you visit a professional piercer. Most professionals have been through some kind of body piercing apprenticeship program in order to provide this service safely and accurately. Above all, you should ensure that you are pierced in a studio, rather than in someone’s home; getting pierced in an unsanitary environment can lead to infections and other complications that could prevent the piercing from healing. And no matter which body piercing types you’ve chosen, you definitely shouldn’t see your piercer using a piercing gun, even if you’re only getting a simple ear piercing. Only a sterilized piercing needle should be used.
Which types of body piercings would you prefer? Tell us in the comments.