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Lip, eyebrow and Monroe piercing 
Snakebite piercing, central labret and 'lowbret' (what a lip piercing is called when it's placed that low down) 
Tongue piercing 
Inner conch piercing |
A quick guide to some of the currently most common piercings
by Kortny Lancaster
Body piercings are more than a chunk of metal stabbed into your body. Body piercing is an art form. There are so many unique and unusual ideas for how to get that chunk of metal stabbed into your body and (a) like the effect yourself, (b) have other people appreciate the look, and the work and thought that went into it. Excluding the ubiquitous ear piercing, let's look at the most common piercings:
1) Navel / Bellybutton piercing
Most people will recieve a banana bar to begin with (don't freak if you have a ring, that's fine too). A banana bar, and to some extent a ring, gives the piercing the ability to move around. The healing process can be a major pain in the ass, or gut if you want to be accurate, but this is mainly due to "tummy lines". Yes, we all have tummy lines - they're when you sit down and your tummy indents a bit ( usually right across your navel). Sitting down during the healing process of a bellybutton piercing will constantly place the piercing under pressure. The good news is the pressure can be lessened or stopped. Just make sure you sit up a bit straighter, or lie on your back when you sleep. There'll come a point when you'll be through the other side of the healing process and have a gorgeous piece of art work.
Tip: Taking a bellybutton piercing to the next stage
Then you can spice your bellybutton piercing up a bit... try a bottom lipped navel piercing or do a cross shape. The possibilities are endless xxx
2) Eyebrow piercings
Eyebrow piercings tend to heal rather quickly, but also tend to grow out on some people rather quickly too. Eyebrow piercings are (almost) vertical surface piercings, which makes them fun to create new looks with. I had a set of six anti-eyebrows (meaning horizontal bars from the corners of my eyes, which formed an arrow shape). Eyebrow and antieyebrow piercings are hot :)
Tip: Piercing care for anti-eyebrow piercings
Generally, anti-eyebrows tend to only last around six months and can leave a few red marks. Fear not, because it's nothing a good dose of vitimin E / scar cream can't rid of.
3) Lip piercings
Ah, now don't get confused with labret piercings here. Lip piercings are awesome. Usually you should be given a balled ring on your first lip piercing as this will give it more room for the swelling! I've found no real problems with lip rings. They're fun, gorgeous and make your lips just that tiny bit poutier.
Tip: Taking lip piercings to the next stage
For those of you aiming to make a statement try getting snakebites done, or mixing lip rings with labrets (labrets are placed just under the line of your lip or further down if requested). xxx
4) Nose piercings
Love those cute little jems or those 12 gauge rings? Either way, nose piercings can be tricky. Every little knock, wipe, squeeze or dirt and you'll have yourself one hell of an infection. Don't stress - these nasal infections aren't hard to get rid of, they're just not too pretty to look at.
Tip: Taking nose piercings to the next stage
If you're looking to liven tings up a bit, why not try two studs or both sides of your nose? Another idea is a septum piercing (through the little bit of flesh between your nostrils). You can get tonnes of jewellery for it and it can easily be tucked up and hidden, or pulled down to be seen in all its glory. xxx
5) Tragus piercing
The tragus (the little nub in front of the ear canal) heals pretty much the same as your common ear piercing. A tragus piercing can be very small or you can choose to make it more prominent. Either way you're left with a neat piercing.
Oh... but it hurts! Just a teensy bit!
6) Knuckle piercings
Okay, this is not one of the most common piercings, but I couldn't resist putting it in. Look at your hands and make a fist. See the bits of flesh between each knuckle? This is called "knuckle surface piercing". As much as I loved my knuckle piercings, they had their disadvantages: for starters a clamp-free procedure spanning 6 piercing sessions (perfectly aligned, with teflon designed bars and six tiny 18 gauge balls) took me four hours. I also continously got them caught on everything, ripped quite a few out and found it extremely painful and difficult to get my gloves on and off.
Tip: Are knuckle piercings worth it?
For show piercings, knuckle piercings are the don, but they're impractical for everyday functions. They also leave scars, as do all surface piercings.
Lookswise, if done properly I'd say knuckle piercings are 9/10 but for practicality I'd say about 4/10.
7) Nipple piercings
The main question asked is do nipple piercings hurt? Well, everyone's pain threshold is different, but I've found through the numerous nipple piercings that I've done that males find it a lot more painful than girls. A nipple piercing can be quick to heal and looks cute as a button. The jewellery range for nipple rings, bars and shields is whoa-awesome!
8) Tongue piercings
Tongue piercings? Ooooh, fun. For those of you worried about chipping your teeth, I have four tongue rings and my teeth are fine. Lisps are caused by a tongue piercings if a person cannot get used to the feeling inside their mouth. The swelling period is rather annoying... but hey. look at it this way - at least you'll get your 8 glasses of water a day :) In the long run, a tongue piercings is one of the most painless piercings, it lasts a lifetime if you want it to, and it's pretty!
Now you guys have your say. What do you think should be the most common piercings? Let Mookychick know on the style section of the messageboard.
Recommended links:
http://boards.tribalectic.com (piercing community and major info resource)
www.tribalectic.com/Drupal/articleson/healing will tell you about piercing healing times and procedures, approved by the APP(Association of Professional Piercers
* This piece was written from a personal point of view, and I acknowledge that everyone has a right to their own opinion. Please note that every person is different with body piercings and healing times and may have different stories or viewpoints. When thinking of getting a piercing, first research as much as you can, then have a good talk with the piercer you are thinking of using.
About the author
Kortny Lancaster says: I've been a piercer for four years now. I'm a qualified makeup artist and currently undergoing journalism. I'm a fashion freak, pink is my trademark and music is the way to my heart, but what you really need to know is that I would never have gotten anywhere if it wasn't for the support of my gorgeous fiancee Peter and my hero - my dad! If you have any piercing-related questions feel free to contact me at kandibear @ hiptop.com.au.
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