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Facial Piercings Guide

Here is an information on facial piercings. Read on...
Batul Nafisa Baxamusa
Facial piercings have important cultural, traditional values in many places. Throughout history, there have been references made to branding, scarring, piercings in literature and religious guides. In many cultures, the lips of a woman are pierced before marriage.
Tribal chiefs pierce their cheeks and wear bars that connect each other. It is said that nose piercings were carried out in the Middle East as it was believed to make childbirth easier. Today, they are not just limited to cultural and traditional dimensions, but have become a part of the urban fashion circuit.
There are different options for this form of piercing for men and women. If you are thinking of getting one, go through the given guide.

Areas for Piercing

  • Bridge: The jewelry is pierced through the top of the nose, between the eyes in the area known as the bridge of the nose.
  • Eyebrow: You can get your eyebrow pierced either horizontally or vertically.
  • Nose: The nostrils are pierced. This is one of the most popular ones among women.
  • Septum: The septum is directly pierced and a bead ring or horseshoe jewelry is worn.
  • Monroe: Monroe, Madonna, Chrome Crawford, whatever the name, it is a piercing that looks like a beauty spot. It is placed just above the lips to match the point of the beauty spots on iconic faces.
  • Vertical Labret: The center of the lip is pierced.
  • Labret: The skin below the lip is pierced.
Other areas include the forehead, temple, cheeks, and the mandible.

Techniques

Facial piercing should be carried out only by experts. They generally use an extremely pointed hollow surgical needle. These needles are meant to pierce the facial area instantly and cause minimal discomfort.
You should ensure that only new, sterile needles are used. Make sure the parlor is neat and clean. Different people react differently to the pain that piercing brings with it. So, just for moral support, take a friend along with you.

Dangers

Any kind of piercing has certain dangers involved that can turn into serious medical threats. The dangers of facial piercing involve infection. If adequate care is not taken, the piercing may get infected and cause scarring and even worse, may lead to blood poisoning.
It may happen that some people are allergic to certain metals and are not aware of it. When they get themselves pierced, they develop a serious reaction to the metal. It may result in inflammation and other problems that require medical help. Getting a nerve pierced by mistake may lead to nerve damage and complete lack of sensation in that particular area.

Aftercare

Do not touch your piercing often. If you do, make sure you wash your hands before. This will help minimize the chances of infection. From the second night onwards, clean the area using a clean, cotton ball or gauze dipped in disinfectant.
If you find pus, or discharge oozing, clean it very carefully. If you can twist the jewelry without a lot of pain, then clean the different sections under the piercings too by rotating the piece.

Healing Process

The wound generally begins to heal immediately after the procedure. Different piercings have different healing periods. Your health and the care you take also plays a role in the time taken.
The average rate is as follows:
  • Nose - average of 4 to 6 weeks
  • Septum - average of 6 to 8 weeks
  • Eyebrows - average of 6 to 8 weeks
  • Bridge - average of 6 to 10 weeks
  • Labret - average of 6 to 8 weeks
  • Lip - 6 to 8 weeks
  • Cheeks - about 6 to 8 weeks
  • Tongue - 2 to 3 weeks
You should ask your friends about their piercing experiences to help you decide. Visit the studio or parlor and check out the premises. Make sure the studio has a valid health certificate. It should have a working autoclave machine. The piercer should be well-trained. If you have any doubts, make sure you get them cleared beforehand.