Eyebrow piercing

Eyebrow piercing
Nicknames
Location
Jewelry
Healing time	6-8 weeks

This article is about Piercings

An eyebrow piercing is a type of body piercing done through the eyebrow, usually vertically. Eyebrow piercings are relatively common facial piercings. They may be pierced anywhere along the eyebrow from directly above the eye to the edge of the eyebrow.

Eyebrow piercings usually take 6-8 weeks to heal. Because they are not easily irritated, this type of piercing is one of the safest facial piercings. Makeup or other beauty products that are applied to the face do however, irritate the piercing or cause it to become infected. Even after healing, the piercing will generally close within 24-48 hours of removal of the jewellery.

Jewelry

Barbells, curved barbells and captive bead rings are the common jewellery types worn in eyebrow piercings. Each of these jewellery types put varying degrees of pressure on the piercing, which can cause irritation or piercing migration over time, especially in fresh piercings. Unlike many other piercings, surface bars or other appropriate jewellery is not always used in the initial piercing, and the use of more commonly available body piercing jewellery often creates an unnecessarily large risk of migration or rejection in eyebrow piercings.

Placement

The usual place to pierce the eyebrow is at a 40 degree angle from the outside corner of the eye, however, it may be pierced anywhere along the eyebrow from directly above the eye, to the edge of the eyebrow. The eyebrow should never be pierced further in than directly above the eye, because of the presence of the three major Supra-Orbital nerves, piercing one of these nerves can cause permanent damage.

The piercing is usually done at an angle to make the ring sit better, if the piercing is done vertically it sits directly outward and has a greater likelihood of migration.

Healing

Usually, the piercing will take approximately 6-8 weeks to heal, though it may take longer for certain people. With proper care the piercing will heal quickly and with few problems. After healing eyebrow piercings generally close up quickly when the 5-6 week jewellery is removed. This is because the skin where the piercing is done is quite thin, and contains a lot of hair follicles therefore doesn't have much tissue underneath to give it strength. However, there are some occasions where the closing up process can take quite a long time. It depends on many factors such as the length of time a person has had the piercing, how their body reacts to the removal and how quick a healer they are in general. Unlike a nose piercing, the eyebrow piercing is positioned toward the face, and is not easily irritated.

Infection

If the piercing equipment is not properly sterilized or clean, there is a high risk of infection. If bacteria is introduced into the body via the piercing site, the body will react with an inflammatory response, resulting in not only a swollen eyebrow, but also pain, heat and perhaps even a fever.

The piercing can be treated with a hot compress, twice daily cleanings with unscented anti-bacterial soap, and a mild disinfectant. Other methods such as sea salt soaks (or even table salt) can be very useful, especially when treating the appearance of lumps or keloids.

Alcohol should be avoided on piercings, because it can overly dry out the wound. Neosporin and similar products should also be avoided. They are not approved for puncture wounds, and can prevent air from reaching the site. Some people's bodies react best to the piercing being left alone to heal on its own.

It is best not to touch or move the piercing a lot during the months of healing, especially before cleaning it. The reason for this is as it is healing, bacteria and puss can leak out and form (hard) round the ring/and or barbell. Consequently any moving (in the case of a BCR-ring) could result in the crust being dragged into the healing wound and cause pain, if not infection.

Normally it is suggested that after soaking/cleaning that it be turned or rotated once or twice.

History and Culture

Eyebrow piercings are of contemporary origin, like most surface piercings. [1] They are relatively common piercings, although not socially accepted in a way similar to navel and nose piercings. Anti-eyebrow piercings are relatively uncommon.

See also

• Anti-eyebrow

External links

• Eyebrow Piercing from the Body Modification E-zine
• Personal experiences with eyebrow piercing
• Eyebrow Piercing - Teenagers' Language

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