An eyebrow piercing is a type of body piercing done through the eyebrow, usually vertically. Eyebrow rings are relatively common today as they look nice and are one of the safest types of piercing you can get. They may be pierced anywhere along the eyebrow from directly above the eye to the edge of the eyebrow. The choice of the position of the piercing depends only on the wearer’s personal aesthetic preferences. Barbells, curved barbells, and captive bead rings are the most common jewelry types worn in eyebrow piercings.
Eyebrow piercings not only look cool but also heal relatively faster. This is because the piercing generally goes through the skin and does not get as easily irritated as say, a nose piercing. Eyebrow piercings are positioned vertically or at a slight angle and generally look the best when done towards the end of the eyebrow. Do it anywhere on the eyebrow from right above the eye to the end. But never pierce your eyebrow beyond that as there are chances of causing a great deal of damage to any one of the three major nerves that pass through that area.
Always choose a professional for any piercing you plan to get done. Doing it on your own can backfire and cause permanent damage at times. Choose a professional who uses a needle instead of a gun to pierce the eyebrow and also make sure that they use a sterilized needle and a clean piece of eyebrow jewelry. Anything that’s not sanitary can result in an infection.
Barbells are ideal for your first piercing as they allow little chance of being moved around or knocked by mistake. This is especially likely when you’re sleeping. We tend to be unaware of how much we push our faces into our pillows or mattresses, which can affect the healing process. Using the smallest rings and barbells to pierce your eyebrow is the best way to go. These also help to prevent migration as they exert less pressure on the thin skin that covers that area. However, be prepared to experience ‘Migration’ regardless of how well your piercing has been done.
Migration refers to the rejection of your piercing by the weak skin covering the eyebrow area. This skin isn’t supported or plumped up by tissue. So, the body can effectively eject the piercing by thinning the skin around it to such an extent that the skin eventually becomes too thin to hold the piercing in.
Eyebrow piercing aftercare
Once you’ve had it pierced, you’ll be required to spend a little time taking care of the wound on a daily basis. This is important to avoid infection. It’s best to clean your piercing approximately three times a day, more if you’re exposed to a grimy environment. Always wash your hands before you touch your eyebrow piercing. Use a cotton swab dipped in warm salt water to clean the area and remove any crusts that might have formed. Pat dry with a clean tissue.
Make sure your pillow covers and bed sheets are clean to avoid infection. If you generally tend to sleep on your side, try to make sure it’s the side opposite to your piercing. This prevents unnecessary movement of the eyebrow jewelry.
You can expect the healing process to take anywhere between 6-8 weeks or more. Don’t take the jewelry off during that period and also for the ensuing 6 months. Piercings in this area can easily close up within a day when the jewelry is removed. Avoid swimming during the healing process and also keep the area free of makeup. When in crowded places, protect your eyebrow piercing as it can easily be pulled right out by mistake.
Eyebrow Piercing Risks
As with any other type of body piercing or cosmetic alteration, eyebrow piercing can cause a variety of problems. Although the look itself can provide changes in appearance and attitude within society, there are risks involved in eyebrow piercing. These risks include severe scarring, permanent eyebrow scars, and various types of infection. Since the needles used in piercing are designed to pierce through the skin, creating a tunnel through which the ring is a thread, the body reacts to build scar tissue around this tunnel. If the piercing has not been done properly or the piercing tools have not been adequately sterilized, then infection at the site of the eyebrow piercing can ensue, and scar tissue can build up in such a way as to disfigure the face.
- Eyebrow piercing is considered a cosmetic alteration of the body and results in eyebrow piercing risks.
- These risks involve health issues such as infection, mutilation, and scarring.
- It is crucial that an individual research the eyebrow piercing facility prior to engaging in the activity.
- Equipment should be sterilized, clean, and handled in a fashion that minimizes infection risk to the person.
- The ring that is to be used for eyebrow piercing should also be clean since the body’s immune system will react to the ring as a foreign substance and will attempt to attack it with appropriate immune cells before developing scar tissue around the ring resulting in the eyebrow piercing.
If such an infection is not immediately cared for, the body may produce excess scar tissue resulting in a permanently disfigured eyebrow. If an eyebrow piercing results in an infection, care for the area immediately.
There is also a risk of dangerous bacteria entering the body through an eyebrow piercing. Although this is rare, it is a possibility if the equipment is not properly handled and cleaned. Such eyebrow piercing risks include the transmission of blood diseases from one person to another through the piercing device. These can consist of such dangerous diseases as AIDS or hepatitis C. The person looking for an eyebrow piercing should consult with the handler to ensure proper sterilization of needles.
Other health risks of eyebrow piercing include the potential for mutilation. If the piercing is done wrong, then scar tissue may develop in strange ways resulting in disfigurement. Also, if the eyebrow piercing is torn out for any reason, this, too, can lead to facial disfigurement.
There are a variety of activities a person can do to minimize the potential for permanent damage resulting from eyebrow piercing. Do proper research before going to a piercing facility. Make sure they have a clean history of clients and plenty of experience in eyebrow piercing. Be sure to ask them how they sterilize the equipment between clients and what types of autoclaves or devices they use to rid the needles of contamination. Ask how they clean the equipment; just because it is not directly in contact with a client’s blood does not mean it cannot get contaminated. Ask about maintenance; An educated and experienced piercing technician should know what you should expect when getting an eyebrow piercing. Know how to clean and manage the piercing, if it needs to be changed and how often, and what to do if something goes wrong. No one should be expecting to keep a piercing if there are health risks involved with infection. Always consult a physician if an infection begins and never be afraid to take a piercing out, it can always be pierced again if necessary.
Eyebrow Piercing FAQ
The best time to study a listing of eyebrow piercing FAQ is well before the time when one plans to get that piercing. If one waits until one gets an infection, before taking the time to examine the relevant eyebrow piercing FAQ, one might not be ready to put into practice the information that one finds in those FAQs. A reminder that one needs to have clean bedding after an eyebrow piercing is of little use if one has not set aside time for taking any dirty sheets to the closest possible washing machine. Why shop for useful supplements, when one has to deal with a red and sore eyebrow piercing?
The typical questions asked by those getting an eyebrow piercing mirror the questions asked by anyone with any type of piercing. A collection of eyebrow piercing FAQs usually contains information such as that in the following paragraphs.
What sort of accessory should be used in a pierced eyebrow?
The suggested accessory is a closure ring with a diameter of 1 mm. Health professionals often encourage the use of a small barbell because it does not receive the same harsh treatment given to a closure ring.
How long does the wound created by an eyebrow piercing take to heal?
The punctured region of the skin created by an eyebrow piercing normally takes about 5 to 6 weeks to heal completely, assuming that that region has received the proper aftercare.
How great are the chances that the area of an eyebrow piercing could become infected?
The eyebrows serve a function; they help to keep dirt out of the eye. In the absence of a part of the eyebrow, the skin below the eyebrow is exposed to an added amount of dirt. That exposure can encourage the development of an infection in an eyebrow piercing.
What is the best way to deal with an infection that develops after an eyebrow piercing?
The appearance of infection should send a recently pierced person to a doctor’s office, or to the professionals who performed the piercing. After an eyebrow piercing, an infection can produce a large amount of discharge. If a visit to the doctor or other health professional can not be arranged, then the area of the piercing must be cleaned well.
How should someone go about cleaning an eyebrow piercing, if it becomes infected?
The appearance of an infection in the region of an eyebrow piercing demands the application of a hot compress. The infected area must be cleaned with a hand towel or paper towel, one that has been held under running hot water. While the towel should be quite hot, it must not be hot enough to burn the infected area.
I plan to get an eyebrow piercing, how can I try to prevent the development of an infection in that piercing?
Put Lavender oil on the piercing; that reduces the tension on the skin. Try to avoid sleeping on the side of the body that has the piercing. Make sure that only clean objects come in contact with the piercing. Remember to keep your hands as clean as possible, and try not to put your hands in the area around your pierced eyebrow. Make sure that you take in a greater than normal amount of B-vitamins and zinc. Consider using supplements in order to speed the healing process.
Iskra Banović is our seasoned Editor-in-Chief at Blufashion. She has been steering the website’s content and editorial direction since 2018. With a rich background in fashion design, Iskra’s expertise spans across fashion, interior design, beauty, lifestyle, travel, and culture.
