As much as we love our piercings and as proud of them as we are…. sometimes there are situations where we have to hide them. It may be for a family event, a special occasion, or even on a regular basis for work. Obviously, some piercings are nearly impossible to hide, and this is something that should be taken into account before you choose to get pierced. One inch stretched lobes or an anti-eyebrow piercing – hopefully you don’t run into a situation that requires hiding them because it’s not going to be easy. But some piercings (and some jewelry) lend themselves beautifully to being hidden. So, if you’re considering a piercing and are concerned about keeping it undercover, here are a few to think about.
Septum Piercing
The single most easily hidden piercing is probably the septum. While you can easily buy a staple-shaped retainer and just flip it so the ends are up inside your nostrils, that may not be an option if you have a fresh piercing. If you choose to get pierced with a circular barbell (also known as a horseshoe), you can do the exact same thing without having to remove your jewelry. Afterwards you can just flip the jewelry back down – good as new!
Tongue Piercing
Another easily hidden piercing is the tongue. No, you don’t have to stay silent at all times. Jewelry with flat tops or that’s made of clear materials will make hiding this one a breeze. The only time a tongue piercing is really noticeable and obtrusive would be immediately after piercing, when the tongue is still swollen. As long as your speech is normal for you and you’re not going to the dentist, the odds of someone noticing subtle jewelry are low.
Rook Piercing
A third piercing/jewelry combination that often flies under the radar would be a rook piercing with a simple curved barbell. The depth of the piercing combined with the subtle jewelry makes it harder to spot unless someone is staring directly into your ear. If you have longer hair, this is an especially easy piercing to cover up once it’s fully healed.
Retainer Jewelry
If you have a piercing that you can’t cover and don’t want to remove, there are retainers available in a huge range of sizes and styles. Retainers are generally made of clear Bioplast and have simple flat ends. This means they tend to simply blend in with the skin and while you still can see them, you tend to not notice them. These are great for piercings such as nostrils and lower lip. Retainers are not made for long-term wear but are inexpensive and easily obtained, just remember that they are made for healed piercings. If your piercing isn’t fully healed, talk to your piercer to see if they are an option for you. There are even some piercings, such as fully healed tragus and helix piercings, that you can try simply covering with an adhesive bandage. Just make sure that the center pad is on the piercing and the adhesive portion is not touching it in any way. Again, this is strictly a temporary solution but sometimes a bandage is going to draw less attention if you’re in a situation where you cannot hide or camouflage your piercing any other way.
Naturally, we all love our piercings, and it would nice if the rest of the world accepted pierced folks without a second thought. Sadly, that’s not always the reality and we simply have to learn to navigate the world we actually live in. The absolute easiest piercings to hide are the ones that we don’t see as often – navel, nipple, and genital. That said, there’s no reason you have to confine yourself to those, even if you live and work in more conservative circles. You can still be the beautiful, pierced self that you want to be with a little bit of thought and some advance planning. Happy piercing!
