Q: What piercings count as surface piercings? - Colby L.
A: When you're looking to get something a little more unique than a standard earlobe or cartilage piericing, you might be looking at
surface piercings. Basically, these are piercings that sit on a flat part of your body like your hip, nape, or chest where the jewelry goes in and out of the same flat surface of skin rather than through a "flap" or edge (like an ear or a nose).
The most common ones you'll see are nape piercings on the back of the neck, sternum piercings right in the center of the chest, and anti-eyebrow piercings which sit just above the cheekbone. You might also hear people talk about surface bars, which are shaped like a little staple to help the piercing stay flat and happy.
It’s also super important to know the difference between a standard surface bar and a dermal anchor. While a surface bar has two points where the jewelry pops out, a dermal only has one "anchor" under the skin with a single decorative top showing. Both look amazing, but since they don't go through a deep layer of tissue, they’re technically considered long-term "temporary" piercings because your body might try to push them out over time!
Q: Will a piercing bump eventually go away? - Kat M.
A: Don’t panic, because the short answer is yes... most piercing bumps eventually go away! Think of a bump as your body’s way of saying it’s a little stressed out by the healing process. Usually, these are just "irritation bumps" or hypertrophic scars caused by something simple like sleeping on it, accidentally snagging it, or using jewelry that’s a bit too long or made of a "mystery metal" like nickel. Once you figure out what’s bothering it and stop the irritation, most bumps will start to shrink and disappear pretty quickly.
The biggest thing is to Leave It The Heck Alone (LITHA). Seriously, no touching, twisting, or picking at the "crusties"! Stick to spraying it with a sterile saline wound wash once or twice a day and then patting it dry. If the bump is really stubborn, it might be time to visit your piercer to see if you need a "downsize" (switching to a shorter post). Just a heads up: if the bump keeps growing way past the piercing site and feels super firm, it could be a keloid, which is a more permanent type of scar tissue that usually needs a dermatologist's help to fix. But for 99% of us, it’s just a temporary annoyance that’ll clear up with some patience and proper care.
Disclaimer: Body Candy is only here to give you fun and helpful advice and information when it comes to getting pierced. Always consult a professional piercer to make sure a new piercing is right for you!
