Facial Piercings 101: Everything You Should Know

Nostril, High Nostril, Septum and Bridge: The Four Main Nose Piercing Placements

The nose offers more piercing variety than any other single facial feature. Each placement produces a different aesthetic, has different healing characteristics and suits different face shapes and nose anatomy.

Surface Placements on and Around the Brow: What Makes Them Distinctive and What to Know About Rejection Risk

Eyebrow piercings are surface piercings that pass through the skin along the brow ridge. Their surface nature is the most important thing to understand about them: unlike through-and-through placements such as nostrils or septum, where the jewellery passes through a stable channel of skin, surface piercings sit closer to the skin surface with both ends on the outside. This increases the body's tendency to migrate the jewellery toward the surface over time and eventually reject it.

A vertical eyebrow piercing typically runs vertically through the skin just above the brow, with the curved barbell's two ends visible above and at the brow line. A horizontal eyebrow piercing runs parallel to the brow. Both require a curved barbell rather than a straight bar (straight bars put outward pressure on the piercing channel and accelerate rejection). The piercing is done along the outer third of the brow for most anatomies, avoiding the supraorbital nerve, which runs along the inner brow area.

Healing is typically six to eight weeks for the surface tissue, but eyebrow piercings can take up to a year to fully settle. During this period they are vulnerable to snagging on hair, glasses, clothing and pillows. Lightweight jewellery minimises rejection pressure. The rejection rate for eyebrow piercings is higher than most other facial placements, and many people find that even a well-maintained eyebrow piercing eventually migrates out after several years. This is worth understanding before committing to the placement.

The anti-eyebrow piercing sits on the upper cheekbone, below and to the side of the eye, following the natural cheekbone contour. It is a surface placement with the same rejection considerations as the standard eyebrow. Its placement requires very careful assessment of the anatomy to avoid nerve pathways and achieve a position that can be maintained long term.

Labret, Medusa, Monroe, Snake Bites and More: The Variety of Lip Placement Options

The lip area offers more naming conventions and placement variations than any other single facial piercing zone. Understanding the positioning of each helps make sense of the options.

Dimple Piercings, Tongue Piercings and Dermal Anchors: What Sets Them Apart From the Standard Facial Placements

Beyond the more common nose and lip placements, several facial piercings occupy a specialist or more considered category that requires specific knowledge before committing.

Cheek piercings, also called dimple piercings, are placed in the cheek area where dimples would naturally appear when smiling. They create the appearance of permanent dimples and are a distinctive, commitment-heavy placement. Cheek piercings are notoriously slow to heal, typically taking six to twelve months for the external tissue and considerably longer for full maturation of the internal fistula. They pass through the cheek tissue and the initial jewellery must be long enough to accommodate significant swelling. The internal disc must be positioned to avoid the parotid duct (the saliva gland duct) and the facial nerve branches. This placement requires an experienced specialist piercer who is comfortable with cheek anatomy. Scarring is a real consideration for this placement even when everything goes well: cheek piercings that are removed after healing often leave visible scars where the fistula was.

Tongue piercings are placed centrally through the tongue, from the top surface to the underside. Placement must avoid the midline lingual artery and veins and the lingual frenulum attachment. Not every anatomy accommodates a standard central tongue piercing safely. An experienced piercer will check the tongue's underside veins before committing to placement. The initial jewellery is a long straight barbell to accommodate swelling; it is replaced with a shorter bar once swelling resolves to reduce the dental contact risk. Well-placed tongue piercings in suitable anatomy heal in four to six weeks and are maintained straightforwardly thereafter.

Facial dermal anchors are single-point surface piercings that can be placed almost anywhere on the face. A small dermal anchor base is inserted under the skin with a flat disc or decorative top visible at the surface. Dermals on the face can be placed at temples, cheekbones, under or beside the eye, at the centre of the forehead (third eye), or anywhere with sufficient flat tissue. They heal in six to twelve weeks and are maintained with regular cleaning. Like all surface piercings they carry rejection risk, and facial dermals on areas with significant daily movement or contact (under-eye, near the mouth) are more vulnerable to this than those on flatter, less mobile areas.

The Questions Worth Asking Before Committing to Any Facial Placement

The most important decision in facial piercing is not which placement looks best in reference photos but which placement works with your specific anatomy and fits your life.

Every facial feature is individual. The sweet spot for a septum piercing varies between people. The available tissue for a bridge piercing depends on the angle and width of the nose bridge. The position of the lingual frenulum affects tongue piercing viability. Cheek anatomy varies enough that some people cannot safely accommodate the placement. Consulting with an experienced piercer who assesses your anatomy before confirming a placement, rather than simply booking any placement you request, is the difference between a long-lasting, well-placed piercing and one that rejects, migrates or causes problems.

Lifestyle considerations matter practically. Do you play contact sports? Some facial placements are at high risk of snagging or impact injury in physical activity and may not be appropriate during a sports season. Do you wear glasses? Eyebrow piercings may conflict with your frames. Do you have a job that restricts visible piercings? Plan the placement with concealment in mind. Are you prone to keloid scarring? Facial piercings carry the same considerations as any piercing for people with known keloid predisposition.

Commitment level is worth being honest about. Surface piercings including eyebrow, anti-eyebrow and bridge have higher rejection rates and some level of visible scarring even when removed cleanly after healing. Cheek piercings often leave marks even when removed after years of good maintenance. For placements in this category, the aesthetic enjoyment while wearing the piercing needs to be weighed against the realistic long-term outcome. This is not a reason to avoid them: it is a reason to go in knowing what you are choosing.

The Core Aftercare Approach That Applies Across All Facial Piercing Placements

Facial piercings share the same fundamental aftercare principles as all body piercings, with some placement-specific additions for oral and surface work.

Sterile saline solution sprayed onto the piercing twice daily is the standard cleaning approach for all external facial piercings. Do not use cotton wool (fibres can catch on the jewellery). Use sterile gauze or allow the saline spray to work without mechanical contact. Do not rotate or move the jewellery: this is an outdated recommendation that causes micro-trauma to the healing tissue. Clean hands before any contact with the piercing.

Oral piercings require additional aftercare: rinse the inside of the mouth with an alcohol-free, fragrance-free mouthwash after every meal and before bed. Alcohol-based mouthwash damages healing tissue. Avoid very hot, very spicy or very acidic foods in the early healing phase. Oral piercings also benefit from drinking cold water after eating to keep the area clean.

Facial piercings are more exposed to makeup, skincare products, sunscreen and environmental contact than ear piercings. Keep all skincare, makeup and cosmetic products clear of the healing piercing. Many of these products contain alcohols, fragrances, preservatives and active ingredients that irritate healing tissue. Once a facial piercing is fully healed, most people can apply their normal skincare routine around it without issue.

Do not change facial piercing jewellery yourself during the healing period. Have a professional do it. The anatomy of the face means some placements are significantly harder to reinsert jewellery into than they appear, and a partially healed piercing channel that closes or is disrupted by an unsupported change attempt is a frustrating and uncomfortable setback.