There are so many (no really: so many) areas of the body that are prime real estate for new piercings [1] and body art. When we talk about the most popular kinds of these, the first that often come to mind are the more traditional — like ear piercings [2], nose piercings [3], and navel piercings [4] — but there's another type that doesn't get enough attention: dermal piercings.
For the unfamiliar, dermal piercings are a form of body art that's inserted directly into skin with a gem that sits on the surface of skin like a piece of jewellery. It doesn't have an entry point or exit like, say, a nose or ear ear piercing.
"I usually refer to them as 'surface anchors'" Tom Gottschalk [5], a piercer at Dorje Adornments [6] in Rochester, NY, told POPSUGAR. "They can go in most places that have little to no movement, such as the cheekbone or the back of the neck — basically places where you don't normally see your skin move."
Still, there's so much to know about the trend before you make an appointment. From aftercare instructions to rejection tips to general info on what these even are, we spoke to an expert to get the 411 on everything you should know before getting a dermal piercing.
Do Dermal Piercings Hurt?
Piercings will never be painless — you're puncturing the skin, after all — but just how badly it hurts depends on a number of variables, like your pain tolerance and the area you're piercing.
Still, in comparison: "This piercing doesn't tend to be particularly terrible," Gottschalk said. "It lies on the easier side of the spectrum when done properly. Surface anchors are usually pretty easy, but it all depends on where it is and who's doing it. If you're going to a reputable piercer who knows what they're doing, it should be pretty easy."
If potential pain is what worries you the most, you can always take a Tylenol or acetaminophen ahead of your appointment to help minimize it.
How Should I Take Care of My Dermal Piercing?
You should plan to take care of a surface anchor in the same way that you'd take care of any piercing, but the instructions you're given may differ depending on your piercer.
"Keep it clean, and leave it alone,"Gottschalk said. "With surface anchors, you really want to make sure you're not touching it on stuff, because the odds of it being ripped out of your body are much higher than your average piercing. You have to be super responsible with them, and you have to take really good care of them — otherwise, they're going to reject pretty quickly." (More on that later.)
How Long Do Dermal Piercings Take to Heal?
Every part of the body tends to have slightly different healing times, but if you happen to get a dermal piercing, Gottschalk says that you can expect for it to heal in around three to six months. "This is a fairly easy piercing to heal as long as you take care of it and don't do anything dangerous and stay within the parameters of your aftercare," he said.
What Should I Do If My Dermal Piercing Rejects?
One thing that's extremely important to note about dermal piercings is that, unlike other traditional piercings, they're not meant to stay in your body forever. In other words: you should expect it to reject at some point.
"Every surface anchor rejects. They're not permanent piercings by any means," Gottschalk said. "It's so different for everybody. It could [happen in] a month or three months — it could be 10 years! But eventually, it's coming out."
How long it takes your piercing to reject can also be dependent on your aftercare process, which is why Gottschalk typically recommends clients leave their piercings alone (with the obvious exception of cleaning) after getting them.
"You have to take really good care of them — otherwise, they're going to reject pretty quickly," he said. Once it does begin to reject, you can look into seeing a professional who can tell you if there's a possibility that your piercing can be saved, or you can remove it.
"Usually the object of the game at that point is to minimize scarring, so I tend to recommend removing it the second it begins to show signs of really bad irritation," Gottschalk said.