Body Jewelry 411
Body jewelry and other body decorations are very popular today in Western culture. Although this process has been around for thousands of years, not everyone fully understand the names and locations of each body piercing. To better understand each piece of body jewelry, let’s go over some definitions.
Belly Button Ring
One of the most common piercings, a belly button is generally pierced using a 14 GA barbell and two acrylic or metal balls. The belly button ring will penetrate the skin around the navel, rather than the navel itself. Usually it’s pierced right above the belly button, but can also be done below or on the sides. This piercing takes about 6 to 12 months to heal and in many states requires a person to be 16 or have parental consent.
Tongue Ring
There are multiple styles of tongue rings available and we will discuss two: the traditional tongue ring and the web tongue ring. The traditional tongue ring is a 14 or 16 gauge straight barbell that penetrates directly vertical through the center of the tongue. The web tongue ring is generally a 14 or 16 gauge shorter, curved barbell (similar to and eyebrow ring) that sits horizontal through the “web” under the tongue; the part that connects the tongue to the rest of the mouth and that you can see if you touch the roof of your mouth with your tongue.
Both of these piercings take a fairly short amount of time to heal and can be ready to change in as little as 4 weeks. Most states require age 16 or age 18 for piercing.
Industrial
A more recent trend, the indusctrial piercing goes through two different holes in the outer ear. It’s possible to pierce the ear at a variet of angles and distances, but its nearly always done along the cartilage. Because of the options associated with this piercing, the barbell can range from very short to very long and typically threads through each of the separate holes. A ball is secured to each end and this piercing takes 4 to 6 months to heal.
Labret/Monroe
These piercings are NOT the same thing, but they are based on a similar idea. They each pierce the area directly around the mouth or lips. Typically the Monroe is on the top lip, off to the side (like the infamous Marilyn Monroe mole) and the labret is on the bottom, usually in the center. These piercings go directly through the lip and use a unique type of ring. They are 16 gauge and very short; the back is a flat surface that can rest against the gum or teeth and the outside is a ball or decorative gem. Of all the oral piercings, these are considered to be the most dangerous when it coems to dental health.
Surface Rings
Surface piercings are exactly what the name implies; they are on the surface. They don’t go through some piece of skin and come out the other end, but rather they end the skin and are secured beneath the skin and do not exit the body. People commonly get these piercings on their sides or on their faces, next to their eyes. They stay in the body by using a “fishhook” design. That is, they can move down into the skin, but as you pull out of the skin, it will be stopped, or stuck, by the hook. In most cases these rings are professionally removed or changed.
