:: Brow ::

Eyebrow piercings first turned up in the 1980s, and have been growing in popularity ever since. They are one of the only purely aesthetic piercings, having no recognized symbolic meaning associated with them. They draw attention to one's eyes and upper face, either opening the gaze or intensifying it, depending on placement. Eyebrow piercings also tend to be very easy to sit through and quite simple to heal.

Eyebrow piercings take 6 - 8 weeks to heal, and are often very easy to care for. They generally heal up with little complication, provided you keep them clean and keep dirty hands, makeup and hair away. When infected, eyebrow piercings often swell and/or develop a fluid-filled bump or pimple at the hole. Warm salt water soaks several times a day generally clear this up fairly quickly. (If the swelling occurs in the first few days of the piercing, it is probably not an infection. Continue reading for more details.)

The procedure of an eyebrow piercing will vary from piercer to piercer, and with the skin type of the client. After cleaning and marking the area, many piercers will clamp the skin with forceps, pierce the skin on your exhale, remove the forceps, and insert the jewelry on the back of the needle. Some piercers will use a freehand technique, meaning that they pinch your skin with their fingers, rather than using forceps to clamp it. This may add a fraction of a second to the piercing time, but reduces the chance of bruising and swelling from the piercing. Since the clamps are often the most uncomfortable part of a piercing, freehand procedures are often less traumatic to sit through. However, the technique used will be determined by your piercer's training and your individual body. Neither procedure is wrong, and either one can result in a perfect, beautiful eyebrow piercing.

Eyebrow piercings may swell slightly after the piercing, and a few people are prone to more significant swelling, bruising or bleeding, even the occasional black eye. This is especially the case with people who usually bruise easily or bleed a lot, or those whose blood is "thin" due to medications, approaching menstrual cycles, or other body particulars. Don't expect it to happen, but don't worry if it does. Treat the swelling as you would any other swollen area: cold packs, elevation (extra pillows at night), and an anti-inflammatory (such as Advil or Motrin). Try to avoid things that thin your blood further (including alcohol, stimulants, aspirin and Tylenol). Generally any swelling will be gone in a day or two; bruising may take a couple days more. With bleeding, swelling or bruising, the more you mess with it, the worse it will get and the longer it will last. Relax and let it heal.

While some eyebrow piercings last several years, many begin growing out after the first year or two. This means they gradually get closer and closer to the surface as your body grows new layers of skin behind the jewelry. Over time, most eyebrow jewelry is pushed out. This does not mean your piercer pierced you wrong, although there are a few tricks to increase the life of the piercing. Rejection is simply the way your body deals with jewelry placed along the surface of flat skin. In general, though, the better you treat your piercing, the longer it will last. Playing with it, tearing it, forcing it to lay flat, letting it get infected, and cleaning it with harsh chemicals like peroxide can cause your piercing to grow out more quickly. Wearing jewelry that is too thin (less than 16g), too tight or too heavy can also speed up rejection. Usually by the time the piercing reaches the surface, you no longer wanted it anyway. But if your jewelry grows out and you still want the piercing, simply hang on to the jewelry, and get it done again once any scar tissue softens (a few months).

At Infinite, we usually pierce eyebrows with either 16g or 14g jewelry. Jewelry choices include captive or fixed bead rings (3/8" - 7/16" in diameter), circular barbells and curved barbells (5/16" - 7/16" in length). We prefer curved barbells to straight ones in this piercing because straight barbells tend to put forward pressure on the skin, encouraging the piercing to grow out more quickly. Curved barbells go behind more layers of skin and also lay more smoothly in the piercing. If you need to hide the piercing once it is healed, acrylic eyebrow retainers are available in clear and black. Clear fishing line of an appropriate thickness is also an option. (Melt one end into a ball with a flame, cool and insert.)

The finished look of your piercing will depend not only on your jewelry choice, but also on the placement of the piercing. Placed on the outer third of the eyebrow, the piercing will make the eyes appear wider set and more open. Piercing the inner third of the eyebrow, closer to the bridge of the nose, lends an intense seriousness to the expression. Usual placement is towards the outer end of the eyebrow, just past the arch, above the outer edge of the iris as you look straight ahead. This location is pleasing on almost all faces. The angle of the piercing can also be adjusted, from nearly vertical to a dramatic diagonal. Vertical placement draws attention to the piercing itself, rather than to the face. An approximately 45 degree angle ending at the outer edge of the iris tends to highlight the eyes, though the exact angle will depend on the individual face. Using an angle which points to the lips will draw attention to the mouth or to labret jewelry.

Overall, eyebrow piercings tend to be the most user-friendly facial piercing. They are not painful to get, are elementary to care for, and they compliment most facial features. They leave you little to worry about, except maybe your boss and your mother...