I will be talking in this article about the vertical eyebrow piercing. There is also the horizontal piercing that is also known as an anti-eyebrow piercing but that’s for another time. As the name will let you know the location of the piercing is usually across and above the eye. It is common to be pierced for above the corner of the eye and inwards. One should avoid piercing the eyebrow closer to the nose bridge as piercing the nerve cluster can cause partial muscle paralysis of the face. The procedure is usually done with a twelve to eighteen gauge cannula needle that is inserted from the bottom of the eyebrow, through to the top, permitting it insertion of jewelry.
The piercing professionals are usually using a Duval clamp for better guiding needle through the skin. It is less likely for the piercing to get rejected or torn out accidently if a larger gauge is used. The jewelry you should consider for eyebrow piercings are barbells, captive bead rings, and curved barbells. I would advise you to best start with the barbells as the initial piercings is still dense for rings, at least till its healed then you can switch. Materials of the jewelry are various but stick to the proven best such as titanium, niobium and surgical stainless steel. Solid pure gold is fine too but only after the piercing is healed. The cost of eyebrow piercings varies from 30-70$ depending of the piercings studios and you can get it sooner then turning eighteen in most of them if you have the consent of your parents.
When we are at the topic of aftercare for the eyebrow piercing, the healing process itself takes a minimum 2-4 months. And of course it goes without saying that one must follow certain guidelines during the healing process. As we know with most piercings it is essentially a wound you are treating and of course like any would it is very sensitive and vulnerable.
The first few days of you fresh piercing you will notice bruising in the pierced area that is to be expected so no need for panicking. DO NOT touch or play with the piercing if you are not cleaning it.
DON’T let anyone else touch the piercing during the first months of healing. Those are the most common things that occur that cause an infection of the piercing. An infection of the eyebrow piercing is mostly noticeable by the pain in the area, irritating redness and unusual oozing of yellow-greenish substance. The reason why eyebrow piercings are so prone to infection is that the skin where the piercing is rather thin, it has a lot of hair follicles and underneath it really doesn’t have much tissue to give the piercings strength and stability. The other issue is with the function of the eyebrow itself, the eyes are protected from the dirt by the eyebrow but that same dirt can also endanger your new piercing. Cleaning of the piercing should be done two times a day, but before even considering starting you should wash your hands with anti- bacterial soap. Best would be if you would do the cleaning right after showering.
You can also use the anti-bacterial soap on the piercing area, but avoid those that contain alcohol. Also don’t use substances such as Betadine and hydrogen peroxide. Next use the saline solution on a clean cotton/wool ball and apply it on the piercing for the next 2-3 minutes so that the crusting discharged from the piercing can dissolve.
You should consider buying a small soft toothbrush for cleaning of the excessive crusting that occurs, A NEW ONE every month since toothbrushes harbor bacteria as time goes on. When you are dry cleaning in the end avoid using towels as they also contain bacteria, use clean tissue paper or piece of clean toilet paper. Pat it dry; don’t rub since it may cause irritation of the wound.
To enhance the healing process use B-vitamins that also contains Zinc supplements. Leave the jewelry in the piercing for the next six months as if you don’t the pierced hole will close up, in some cases it may even require even longer.
That about covers the hygienic aftercare, what you also need to worry about is some minor lifestyle changes that come also into play. Since it is one of the more exposed piercings then others certain rules also apply having it in everyday life. Consult your superiors at your workplace if they allow such type of body modification. You don’t want risk you job over a piercing; also if you work in a place where you are exposed to dust you should clean your piercing whenever you get the chance with taped water or if not available with bottled water.
Be careful when going to crowded places such as nightclubs and concerts, people can unintentionally or not pull at the jewelry. You can go swimming after a few weeks of being pierced, but only in chlorine swimming pools but do also clean the piercing afterwards. When sleeping, try to sleep on the side opposite of the piercing, by doing so you avoid movement of the piercing that may cause aggravation. It is also very important that you have clean bed sheets especially the pillowcases since they may be able to contain bacteria that can end up infecting you piercing. If you don’t feel confident of what you do in your sleep, consider patching your piercing with a gaze bandage to secure it.
All in all it isn’t that much of a big hassle to maintain an eyebrow piercing. Everything that applies to most piercings applies here also. Keep it clean, be disciplined in your hygiene of it and have patience. Consult your local piercing professionals on every aspect of eyebrow piercings as they are all important in some way, be that the position of the piercing, the jewelry or the aftercare of each individual.
