Surface Piercing FAQ: Price, Process and How it Heals!

Surface Piercings

Surface piercing are similar to microdermal piercing as they both lay underneath a layer of skin, rather than piercing entirely through a part of the body. This means they can be done almost anywhere on the body. The surface piercing however often shows itself as two (or sometimes three) piercings atop the skin, while a metal bar sits below the surface connecting them and holding them in place.

Popular Placement for Surface Piercings

Hip piercings, eyebrow piercings, nape (back of the neck) piercings, bridge (between the eyes) piercings are all types of popular surface piercings that use a bar to connect two points above the skin.

But basically any piercing that goes underneath the skin to join two points rather than through the body itself (such as a cheek or nose piercing) can be considered a surface piercing whether that means it’s on your wrist or leg! Just keep in mind that many parts of the body are more conductive to a surface piercing, while others like the fingers and hands are more prone to rejection.

The Jewelry

Surface piercing barbells are the most common jewelry for surface piercings. This is a barbell that sits flat underneath the skin in order to put less pressure on the healing “fistula” which is the hole in the skin where the jewelry peaks out. 

Sometimes for piercings like the eyebrow a curved barbell can be used instead. 

Much like a microdermal piercing, the look of this piercing can be changed by applying different screw on balls to the ends of the bar to add jeweled ends or change the color.

Surface Piercing Jewelry

Price

Many surface piercings cost anywhere from $50-$100, and often times depending on the placement of the jewelry this cost can fluctuate. Opt for a piercer who is experienced rather than cheap. When looking for a piercer to do your surface piercing, make sure you look at their reference pictures as some piercers are not qualified to do them and it’s illegal in some states altogether.

How Surface Piercings Heal

Surface piercings depending on the placement can be very prone to rejection. Hip piercing that are constantly rubbed by clothing might not be able to heal and might reject, while piercings on less fleshy parts of the body like the bridge of the nose might reject smaller gauges. Like usual, talk to your piercer about any concerns before getting pierced!

It can be useful to follow our guide on how to make your own sea salt soak to use while healing a surface piercing. Using a cup or shot glass, like we suggest in the post, can be particularly useful when soaking parts of the body like the hips or belly.

Healing times for this piercing are usual 6 months to a year. This is because of the placement of the piercing underneath the skin. Depending on where your piercing is and how much the skin around it moves and flexes can make healing times closer to a year.