What Is an Anti-Eyebrow Piercing & How Does It Differ from Traditional Eyebrow Piercings?
Traditional eyebrow piercings have been popular since the 1990s. However, if you’re looking for a bolder option or don’t have a pronounced enough brow ridge, an anti-eyebrow piercing may be the perfect choice for you.
We’ll break down what an anti-eyebrow piercing is, how it compares to a traditional eyebrow piercing, and what you should know before choosing between the two.
What Is a Traditional Eyebrow Piercing?
An eyebrow piercing is a piercing that goes through the ridge of the eyebrow.
There are multiple types of traditional eyebrow piercings, including vertical, horizontal, and centered. An anti-eyebrow is considered a type of eyebrow piercing despite its placement.
What Is an Anti-Eyebrow Piercing?
An anti-eyebrow piercing is a surface piercing that goes through the tissue underneath the eye, opposite or “anti” the eyebrow. When we say surface piercing here, we mean that it goes through just the surface of the tissue with surface bars or surface anchors (also known as microdermals).
You can learn more in our guide to anti-eyebrow piercings.
How Does An Anti-Eyebrow Piercing Differ From a Traditional Eyebrow Piercing?
An anti-eyebrow piercing and a traditional eyebrow piercing are two separate piercings that have many differences, including:
Placement
One of the most apparent differences between the two piercings is placement. Eyebrow piercings go directly through the eyebrow tissue, either vertically or horizontally. Anti-eyebrow piercings sit on the upper cheek, below the eye, usually aligned diagonally with the cheekbone.
Anatomy Considerations
With an anti-eyebrow piercing, your piercer will ask you to scrunch your eyes, make a big surprised eye, and do other movements to gauge the creases and lines around your eyes. This will help them determine where to place the piercing to avoid areas that have movement. However, flat tissue is not an issue, unlike with traditional eyebrow piercings.
As for traditional eyebrow piercings, they are extremely anatomy-dependent. You must have a prominent enough ridge of tissue to pierce through. If the area is too flat, you don’t have suitable anatomy for an eyebrow piercing.
Jewelry
Because the anti-eyebrow piercing is a surface piercing, the jewelry must be positioned perpendicular to the tissue to minimize the risk of irritation, migration, or rejection. Therefore, the only jewelry options available are between a surface bar and surface anchors.
The traditional anti-eyebrow piercing is done with a surface bar with two gems or decorative ends. However, some drawbacks of using a surface bar are that the scarring can be worse when the piercing eventually rejects.
While not the traditional jewelry for an anti-eyebrow piercing, performing them with a microdermal has become increasingly popular because it offers a greater range of placement and has less scarring when it eventually rejects. Typically, those who opt for this jewelry select only one anchor, making it appear like a teardrop or subtle adornment on the face.
On the other hand, a traditional eyebrow piercing can accommodate curved barbells and hoops. When it comes to hoops, captive bead rings, clicker rings, and seamless rings are popular options.
Longevity
Because anti-eyebrow piercings are surface piercings done with surface bars or microdermals, they’re considered long-term temporary. While they can last for years, they will eventually reject and need to be removed. People who have quality jewelry and heal well can expect an average lifespan of one to five years.
Although they still carry a risk of rejection and migration, traditional eyebrow piercings are not considered long-term temporary piercings. If you have a more pronounced brow ridge, it’s a more suitable anatomy that reduces the risk of rejection and migration.
Anti-Eyebrow vs. Traditional Eyebrow Piercing: What’s the Difference?
While they both have eyebrow in their names, an anti-eyebrow piercing and a traditional eyebrow piercing differ greatly. In addition to different placements on the face, anatomy requirements, and jewelry options, anti-eyebrow piercings are long-term temporary while traditional eyebrow piercings can last much longer despite them having a risk of rejection and migration.
Photo cred: COTTONBRO STUDIO, _ofarias g, Maksim Goncharenok
