Eyebrow Piercing

Eyebrow piercings take about 2-3 months to heal. It is considered a vertical surface piercing and it is similar to a standard flat surface piercing but because of the contour of the face looks more like a through piercing. This means it is fairly difficult to heal, especially because any time you wash your face the cleansers can disrupt the healing process. Eyebrows can migrate out easily because they are often pierced too shallow or they have migrated through being played with. Ideally, the balls should be flush with the face and not have a lot of the barbell showing on either side.

It is possible to have multiple eyebrow piercings alongside each other, but it's a good idea to have them done separately with full healing between them. It is possible to pierce along any part of the eyebrow but is most commonly done slightly to the outside of the eye. It is important to have an experienced piercer do it because if you choose to have the piercing closer to your nose it can catch the supra-orbital nerve if done too deep.

Piercing of the Eyebrow

How to Heal An Eyebrow Piercing

Just like most piercings you should try and leave your piercing alone as much as possible. Avoid rotating or moving it and avoid playing with it. You'll want to keep it clean using a salt water solution mixed with 1 gallon of distilled water and 4 teaspoons of non-iodized sea salt. This is a piercing that often needs soaking so filling a shot glass with this solution and then holding your eyebrow into the cup for 7-15 minutes can improve healing drastically. If you can't soak it you can also make a compress using a paper towel with the solution. You also want to avoid sleeping on this piercing as much as possible because it can pick up bacteria from your pillow case or become pulled by the pressure of your face/the covers.

Because eye tissue is quite delicate it can look bruised and swollen when you first get it pierced, it can even be severe enough to look like you have a black eye. This usually goes away within a few hours to couple of days. If your piercer uses pennington clamps you are more likely to see bruising. You can treat this with ibruprofen and an ice pack but it will still go away on its own.

Where Do I Put My Eyebrow Piercing?

A standard placement for an eyebrow piercing is typically on the brow slightly up from the corner of the eye. The piercing may be placed either with a slight angle or straight up and down depending on personal preference and anatomy.

Can You Take Out Eyebrow Piercings?

Yes all piercings can be removed. Depending on the jewelry you have in the piercing it should be fairly simple. If your jewelry is a curved barbell the balls should unscrew, and if it is a captive bead ring then the ball is only held in by tension. With a little bit of pressure the ball should just pop right out. If you are having trouble removing your jewelry then seek the help of a professional piercer in your area.

When Can You Change an Eyebrow Piercing?

An eyebrow piercing should be left in for a minimum of 2-3 months before you change out the jewelry. The longer you can wait the better though.

How Painful is an Eyebrow Piercing?

An eyebrow piercing is a fairly easy piercing to receive. If done properly it should be no more then a split second. Anybody can handle any amount of discomfort for a split second. That area is fairly thin skin with few nerves resulting in a pretty easy piercing experience.

What is the Eyebrow Piercing Called?

There is no specific name or medical term for an eyebrow piercing that we are aware of. For the most part this piercing is simply referred to as an eyebrow piercing. Most nicknames on the internet are simply made up and not typically used by the body piercing community. If you want to sound legit, then when you visit your local piercing parlor and request this piercing, simply ask for an eyebrow piercing.

Can you paralyze your face by piercing your eyebrow?

There is zero scientific or medical evidence showing or proving that an eyebrow piercing can cause facial paralysis. If done by a professional piercer then the piercing is extremely safe to receive.

Eyebrow Jewelry

An eyebrow should be pierced using a curved barbell that will sit flush to the face. A ring is a common choice but it's actually very bad for the piercing and will not sit comfortably. Another reason the ring is a poor choice is that it is more likely to be moved/ripped and affect the healing, though you can change to a ring once it's healed. If the ring is too small it puts pressure on the exit holes which can either cause a keloid or can cause the piercing to migrate out. Jewelry should be 316 LVM surgical stainless steel grade or titanium curved barbells.

For the initial piercing it's important to keep those steel as well as plastic and silicone can absorb bacteria which may cause it to get infected. Some barbells have spikes, balls, or gems on the end. Some piercers use straight barbells in eyebrow piercings but because these do not fit the curve of the area well they are more likely to either reject or get caught. Most eyebrow jewelry is an 18G - 12G size but the length will depend on your anatomy.

Shop Eyebrow Piercing Rings

Things not to do

You want to avoid waxing your eyebrows while your piercing is healing, but you can still pluck the hairs around it. Do not remove the jewelry if you're doing this as it may close up. It isn't necessary to do this or shave your eyebrow before it is pierced. You can't really hide a pierced eyebrow. Avoid putting a band aid on top because this can put pressure on the holes and cause scarring. You'll also want to avoid putting make-up on it as this can irritate it or cause it to become infected. Once it's healed you can swap your barbell for a clear retainer that is less noticeable and suitable for surgery if you need to take the jewelry out.