8 Interesting Facts About Eyebrow Piercings

Eyebrow piercings are trending again—center placement has been all over the Internet and social media lately. These piercings tend to go in and out of style, so if you’ve been debating getting one, there’s no better time than now! Before you do get pierced, read through some interesting facts about eyebrow piercings to help get you better prepared for when you do decide to get one.

#1: The History of the Eyebrow Piercing

While piercing itself has been around for centuries, the eyebrow piercing is relatively new. Its first appearance was in the 1970s as part of a punk subculture trend. During that time, it was a fashion statement.

It became re-popularized in the 1990s, as many of the famous boyband heartthrobs sported them. But women had them too—when Scarlett Johansson was younger, she had her eyebrow pierced. During the 90s, the eyebrow piercing shifted from a fashion statement from those interested in counterculture to a prominent accessory for pop and movie stars.

Since then, many celebrities have sported them throughout the years, such as Fergie, Keke Palmer, and even Amy Lee from Evanescence.

While the list above contains only females, today the eyebrow piercing is considered a unisex fashion accessory.

#2: Eyebrow Piercings Are Anatomy Dependent

Sometimes your anatomy may not be suitable for a piercing. If you want to get your eyebrow pierced, it’s important that you have your piercer ensure that you have the proper anatomy for it. One reason why this is so vital is the fact that you don’t want your piercing to interfere with any important nerves in the area. When you go to get pierced, your piercer will most likely pinch and squeeze the area to determine the best placement.

Additionally, in order to have your eyebrow pierced, you do need to have enough tissue for the piercer to both place and pierce it safely.

Girl with an Eyebrow Piercing

#3: Eyebrow Piercings Are Surface Piercings

Unlike your nose or parts of your ear, an eyebrow piercing just pierces through flesh. This is why it’s not as painful to pierce as other areas of your face or body. Because it pierces solely through flesh, an eyebrow piercing is considered a vertical surface piercing.

While there is a myth that eyebrow piercings have a high rejection rate because they’re surface piercings, Elayne Angel says this is not something to worry about. In her book The Piercing Bible: The Definitive Guide to Safe Piercing, she states,” when appropriate jewelry is placed in pliable tissue, rejection is rare.”

#4: There Are Different Types of Eyebrow Piercings

One of the great things about eyebrow piercings is that they offer a lot of versatility when it comes to placement. There are two traditional types of eyebrow piercings you can choose from:

Vertical Eyebrow Piercing

This is the most commonly performed eyebrow piercing. This piercing can be placed anywhere along the ridge of your eyebrow. While some decide to go with just one piercing, others opt to add a series of piercings along the ridge of their eyebrow.

Vertical Eyebrow Piercing

Horizontal Eyebrow Piercing

Another option for eyebrow piercing placement is horizontally along the ridge of the eyebrow. This piercing can be done above, below, or within the brow line.

#5: You Do Not Need to Trim or Shave Your Brows

A commonly asked question is whether you have to trim or shave your brows in order to get your eyebrow pierced. The answer is a definite no! Piercers can pierce your eyebrow regardless of how much hair you have; whether you have shaved brows or bushy brows, all can be adorned with a new eyebrow piercing.

However, there are some things to note. If you want a centrally placed eyebrow piercing, it’s important to know that due to the hair there being thicker, there is the risk of ingrown hairs and more drainage issues during the healing process. This doesn’t mean they won’t heal though; just that you have to take more caution as they heal.

#6: It’s Best to Start with a Curved Barbell

When you first get pierced, your piercer will use jewelry that’s a bit longer to account for the swelling that happens. Longer jewelry helps allow the body to go through its natural healing and inflammation process without any complications. Because you need to use longer jewelry initially, it’s best to start with a curved barbell. Starting with a hoop would mean that you need an extremely large hoop to account for the swelling and that the jewelry will stick straight out.

However, when your piercing is fully healed, be sure to check out our collection of eyebrow rings to downsize with.

#7: You Do Run the Risk of a Black Eye

When you do decide to go get your eyebrow pierced, make sure it’s during a time when you won’t have to take any important pictures. While it’s not super common, any time you’re pierced in the area around the eyes, there is a risk you could walk away with a black eye or some bruising.

#8: Eyebrow Piercings Take Some Time to Heal

Just like any other piercing, eyebrow piercings take time to heal. The average healing time for an eyebrow piercing is six to eight weeks. During this time, it’s best to avoid getting any skincare products in the area of the piercing. Additionally, you do not want to wax your eyebrow while you have a healing piercing. You may pluck your eyebrows, but you have to make sure that the tweezers are clean before you do.

If you’re worried about sweat from hot weather or working out, there’s no need to stress. Simply pat the area dry with a clean towel.