Copyright 2006 Jaks Lloyd

Once the preserve of the 'way out punk rocker' society piercing has entered main street culture as a fashionable and glamour enhancing addition to today's beauty aids.

What you need to think about.

Unlike tattoos which are difficult to remove without leaving a scar, piercing need not be permanent.

Providing care is taken to keep the hole clean and free from infection it can close up without leaving an unsightly scar should you decide it no longer suits you.

Of all the parts of the body the eye area provides the most noticeable and dramatic area for piercing. Choice of jewelry will depend on the type of piercing you opt for but there are a wide variety of designs and metals available.

Piercing, as you can imagine, is not pain free and great care must be taken during the healing process and that will take six to eight weeks.

The degree of pain is not excessive and can be compared to a prolonged injection, so much will depend on your tolerance but most people report that they had no significant problem.

Some people experience bleeding during and after piercing and others do not bleed at all, it all depends on you. It is important to think carefully about the effect you want to achieve with your piecing and the first consideration is the location.

Piercing through the outside corner of the eyebrow is popular and also becoming fashionable is on the cheek just below the outside corner of the eye and that can look great with jeweled studs and dramatic make up around the piercing.

Horizontal piercing immediately above the eyebrow is also a good alternative and perhaps a little more extreme is piercing through the bridge of the nose.

You must also decide on whether you want a ring or barbell inserted when the piercing is carried out, don't worry the salon carrying out the procedure will have a choice.

Getting It Done.

Find a salon that has a licensed and experienced piercer and the premises look clean and well run.

Check out that all the equipment is correctly sterilized after each use and that only new packaged hollow needles are used once and then disposed of.

The piercing technician should wear new latex gloves straight out of the packaging so keep your eyes open and be aware that the procedures are being adhered to.

Before booking your appointment it is worth watching other clients being pierced and a reputable salon will have no objection to you having a look.

Warning - severe communicable diseases can be transmitted through unsterilized or previously used equipment.

For your appointment wear clothes that do not have to be pulled up over your head so you can avoid the possibility of catching on your new jewellery, that could be painful! Keep your hair off your face.

Just before the start and during the procedure try to relax by taking deep breaths and stay as calm as you can.

Eyebrow piercing is generally carried out by first clamping the area before piercing with a hollow needle and inserting the jewellery so it is important to stay completely still.

Watching may cause you to unconsciously react by wincing or jerking away so it is best to keep your eyes closed and it will all be over before you know it.

Afterwards.

As with any penetration of the skin infection can incur after piercing. The salon will give you advice and you should follow their recommendations without fail.

Wash the wound with a commercial cleansing solution several times a day according to instructions, and if you run out of the medication then a weak solution of salt, preferably sea salt, in water that has been previously boiled or you can use distilled water, both make an adequate substitute.

Stick to the jewelry offered by the salon and do not be tempted to take it out or change it for another until the piecing has completely healed.

The jewelry should be made of stainless steel, titanium or niobium, all three are hypoallergenic and inert towards the human body. Other metals may cause an adverse reaction, even gold. Watch out for any signs of infection.

Heat, throbbing pain, swelling and/or redness can all be signs of trouble so seek qualified medical advice as soon as possible and do NOT remove the jewelery until the doctor says so.

Removing the jewelery can allow harmful germs to enter the wound and become trapped inside as it closes and will only make the infection worse.

Take particular attention to the area around your eyes as it is easy to forget the piercing as the pain disappears. For example be careful when blow drying your hair, applying eye make up or inserting or removing contact lenses.

Achieving the Look.

You have been through the pain barrier and hopefully you hardly noticed it, the piercing has healed without any problems and now you want a change from the eyebrow ring or barbell jewelry inserted by the piercer.

To get plenty of choice try surfing the net, there are a number of sites that offer an extensive range of piercing quality jewelry with accompanying photo galleries so you can see what the jewelery looks like when inserted.

This is a great way to get ideas for enhancing the effect of your piercing fashion statement.