Pounded Ink

161 responses so far ↓

• 1 Kate // Oct 8, 2008 at 11:58 am

  I am thinking about getting a surface piercing on the back of my neck or on my forearm. After it has completely healed, are you able to take out the bar and put it back in like other piercings? Will my hair irritate it? When i pierced my ears the piercer cautioned to keep my hair away from my ears while it is healing, is that going to be a concern with this as well?

• 2 Curt // Oct 10, 2008 at 2:42 am

  Kate,

  A surface piecing is a lifelong commitment, where as the lifetime of the piercing is restricted to the initial jewelry. In short, no you can’t change jewelry.

  The main concern with hair is the fact that it’s pretty dirty. You will want to keep hair away from any fresh piercing or tattoo to avoid infection. A simple shave before the procedure should be sufficient enough to avoid contamination during the healing process.

• 3 Nikki // Oct 16, 2008 at 12:07 pm

  Hi! I was thinking of getting an anti-eyebrow piercing soon, but I’m only keeping it for two months because I’m starting school and they won’t allow it.

  Since I’m only keeping it for two months, I was wondering if a curved barbell was considerable… from some accounts I’ve read of people who pierced their anti-eyebrow with curved barbells (and didn’t knock it or anything), most didn’t experience any rejection at the end of two months. If I do see any signs of rejection before 2 months though, I’ll remove it immediately.

  I’ll try to find a piecer who offers Tygon bars, but if I use titanium, and it doesn’t reject by the end of two months, how bad will the scarring be after I remove it?

• 4 Curt // Oct 17, 2008 at 6:51 pm

  Nikki, all I have to say is… If you already know that you are planning on removing this piercing after only two months, don’t bother getting it. 2 months is barely even enough time for the piercing to heal, let alone the fact that you will be putting your skin through even more trauma when you take it out prematurely.

  Scar tissue is forever and piercings shouldn’t be considered a short time investment.

• 5 Missie . // Oct 21, 2008 at 6:25 pm

  So i got my hips pierced it’s sweet i love them there in a high motion area so its a huge risk that im scared of. its a huge risk cause i can easly bump them soo i donnu. its been just over a weeek now. it’ll be 2 on friday. is redness n tenderness still ohkai to have?

• 6 Curt // Oct 22, 2008 at 11:00 am

  Missie,

  2 weeks is still very early in the process and that tenderness and redness is common.

  Try to minimize movement and trauma to the piercing. Good luck with the remainder of your healing process.

• 7 ashley // Nov 9, 2008 at 2:17 pm

  missie,

  i’ve had surface piercing on my hips for over a year now and they still look great. barely any rejection has taken place. mine were swollen and tender for a month or so but after that they have been no hassle for me. good luck!

• 8 amanda // Dec 9, 2008 at 3:09 am

  I got a lower back surface piercing done 2 weeks ago. ( with a tygon). when i went to check up on it, the piercer changed it to a bar bell. i only have one concern …its so uncomfortable and i feel like my skin is gonna rip when i stretch. is this normal?

• 9 Curt // Dec 9, 2008 at 9:17 am

  amanda,

  If you feel pressure when stretching that is not a good sign. Any kind of pressure will make a surface piercing agitated which is not good for the healing process. If you feel that you had better results with different jewelry I would go back to the other jewelry. Everyone is different and only you will be able to tell what is right for your body.

• 10 Melissa // Dec 18, 2008 at 2:23 am

  I just got my eyebrow pierced and I am a bit worried about rejection and migration. I can feel the bar through my skin. Is that normal or does that mean its rejecting? It was done with a curved barbell and I can feel it when i run my finger along my eyebrow.

• 11 Curt // Dec 18, 2008 at 10:40 am

  Melissa,

  You will feel the barbel underneath the skin with any eyebrow piercing. The piercing is not very deep. To tell how much it is migrating or if it is rejecting, you need to take notice to where your skin stops in relation to the barbel. As an eyebrow piercing grows out more of the barbel will be exposed. The best way to tell how much your piercing is migrating keep tabs on your barbel to skin ratio.

• 12 Nichole // Dec 30, 2008 at 9:15 pm

  i’ve been thinking about getting either my sternum or right under my belly button pierced. if i get one of those 90 degree angled barbells, what’s the liklyhood of rejection?

  also, i had my hips pierced, but i didn’t have the right barbell, and they got rejected. now i have too awful scars.
  if i decide to take out my chest piercing/below my belly piercing before if starts getting rejected, will it also leave scars?

• 13 alex // Dec 30, 2008 at 11:58 pm

  so I got my hips done 4 days ago and they seem to be healing fine but they are still sore and slightly red around the holes..is the redness normal? oh and besides the spray they gave me is there any other way to keep them clean?and this may be a silly question but can I go tanning with my newly pierced hips?

• 14 Curt // Dec 31, 2008 at 11:52 am

  Nicole,

  Depending on the trauma you inflict on your skin, scarring is always a possibility. Once you take out the piercing be sure to add some antiseptic ointment to the wound to speed healing and deter infection.

  alex,

  A surface piercing will be red around the edges until the rejection process halts. This could be a few weeks or even a few months, depending on where your piercing is located and the amount of movement or pressure the piercing sustains.

  Can you go tanning? Sure, but I would take great care not to burn your skin or you could suffer even more complications.

• 15 alex // Jan 2, 2009 at 2:54 pm

  curt ,

  thanks so muchhh for the info I appreciate it =)

• 16 Vee D. // Jan 3, 2009 at 12:07 pm

  In a few weeks I wanted to get my right index finger pierced. The other day I was “shopping around” for prices and one of the piercers told me that getting my finger done is risky because of the movement of the finger. He also said that regular surface piercings have a 50% chance of reject whereas on the finger you have a 90% chance of rejection. After I was done talking to him I pinched the skin on my index finger and flexed it. The skin only tightened a little but other than that the skin stayed in between my fingers. Is this piercing to risky? Should I think about getting a different piercing instead?

• 17 Curt // Jan 3, 2009 at 7:41 pm

  Vee D.

  Try more like 100% chance of rejection. You can’t get your hands pierced, there is simply too much movement and pressure to the piercing. If you do manage to get it to heal it will soon grow out, eventually ripping the rest of the way leaving a nasty scar.

  I’m sorry, but a hand piercing should not be considered an option. If you insist on modifying your hands, get a tattoo.

• 18 alex // Jan 13, 2009 at 12:23 am

  k so its now like 3 weeks and my hips are having a problem with getting infected , they keep getting slightly irritated to where I feel like they r infected a little bit, like I know it isn’t that bad that I have to take them out but they kind of had a slight bit of puss on them , I just bought another bottle of the h2o spray and I’ve been using bactine and sometimes antibiotic cream..any tips on what I should or shouldn’t do with trying to keep it from being infected or getting worse?

• 19 Toni // Jan 13, 2009 at 10:39 am

  I got my neck pierced 4 weeks ago now, the guy at the tattoo shop told me there was a high risk of rejection before I got it done so I took a month to consider it, the only problem is now I’m really attatched to it, it’s showing now signs or rejection at the moment, I am just more afraid now that it will reject as I’ve grown to love it so much & that’s the one thing I didn’t consider when I got it done & I think it’s something else other people should consider before they have it done.

• 20 Curt // Jan 14, 2009 at 12:08 pm

  alex,

  Your main concern should be to avoid pressure and movement to the piercing. You are trying to stop the bodies natural rejection process which is not always possible.

  Keep it clean, and keep it from being bumped or rubbed by clothing. Then it’s just a matter of waiting and hoping for the best.

  Don’t be a hero, if your piercings continue to go down the route they are… take them out. Scars will be more prominent the longer you wait.

  Hope everything works out for the best!

• 21 Curt // Jan 14, 2009 at 12:11 pm

  Toni,

  I agree that surface piercings are cool. If it comes down to a choice of looking cool or destroying body tissue permanently, I would take the piercing out for the hope of a second chance at re-piercing.

• 22 nicky // Jan 19, 2009 at 6:05 pm

  hey
  i was contemplating having on on the fleshy part under you thumb on the inside of my hand . i understand the risk involved i was just purely curoius weather that was a safe place to have one because i can see how it woudl easily be hit or bumped so what woudl you suggest get it or not ?

• 23 Curt // Jan 20, 2009 at 10:54 am

  nicky,

  I would not get that area pierced. There is just too much pressure and movement on that area of the body. If you do get it pierced I don’t think you will have it very long before something unpleasant happens to it.

• 24 Heather // Feb 1, 2009 at 8:12 pm

  Curt, i just got my hips pierced yesterday and i have the spray that they gave me but i was wondering if neosporin would be ok?

• 25 Curt // Feb 3, 2009 at 6:11 pm

  Heather,

  I’d stick with the spray for your new piercing unless you start to experience complications. Keep it simple and try to keep it from unneeded movement or trauma.

  neosporin is going to choke out oxygen which isn’t good for piercings.

• 26 Katie // Feb 5, 2009 at 6:16 pm

  Curt, okay so I got my left hip pierced about four days ago and the area around it is really sore. Also, about an inch on all sides of the piercing is red and the piercing itself is a little swollen. I have a straight bar in, so that could be the cause of my problem. I’ve been cleaning it with peroxide but it doesn’t seem to be getting any better. What do you suggest?

• 27 Curt // Feb 7, 2009 at 1:15 pm

  Katie,

  Please tell me you didn’t get a surface piercing and not use a surface bar, did you? If you have a straight barbel in there it will with out a doubt grow out, and probably quickly. Surface bars are made to minimize pressure and movement to the affected area. Sadly, that straight barbel is going to grow right out of your skin and probably leave a nasty scar if you wait too long to remove it.

  If your piercer gave you a surface piercing with a straight barbel instead of a surface barbel, don’t go there for anymore body-mod work.

  Keep a very close eye on your new piercing. If any red lines start to vein out from the area it means you are infected and need to go to the hospital.

• 28 kristie // Feb 7, 2009 at 10:21 pm

  im thinking about getting my hips pierced, i’m worried about wasting money on something that is just going to pop out. Is there anyway you can tell if your body is more likely to reject a piercing? For example: if your fast healer. I’m not sure if that effects it at all, but i really want this piercing , so i just wanted check before i put that money out.
  thank you.

• 29 luke // Feb 8, 2009 at 1:13 am

  hi curt, just a question if i was to get an anti- eyebrow piercing can i get a surface piercing or do i have to get the barbel in there?…. if i do get the surface piercing wat wuld be the best thing to do throughout the healing process?.

• 30 Curt // Feb 8, 2009 at 12:50 pm

  kristie,

  Is there a possibility that you will just waste your money and develop a nasty permanent scar from your new piercing? There sure is, but that’s the case with any piercing.

  Hips are hard to heal due to the amount of movement and pressure at that part of the body.

  Everyone’s body is different and to be honest most people who think they heal quickly, don’t.

  If the piercing is that important to you then get it, but take your time and choose a reputable studio that performs that procedure. Ask for fresh piercing pictures as well as healed piercings. If they can’t provide them, go somewhere that will.

• 31 chanel // Feb 10, 2009 at 5:10 pm

  i got my bellybutton pierced but on the sides they are about a week and a half old, ive been cleaning them twice a day with baxedine and a sea salt solution a few times a day, they arent swollen anymore but there is some red at the end of the barbells not alot just a tiny bit , they dont hurt anymore , i just wanted to know if the red is normal and they used a 16 gauge kind of like an eyebrow ring but longer to pierce is this okay?

• 32 Curt // Feb 12, 2009 at 11:05 am

  chanel,

  It sounds like you are healing fine. The longer barbel is to allow room for initial swelling, once its healed it is probably a good idea to change to a shorter barbel to avoid catching it on things (like your clothes).

• 33 Rizz // Feb 14, 2009 at 6:33 pm

  I’m getting my hips done in a week and i am aware of I’m sure pretty much all the risks…but I’m only 15 going on 16 and I have a hell of a lot of piercings; just because previous piercings haven’t grown out..does that mean my hip piercings have less chance? i know a lot about piercings and how they are done and I’ve done my research before getting any piercing that I have…I know the person very well and have had no problem with any piercings from her before… I take good care of my piercings as I love them… do you think I’d be able to handle hip surface piercings?

  thanks

  xR!zZx

• 34 Stormchaser // Feb 15, 2009 at 5:08 pm

  The body doesn’t hate surface piercings.

  Sorry, but the article is wrong about that. It is not a due to the way the body heals, but due to all-day forces. That’s why even well healed surface piercings can reject.

  Living tissue is a strange thing, so strong it is at short forces – you can even suspend fron a single piercing without tearing the skin – so weak it is at long term forces.

  A very dramatic, strange but not really funny example was this poor women last spring, which found her legs fused to the toilet seat after sitting there for a month due to mental disorder.

  http://bodyodd.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/03/13/768309.aspx

  That’s a weird case, but it helps to learn a lot about piercing rejection. Permanent forces lead to skin damage, follow up infections and tissue degradation lead the toilet seat sink into the tissue, while scar tissue grow back under the seat, fusing it to the tighs of the poor woman. In other words, the process worked like an inverse rejection.

  Now look at surface piercings – there are a lot of forces pulling at them, and at many places the sum of that forces is clearly outward. Every time you move, the tissue moves, but the stiff piercing is a barrier, there are forces, look how often the generate an outward force. Much worse it is with the flexible but straight PTFE bars – there is a constant all time all day force pulling them. Now the balls at the side might sink in, but normal skin will be tougher thant young scar tissue inside the piercing fistula. so outward movement is the logical result.

  Now… surface peircings can heal AND be stable, but you need to think before WHERE, and WHICH SIZE. I found that very big diameters (3 – 5 millimetrers) helps a lot, by distributing forces, even at places where the skin moves a lot (back).

• 35 jenna // Feb 21, 2009 at 6:02 pm

  erm, i have my hand pierced for quite a few weeks now, i have a curved bar in as the lady said it would be best curved. Will my piercing heal up or can i stop the piercing from being rejected. I have not had any problem with my hand so far and do wish to keep my piercing as i wanted it for prom. How would i go about healing my piercing? it is quite healed i think already, but after reading this i am not sure. I did not get it pierced in a shop, as i did it myself, so was not given advise on it.

• 36 Rizz // Feb 22, 2009 at 4:16 pm

  I got my hips pierced today!
  I love them so much! i decided to get them done and I don’t regret it, the lady said that if it starts to grow out she’ll replace them with microdermals….
  They look so good! but I’m scared of rejection….
  How often should i clean it?
  x

• 37 Antonella // Mar 3, 2009 at 10:22 am

  hi!!!!!!!!!
  i want to get my chest pierced, i already have a sternum surface, it’s doing well, i have a ptfe bar, i clean it every day and i love it!!
  i also got 2 microdermals but sadly one is rejecting ….. a dissapointment :( now while i’m waiting for it to heal to put the microdermal back on, i want 2 surface piercings botha at a 45° angle towards the cleavage like a V, now should i get ptfe? or a surface bar there? it’s not an area of high movement ….
  how much chance of rejection do i have????
  (sorry about my english..:S)

• 38 Sarah // Mar 4, 2009 at 7:05 am

  hey i just got one of my hips pierced 5 days ago and it was fine at the start but over the last two days it has gotten quite painful and swollen but it isnt red…is this signs of infection and do i need to be concerned?

• 39 Curt // Mar 5, 2009 at 8:46 am

  Antonella,

  I assume by ptfe you are referring to a tygon jewelry (a type of flexible plastic)?

  Although you may think that the chest is an area of minimal movement you are not exactly correct. Every time you stretch your arms out pressure is exerted on the chest . I’m also assuming you are female (due to the cleavage reference) which means bra’s are going to cause pressure to the piercing as well.

  I’m sure your piercer can give you a much better answer since I can not see exactly what you’re working with.

  As far as your chance of rejection, there is no way to give you an answer. Some people have good results with surface piercings where others have nothing but complications.

  Keep it clean and stationary and hope for the best.

• 40 Curt // Mar 5, 2009 at 8:53 am

  Sarah,

  Your hip piercing is still very new. Pain, swelling, and even redness are natural occurrences with fresh piercings.

  Continue to keep a close watch on your new piercing. If red streaks start to spread from the pierced area or substantial puss looking leakage begins, go to a doctor immediately and get it checked out.

  It sounds to me like your piercing is just going through the natural healing process at this point.

• 41 Rizz // Mar 6, 2009 at 7:07 pm

  Right, I’ve got my hips done…. nearly 2 weeks, it hurts to even move… that’s not right is it?

  help?

• 42 Curt // Mar 7, 2009 at 12:14 pm

  Rizz,

  The healing process can be a painful one. Surface piercings do not heal quickly and there is a good chance they will be sore for an extended period of time.

  Keep them clean and if they start to reject or develop an infection, take them out, let the area heal and try again.

• 43 Kenneth // Mar 8, 2009 at 4:23 pm

  Hi,

  About 4 months ago, I got my nape pierced. It has healed very well, though I have to be really careful not to bump or tear it. I can’t sleep on my back, always have to be careful at parties, … because I’m afraid it would reject.
  But now I wondered. Since the piercing is a surface bar with two 90° angles, how will I be able to remove it when I want to, or once it starts to reject?

• 44 Becky // Mar 10, 2009 at 10:08 am

  hey,

  ive had my nape pirced for like 4 months and its starting to get sore agin so pretty sure its rejecting so ill take it out soon. I love it though so i want it redone, how long do you think i should leave it before getting it redone and will it hurt more?

  might get mircodermals there though

  thanksssss

• 45 Curt // Mar 13, 2009 at 3:59 pm

  Becky,

  It’s hard to tell how long it will take to completely heal. Everyone’s body is different and the amount of damaged tissue has a lot to do with it.

  I would give it at least 6 months, but could possibly take longer.

• 46 Curt // Mar 13, 2009 at 4:03 pm

  Kenneth,

  If the piercing starts to reject it will most likely cause the surrounding tissue to soften allowing you to remove the jewelry without much difficulty.

  I would suggest that you get a qualified professional to remove the jewelry, to reduce possible complications. The removal process is no more painful then getting it pierced.

• 47 Melissa // Mar 14, 2009 at 9:14 am

  Last week i got a surface piercing just above my hip. it was a professional piercing place where i got it done, but they used a straight bar, is this bad? it’s been fine so far, just abit itchy and scabbing slightly at each end.

• 48 Curt // Mar 14, 2009 at 2:23 pm

  Melissa,

  I don’t recommend using straight barbels for surface piercings. Surface barbels are made to reduce pressure which a straight barbel does not do.

  Surface barbels were made for a purpose and I would recommend them over straight barbels for any surface piercing. Keep a close watch on the ends of your barbel for signs of rejection or migration.

• 49 Feral // Mar 14, 2009 at 2:29 pm

  I just wanted to thank Curt for providing all of these answers. The ones already here have been pretty helpful so far.

  I just got a corset last night (10 rings), and I’m pretty sure it’s most likely going to start rejecting at some point (captive ball rings were used =/ ), and she told me to put neosporin on it (I already knew that was wrong!). So right now I’m just doing my research to see what my chances are of actually keeping my very very awesome corset.

  Should I see if I can have the piercer change my jewelry to something less likely to reject, or will the trauma of changing the jewelry make it more likely to reject sooner?

  Also, to minimize my clothes rubbing on it, and to keep it dry and clean, I was thinking of loosely taping a patch of clean gauze over it during the day while I’m out and about (I don’t have any qualms about hanging out topless when I’m at home). Would the gauze cause more or less problems?

  I’m aware that these piercings almost always reject, but have you ever known one to properly heal?

  Also, for cleaning solution- for a sea-salt soak, how would you recommend going about this? Would soaking gauze in it and laying it over for a little while a couple of times a day suffice? Also, I used Bactine when I got my nose pierced years ago, but I’ve seen mixed things about using it on surface piercings. Is it too harsh to use on my back?

  Again, I know my chances of keeping my lovely corset are slim, but do you have any other advice for maximizing the longevity of my piercing?

  Thanks again!

• 50 emily-jane // Mar 23, 2009 at 3:13 pm

  i got a waistline surface a few hours ago..
  do surface piercings ever properly heal? and is being able to see a raised section where the bar is a sign of rejection?
  thanks:)
  xx

• 51 Curt // Mar 23, 2009 at 4:36 pm

  emily-jane,

  It is possible to heal a surface piercing. Although it may reject or migrate at any time, even after it has appeared to be healed.

  Your piercing is far to new to show signs of rejection. What you are seeing is most likely natural swelling.

• 52 Alexis // Mar 23, 2009 at 6:53 pm

  Hey, I had qotten the middle of my chest pierced about a month aqo. The piercer used a regular tongue ring lenght bar, but it was a plastic one.

  I noticed he didn’t grab enough skin so I unfortunely took it off.

  If I qet it done w/ the Proper bar, what are any other complications I will be dealinq with?

• 53 Curt // Mar 23, 2009 at 8:53 pm

  Alexis,

  As with any surface piercing the risk are infection and rejection. If the shop you went to did not pierce it properly the first time, I wouldn’t go back there for any more work. Getting your piercing from a qualified professional will greatly reduce any risk of complications.

• 54 Hailey // Mar 24, 2009 at 6:56 pm

  I got my hips pierced with tygon and I was wondering if I could tan with them. The lady who did them told me not to but she also said that with the other piercings I have and it never did anything. ??

• 55 kathie // Mar 24, 2009 at 9:41 pm

  I got 12 surface peircings on my back. They seem to be haeling great. a few of them are a lil red by the ends. Before i got them peirced i didnt kno much about the peircing and told the peircer i wanted to keep them forever not just for a while. she even changed out the bars and put surface bars in with gemstones on them for me. was that a bad idea. how long do u think they will stay in without regection?

• 56 Curt // Mar 25, 2009 at 8:34 am

  Hailey,

  You know tanning isn’t good for you. Tygon jewelry shouldn’t be affected by sunlight or tanning lights. The risk you take is burning the healing tissue around your new piercing. I recommend you cover the piercing while tanning until it heals completely.

  kathie,

  How long will they stay in? That’s a question for the piercing gods. Chances are at least some of your 12 piercings will reject or grow out. All you can do is take good care of them and hope for the best. If they appear to reject or grow out you need to remove the rejecting piercings immediately to avoid further complications.

• 57 Grant // Apr 7, 2009 at 1:09 pm

  i got my hips pierced 4 days ago and they seem to be going fine a little redness around the holes but nothing serious but when i sit down or lay down my bar (surface barbell) pops out and like the bend is visable and im worried this will make them go dodgey? or heal wrong if they ever do.

• 58 Curt // Apr 7, 2009 at 2:11 pm

  Grant,

  You’re piercing is still in it’s infancy, expect some unwanted movement of the jewelry. Try to reduce movement as much as you can as too much can affect migration and rejection.

  The only advice I can offer is TLC.

• 59 Nikki // Apr 8, 2009 at 1:47 pm

  I just got a pair of surface clavicle piercings two weeks ago using Tygon. So far everything seems okay but I’m just curious: would you recommend Tygon for this type of piercing or do you think I should have had the piercer use surface bars instead?

• 60 Curt // Apr 9, 2009 at 9:38 am

  Nikki,

  Tygon has it’s benefits but I wouldn’t use it as a long term solution. I’m a fan of surface bars due to the fact that it exerts much less pressure on the surrounding tissue. You could always get surface bars put in at a later date. Just be sure to choose your size wisely and don’t go to big.

• 61 Abbie // Apr 25, 2009 at 5:39 am

  Im getting a surface piercingon my hip and on my chest. How long will it take for these to grow out?

• 62 Curt // Apr 27, 2009 at 6:56 am

  Abbie,

  There is no way to tell if, or when, a piercing will grow out or reject. Everyone’s body is different and results will vary greatly.

• 63 Juliah // May 13, 2009 at 9:19 pm

  hi, i just got my left side of my hip pierced, the piercer used a surface barbel, its amazing. but the very ends of the barbel are ALWAYS sticking out. is this normal? when it begins to heal will the skin heal over and just the 2 balls show? i know with other piercings the bar is supposed to be a little long, but is that the case for surface piercings too? thanks!

• 64 Curt // May 14, 2009 at 4:38 am

  Juliah,

  You don’t want the balls of the jewelry resting directly on top of your skin. It needs a small amount of room to breathe. I wouldn’t worry about the jewelry unless a problem develops.

• 65 Juliah // May 14, 2009 at 2:03 pm

  thanks! i been using anti bac soap and its been really good its about a day old. should i use sea salt mix too? also within a week or so when the swelling goes down should just the 2 balls show?

  it looks really good but there are 2 small redish “bruises” kind of. they arent really noticeable, but is this just bruising and should go away? its just 2 small spots near the top and bottom. other than that it is perfect there is no pus or swelling. ( well rised swelling)

  i can feel the bar though through my skin, was it pierced deep enough or is it supposed to be like that?

  thanks you are a great help

• 66 Leila // May 17, 2009 at 2:37 pm

  i have had my hips pierced for 2 days now, u can slightly see the bar through the skin and its still sore is this bad?

• 67 Julie // May 17, 2009 at 8:41 pm

  I was thinking about getting my hips pierced. I’m still in researching it though. I’ve been seeing a lot people worried about movement and pressure and I was wondering where sex falls in that group.

• 68 Curt // May 18, 2009 at 9:07 am

  Juliah, Leila,

  That’s a fresh piercing, you won’t know how well it’s healing for several weeks. Take care of it diligently and hope for the best.

  Julie,

  Sex like anything else can cause unwanted movement or pressure for any piercing. It’s one of those things you will need to take into consideration before committing to your new piercing.

• 69 Gemma // May 18, 2009 at 11:50 pm

  ive had my hips pierced for three days now, and they were fine the day i got them done, but now theres redness and a small amout of bruising, is this normal? :/

• 70 Grant // May 19, 2009 at 12:16 pm

  gemmma redness is normal and bruising is normal also mine were the same :)

• 71 Grant // May 19, 2009 at 12:20 pm

  oh and btw my hip piercings have now grown out i only had them a month lmao but iv had 3 microdermals on each side of my hip now :) and also got another surface under bellybutton 2 weeks old and the dermals are 4 days old both are doing good so far :d dermals were abit more painfull and alot more money!! :L

• 72 Leila // May 19, 2009 at 2:02 pm

  i know i probably seem really stupid asking this, but does that mean every hip piercing will grow out even if you look after it properly?

• 73 Grant // May 19, 2009 at 3:09 pm

  sadly it does yes i looked after mine perfectly and they still rejected hip piercings are the worst surface piercings to get and your left with horrible scars

• 74 Cassy // May 19, 2009 at 5:10 pm

  Hey I’m pretty serious of getting my inverse navel done, and it’s considered a surface peircing by most places. That doesn’t concern me too much, but I’m pretty active. I have Taekwon Do three times a week and I hate to miss any classes. What do you suggest to keep my future peircing safe as I do my sport? I refuse to get a regular navel due to the fact that most girls seem born with them. A inverse navel is just so unique and I want to keep it for a long time.

• 75 chanel // May 19, 2009 at 9:22 pm

  I got a horizontal lip piercing on my bottom lip done 2 weeks ago its done with a flexibal bar , the swelling is completly gone and there is no pain or discomfort at all even when touched, I wanted to know about the risks of rejection. its done very deep i can hardly feel the bar through the skin

• 76 Leila // May 20, 2009 at 3:42 pm

  jeeez! asif, lol great thats £60 for two scars,
  well i love them i dont want them to ever grow out tho:(
  how can i help to prevent it, the guy in the piercers told me to gently push it down gently two times a day to make sure the skin is healing over the bar not under it.

• 77 Natasha // Jun 2, 2009 at 11:23 pm

  hello i got my clavicles pierced 2 days ago and theyre red around the piercings and kind of tender. the piercer used surgical plastic instead of the typical barbell, apparently plastic is better for mobility? ive been cleaning them 3-4 times a day with saline solution, but theyre still kinda red. is this a sign of infection?

• 78 haley // Jun 3, 2009 at 4:09 am

  Hey, I got between my chest pierced bout 2 months ago and it seemed to be doing good but it started pussing really bad this week even though I’ve been cleaning it just as much as when I first got it.. does that mean its gonna reject?

• 79 Jade // Jun 3, 2009 at 7:53 am

  Hey i have angel bites and i recently had a pimple ..[ew i know] like right behind it and it looks really weird now because i guess i scratched it while i was sleeping.

  My left one is fine and all but my right one
  looks weird. i love them and im not really
  looking forward to taking them out anytime soon.ive had them done since
  feb 6th of this year.Any ideas of how i should treat this?

• 80 Juliah // Jun 3, 2009 at 10:18 am

  hii i’ve had my hip piercing for about 20days. and i wanted to know when it would be okay to go swimming in a pool with it.

  thanks again :)

• 81 Anna // Jun 7, 2009 at 4:08 pm

  hey, i got my hips pierced about 3 days ago. i have a straight barbell though and there slightly red at each corner.. bad sign ??! :[

• 82 Curt // Jun 8, 2009 at 9:47 am

  Jade,

  If it’s just a pimple, it should heal itself without much attention on your part. Unless it get’s infected, I’d use a salt water wash and wait.

  Juliah,

  It’s probably fine to swim with your piercing. Be aware that chemicals like chlorine can dry your piercing out or cause other problems but unless you are living in a pool, problems are not very likely.

  Anna,

  That’s normal.

• 83 Juliah // Jun 10, 2009 at 8:13 pm

  hey, i had my hip piercing for a month, but unfortunatly had to take it out, during sex it got pulled really bad, and it hurt to move so i had to take it out, it didnt reject or infected or anything but it was a hassle and a very sensative piercing, i plan on getting it redone with microdermals soon.

  but thanks for your help :)

• 84 Rach // Jun 14, 2009 at 10:50 pm

  I’ve had my nape piercing for about 2 months, it’s not rejecting, doesn’t hurt and doesn’t appear to have any kind of infection. It still gets crusties, but only a tiny bit from time to time. I just got a job offer that will require me to remove it, is it safe to remove it at this stage?

• 85 Erin // Jun 15, 2009 at 4:14 am

  I got my hips and my lower belly button (underneath it, horizontal surface piercing.) pierced recently. So far they’re all good. So uhm, can i have sex? Coz im freaking out that theyll all start rejecting if i do. Could i just take them out for a couple hours then put them back in??
  x

• 86 Curt // Jun 15, 2009 at 6:50 am

  Erin,

  You can have sex, but you need to be aware of your new piercings in the process. Causing trauma to the newly pierced skin can cause issues. So bang accordingly…

  You don’t want to take them out and put them back. That would definitely cause more harm then good.

• 87 Curt // Jun 15, 2009 at 6:52 am

  Rach,

  You can always remove a piercing. Your body will take over and begin the healing process almost immediately.

• 88 Justin // Jun 19, 2009 at 11:50 am

  I got my nape pierced a little over a week ago, and in the past couple of days I’ve noticed one of the balls starting to “go into” the skin. The other side looks normal. When I push on the normal side, the other side comes up and out of the skin. There has not been any pus or swelling really, just some redness and a bit of crust.

  I know the piercer used a surface/staple bar, and I’ve been using salt water soaks and what not.

  Should I take it out?

• 89 Gemma // Jun 21, 2009 at 4:36 am

  how will i know when my hip piercings start to reject? :/

• 90 brownsugar // Jun 21, 2009 at 10:41 pm

  Hi, Im planning on getting my hips pierced very soon. I was wondering if you have any tips on taking care of them like.. how many times a day should i clean them? should i not sleep on my tummy? I was also wondering if it would be better to get just one pierced at first? see if I like it and if its working out?

• 91 Lucy // Jun 30, 2009 at 12:12 pm

  Hey, I’m almost 15 and I’m getting my hips pierced. I’ve already gotten my bellybutton pierced, and that went fine, but my parents are concerned that since I technically haven’t stopped growing, my skin might stretch the holes of the hip piercings. Is this possible? I’d prefer to get it done soon, before they change their minds, but would it be better to wait until I’m like 16 or something and my body has stopped growing?

• 92 Curt // Jun 30, 2009 at 8:10 pm

  Lucy,

  You will be growing for several more years dear. Lucky for you, skin is incredibly flexible. You can continue to grow and your skin will grow with you The holes will remain the same size.

  There is a risk of migration as you grow, but there is always this risk in anyone with a surface piercing.

• 93 Lucy // Jun 30, 2009 at 11:33 pm

  Okay, thanks for the advice =]

• 94 Megan // Jul 1, 2009 at 2:18 pm

  I’m considering getting a bridge piercing… is this technically a surface piercing?
  Also, my dad’s concerned with the possibility of transmitted encephalitis. This is a rare disease in the first place, but what are the medical risks of a bridge piercing? Any other information about the piercing would be appreciated. Thanks!

• 95 Celina // Jul 14, 2009 at 4:18 pm

  I’m thinking about getting my hips pierced and I have gotten a lot of information about it. I’m a cheerleader though and I was wondering if even after it is healed would I be able to tumble and stuff or would that be too much movement that it would reject?

• 96 Rosh // Jul 16, 2009 at 8:58 am

  So i am thinking of getting my hips pierced in about a month [when i get back from holiday] and i was just wondering how much this piercing hurts? i know everyone has different pain thresh holds.
  i’ve got my Lower Navel pierced which was rather uncomfortable and stung quite a bit after. And my Tragus hurt.
  Also, what is the average cost? i know ‘BlueBanana’ is alot cheaper, however it has a bad rep and although i am happy with my other piercings i have had there i think i would rather not risk it?

  i’ve done my research into looking after them, etc
  However, i was wondering how easy they are to cover? Because my mom said i can get them done if i want [even though she doesn't really support it] because i am sixteen and old enough. Although my dad would kick up a massive stink.

  Is there any other vital information about this piercing that is useful to know?

  Thanks. (:

• 97 Gisele // Jul 19, 2009 at 3:15 pm

  Curt, I had my hips pierced yesterday and i love the look of them,
  I’ve been cleaning them with sea salt and warm water and diluted tea tree oil…
  they are a bit sore i think due to movement when i sleep, but also i can see the faint shape of the bar under my skin,
  is this normal?
  or is it just due to swelling?

• 98 Anna // Jul 19, 2009 at 10:20 pm

  I just had my hips pierced today, but I was pierced with PTFE flexible jewelry instead of a barbell. Now, I know everybody heals in different times, in different ways, but am wondering if the bar will bend so it will not make a bump under the skin? thanks!

• 99 Curt // Jul 20, 2009 at 2:34 am

  Gisele,

  Yes, it is normal to have slightly raised skin at the piercing location. This may subside once healed or it may not. It is nothing to worry about. Many surface piercings will have raised skin above the barbel or anchor for the life of the piercing.

  Anna,

  Although a PTFE barbel is somewhat flexible, it is still rigid plastic. It will not bend or flex much and certainly not enough to conceal the jewelry beneath the skin.

• 100 Gisele // Jul 20, 2009 at 5:53 am

  Curt,
  I woke up this morning and the swelling appears to have gone down a bit but the bar is appearing longer on my left side,
  also the one on my left seems to be a bit more stretched than the one on my right and it seems to be under less skin but it doesnt feel as sore anymore,
  is this normal or is my body rejecting it?
  also if not what are the signs of my body rejecting the piercings? these are the first surface piercings i’ve had and the piercer said that because i’m toned the piercings may reject sooner than most.

• 101 Anna // Jul 20, 2009 at 9:52 am

  ok :-) also, as my piercings heal, is there anything extra i can do to help block the rejection process? I am doing the salt baths, and cleaning it as I am supposed to. i woke up this morning with very little redness, and very little tenderness, is this a sign of the piercing doing alright or does this usually happen the second day?

  I washed my both hip piercings with neutrogena face wash yesterday, as i have done with all of my other body mods, and although it did sting as i was washing it, both side have greatly reduced in redness. should I not use that particular face wash because of the stinging, or because of the positive outcome of the piercings would it be alright to continue?

  thank you for your help!

• 102 Curt // Jul 20, 2009 at 2:45 pm

  Gisele,

  Your piercing is far too new to show signs of rejection. One side or another may look like it’s out further than the other. Your skin is extremely flexible and slight changes in position of jewelry is not uncommon.

  Anna,

  I don’t know who told you to use face wash on a fresh piercing but I do not recommend it. I wouldn’t use any fragranced soap to clean a piercing. You must be extremely careful about what the ingredients are in any soap you apply to a fresh piercing. Stinging is not a good sign. I would discontinue the use of face wash and simply use sea salt soaks to clean the new piercing.

  Remember that your new piercing is an open wound and will take a while to heal. Until that time, you will need to take intense care of your new piercing to help ensure proper healing.

• 103 Bernadette // Jul 21, 2009 at 5:32 pm

  Curt,
  so i was thinking about surface clavical piercings and i really want them and im willing to do whatever it takes to make sure theres no rejection. another one of my main concerns is that as of now i feel like ill want them forever but if one day in the future i decide i dont want them anymore do i remove them myself or should i go to a shop and have them do it? and what is the procedure for taking them out?

• 104 Curt // Jul 21, 2009 at 6:53 pm

  Bernadette,

  The removal process is almost an exact copy of the insertion process just in the opposite order. The skin will be slightly cut on the short side of the anchor and the jewelry will be removed in the same manner it was inserted.

  I would have a professional body piercer remove them if you would ever desire to do so.

• 105 Gisele // Jul 21, 2009 at 7:04 pm

  the hip piercing on my left side has risen even more since i last mentioned and you can see the barbel through the skin,
  the ends are quite swolen and i believe that they are taring a bit,
  it is sore to touch and very red, also when looking down you can see the perfect outline of the entire barbell and the skin around it seems to be getting shorter…
  should i remove it now?
  as i think the piercer pierced the left side under less skin than the right and i feel as though it may be rejecting.

• 106 Curt // Jul 22, 2009 at 3:36 pm

  Gisele,

  You are going to have to make a very important decision. If your piercing is in fact migrating out of your body, you must take it out. The longer you wait the more potential damage you will cause.

  If you have caught the piercing and ripped the sides slightly, you are a good candidate for rejection or simply just growing out. Your body’s natural reaction to a foreign object is to push it out of the skin.

  The worst case scenario would be having the entire barbel rip through the skin once it gets close enough to the surface. This would create a good deal of scar tissue that will remain for life.

  If you take it out now and let it heal you should have decent results at a second chance. If you wait and your piercing gets infected or rips out completely, you will have some serious scar tissue to deal with.

• 107 Gisele // Jul 22, 2009 at 3:44 pm

  ok thankyou,
  i have decided that removing it now is the best option to ensure minimal scarring,
  i will then get it re-pierced at a later date, with a better more expierianced piercer to ensure that it lasts longer.
  how long would i have to wait to get it re-pierced?

• 108 Curt // Jul 22, 2009 at 6:52 pm

  Gisele,

  I would wait at least 3 months, but as long as 6 months may not be out of the question. You must make sure the area is completely healed before trying to repierce it.

  The time it takes for your existing piercing to heal can vary depending on the current damage to the tissue and your body’s natural ability to heal which is individual to each person.

  Good luck and keep us updated when you do decide to repierce it.

• 109 beca // Jul 26, 2009 at 2:32 am

  i got a sternum surface piercing about two and a half weeks ago and all seemed to be going well until the other night i took a hit to the chest. its almost two days later and my piercing is turning red, its very sore, and i think i notice some puss trying to form now. is it too late to save? i have been keeping it clean with bactine and showers but i’m starting to think its only going to get worse. it also might be forming some dead skin that wants to peal around the holes. i don’t know if its just bruised or if its trying to reject at this point.

  help..please!!

• 110 Curt // Jul 26, 2009 at 9:00 am

  beca,

  Blunt trauma is one of the worst things a piercing of any type can experience. While a single event shouldn’t hurt a piercing much, that does depend on the severity of the impact.

  I would give your piercing 2 weeks and if nothing is better, it’s probably time to remove it. If things heal or start to look better, you may have a chance at saving it.

• 111 Gisele // Jul 26, 2009 at 5:16 pm

  …I removed my left hip piercing but recently i’ve been partying a lot and i’ve been getting my right hip piercing caught on accident and knocking it…
  the area around the holes is quite a dark red and theres some white dead skin and crust around it, also its started oozing.
  it isnt painfull but i feel as though all of these bumps may have forced it to start rejecting,
  are these a normal part of the healing process?
  or is it infact rejecting and should i take it out and let them both heal properly before getting them re-pierced with a more experianced piercer?

• 112 Anna // Jul 26, 2009 at 8:07 pm

  hai,

  my hips have been pierced now for about a week. they have gone from a flaming red to a much softer pinkish tone which i take to be a very good sign. only thing is, there is slight scabbing. I know not to pick…but….should i do anything?

  thanks!

• 113 Brooke // Jul 28, 2009 at 5:24 pm

  Hey!
  About two months ago I got my nape peirced with a surface bar. I’m pretty sure it’s healing fine. I was wondering if the inside will ever heal around the bar or will it stay fleshy?

• 114 Curt // Jul 29, 2009 at 5:21 pm

  Brooke,

  You don’t really ever heal a surface piercing, you just freeze the rejection process. So that tissue is going to stay the same.

• 115 haley // Jul 30, 2009 at 5:35 am

  Hey, my surface piercing just fell out and I didn’t know if I should clean it the same way I did when the jewelry was in, or if its different now that there’s nothing there….?

• 116 Curt // Jul 30, 2009 at 7:22 am

  haley,

  Without jewelry you can clean it just as you would any other wound. Bacatracin or neosporin will do it good along with a bandage for a few days.

  That should heal it up pretty quick.

• 117 Anna // Jul 30, 2009 at 10:33 am

  hey, Curt. my hips have been pierced now for about a week and a half now. they have gone from a flaming red to a much softer pinkish tone which i take to be a very good sign. only thing is, there is slight scabbing. Should i do anything?

  thanks!

• 118 Curt // Jul 30, 2009 at 11:06 am

  Anna,

  Allow those scabs to fall off on their own. Don’t pick at them or remove them prematurely.

• 119 Brionna // Aug 3, 2009 at 11:31 pm

  Okay, so I’ve had my vertical tragus since friday (3 days ago) I haven’t seen any redness or swelling, but it is somewhat tender.. especially if I accidentally sleep on it. I currently use the saltspray and witch hazel twice a day (which helped my industrial piercing to heal) to clean my piercings.
  I currently have all the help that I need if it starts rejecting.. but I’m going to a boarding school next month, and am worried about not having the proper information I need if it starts to reject.. so is there any way to take care of it more than I already am? And will it be more sensitive and susceptible to frost bite/ cold weather injuries? (I live in Alaska)

• 120 Anna // Aug 5, 2009 at 8:16 pm

  Curt, my hips aren’t tender, at all. There is no gooey discharge, or swelling like the article above says. They are still scanning, but much less. The only thing I am worried about is the mostly pinkish/sometime redness around the holes. What (if anything) can I do to make this go down if not away. I have very very pale skin naturally, so the red doesn’t look very lovely. Help, please?

• 121 AMANDA // Aug 5, 2009 at 11:49 pm

  hey curt!

  my name’s amanda, and i’ve had my hips pierced for about a month and a half, and they are doing great.

  my piercer did them with straight barbells, and i replaced them with the flexible plastic bars that are slightly curved (www.bodyartforms.com).

  i’m a very active person, and they do tend to rub against things, but i’m glad to say (so far) i’m a success story, haha. they ‘healed’ and don’t hurt at all. there is no redness, puss, or dead skin at all.

  even though my piercer didn’t use surface staples (like i said, she used straight barbells), you still can’t see the bars underneath, because they plastic bar is curved, so it isn’t raised.

  i was just wondering if i could replace the plastic bars with the staples to further insure the ‘permanence’ (i know, i know … they are never permanent) of the piercing. or would replacing them now, while they’re ‘healed’ with the staples, be too risky and irritate them too much and make them more prone to rejection?

  and would my piercer have to go deeper into the skin with the staples? like, pierce even further into my body? (i’m not worried about it, or anything, just curious.)

  if you could respond, that’d be great!
  thanks!

  you can see a bunch of pictures on my facebook: http://www.facebook.com/amandapapnemes, and on my myspace: http://www.myspace.com/ohmgitsamanda.

• 122 Curt // Aug 6, 2009 at 2:06 pm

  Brionna,

  Everyone is different and your own body will dictate if your new piercing will stay intact. All you can do is take good care of it.

  I don’t believe that cold weather adversely affects piercings. Of course, if you did get frostbite on a pierced area there would be issues, but that would be the same if it were un-pierced.

  AMANDA,

  Of course you could replace them with surface staples. You will need to take care in choosing the appropriate staple dimensions which could be tedious.

  As far as irritating the skin when they are replaced… this is always a possibility and one that can not be avoided when changing surface piercing jewelry.

• 123 Curt // Aug 6, 2009 at 2:08 pm

  Anna,

  The only thing that will make that redness go away is proper healing. If your surface piercing rejects, that redness won’t get better… it will get worse.

  When and if the piercing heals the redness should subside.

• 124 Lisette // Aug 14, 2009 at 3:03 am

  Hey Curt!
  I have 4 surface piercings, 2 on my wrist and 2 by my collar bones. I got the ones by my collar bone 3 weeks ago, they are still red and swollen at the end of the piercings is this a sign of rejection? Can it be the shirts that irritate them? Also my left wrist surface piercing feels like it has a bump under the skin, if I touch the bump it’s very painful. This is starting to worry me a lot.. PLEASE HELP!

• 125 Rosh // Aug 18, 2009 at 9:11 am

  Hi there Curt!
  i got my hip [couldn't afford two atm! :(] pierced today, after wanting it for a year! And i love it (:

  i’m just wondering the best way to keep it clean/how often to clean it?

  Thanks!

• 126 Andrya // Aug 20, 2009 at 1:18 am

  Hey Curt!

  you probably get this a lot, but, I weigh around 130 pounds and I’m 5′3, is that a good weight for a hip piercing? and also, what should I do to take care of it so it won’t reject?

• 127 josie // Aug 20, 2009 at 9:38 pm

  hi curt. i am really wanting to get 2 surface piercings, one on the left side of my v cut and the other one on the right side of my v cut. will this be a problem spot for me? i am very active and i play volleyball and run track. the work outs that come with that include crunches and bending over and all sorts of movement. can ya help out here?

• 128 Kayla // Aug 21, 2009 at 6:02 pm

  Hey Curt.

  I just got my clavicles pierced, so I have two surface piercings. Can you change the balls on the ends after the healing period like you would a belly button or eyebrow? Thanks.

• 129 Curt // Aug 24, 2009 at 4:26 pm

  Lisette,

  The issues you speak of should be looked at by a professional piercer. Shirts can definitely irritate a piercing.

  Rosh,

  2-3 times a day should be plenty. Use a sea salt and water mixture. Be careful not to bump the piercing while cleaning it.

  Andrya,

  Everyone’s body is different and I can not give you an exact answer.

  josie,

  Trauma and pressure are the worst things for a surface piercing. If you think you can keep them from getting caught or in the way you could give them a try. I fear that your active lifestyle would not lend well to surface piercings.

  Kayla,

  I see no reason why you couldn’t, as long as the surface studs have removable balls.

• 130 juan // Aug 30, 2009 at 12:10 am

  hii
  i wanna get hip microdermal anchors now i know they don’t have a big rejection possibilty but i wanted to know what the thing that goes inside the body (i think its called an anchor) should be made out? steel? titanium? & what can i do so that to keep it clean & healthy?

• 131 lauren // Sep 5, 2009 at 2:05 am

  i want hip piercings and ive been doing a lot of research. i currently have 8 piercings and 3 tattoos. i exercise quite a bit and i was wondering if placing it higher on my hip or lower would be better

• 132 lola // Sep 5, 2009 at 11:18 am

  So about a week ago my friend and I went to go get our nipples pierced. Hers are healing up very nicely, while mine on the other hand are still sore to the touch, kind of swollen, red around the holes and has started to puss a little. Is this normal or should I be worried about infection or rejection? Ive been cleaning it with ivory soap and rinsing it with epson salts. is there anything else I should be doing?

• 133 cristin // Oct 8, 2009 at 6:47 pm

  I just got anchors on sept. 26 and its been about 3 weeks. There doing good I just want to know the signs of rejection. I made the mistake of wearing bandaids for to lonng so the sticky stuff from it have irritated my skin. They don’t hurt unless I press hard on them. Which I rarely do. There’s no red ness. I just get paranoid . I got my cheeeks pierced and they got infected due to the piercer giving me short barebell the balls wwent into my cheeks

• 134 Shaina // Oct 11, 2009 at 11:55 pm

  HI, I have gotten the sides of my bellybutton pierced twice on one side and 3 times on the other side. They keep rejecting though. I was told that this is a surface piercing and the first piercer that did it would only do one at a time and also pierced ( i dont remember the exact measurements) something like an iinch of skin with a 1/2 inch hoop or something and it started ripping itself out. I had to go to another piercer to have it removed. I waited about 4 months and had both sides done at the piercer that took the old one out, and they both rejected and almost immedietly started puching out, it was like the skin was dying. They weren’t infected or anything the skin was turning sort of gray in areas and flaking off really bad. I asked the piercer what to do and he said to take it out, let it heal and try again, i tried again a few months and it did the same thing as before. The piercer told me to let it heal and try again….AGAIN!! I spoke to a guy i went to highschool with who is a piercer/tatoo artist who also previously worked at the same shop as the piercer who kept telling me top try again, and he told me to just stop. Dont get it done again because it would just keep rejecting and that the other guy was just telling me to try again and again and again because he knew i really wanted it done and would keep paying for it over and over. So should I just forget the piercing? Or is there a way to make it work? keep in mind I now have scar tissue pretty badley on the sides of my belly button especially on the side that was done in the very beginning and screwed up.

• 135 Bri // Oct 12, 2009 at 12:12 am

  Hi,
  Alright so I’m the idiot that didnt do my research and got a surface hip piercing with a curved barbel, i know i dont have enough skin in it and im worried about rejection. It is a little red and i dont know if im paranoid or if its really loosing skin already. : ( but i love it and really dont want to take it out yet. I’m wondering if theres a possibility that a piercer could change the bar before it heals ( or rejects in my case ) I obviously would not go to the original place again …. any advice ?

• 136 richard // Oct 13, 2009 at 2:18 pm

  i have a nape surface piercing and have had it since at least june, the jewelry is a staple shaped surface bar and is the same as was put in wen it was pierced. i have recently noticed over the last couple of weeks the bar is close to the skin and the balls stick out more than prievously, yet its not angry, gooey, or painful. is it rejecting? and if so should i remove it?

• 137 Tiger-Lily // Oct 14, 2009 at 3:32 am

  I got my hand pierced nearly two weeks ago, the fleshy bit on the side, under my little finger. the bar is curved and the guy that pierced it had experience in surface piercings but had never pierced the hand before. It seems to be healing well but it’s a bit red around the balls, also its very itchy is that good or bad? i have kept it covered with a plaster since i had it done but have ran out and took it off yesterday, should i keep it covered? i am now very worried about it growing out and cannot find many people with a hand piercing in the same place to ask for advice what should i do ?

• 138 Alexandrea // Oct 14, 2009 at 1:08 pm

  Hello,
  I got a nape piercing done about 3 months and 2 weeks ago. The redness and swelling went away after about two or three days and it has been perfect ever since. I hadn’t had any problems up until yesterday when I noticed the left side of the piercing was a little red. It’s slightly swollen now and a tiny bit sore. I don’t know if it is rejecting or if it just got aggitated by my new work jacket. Is there anything I can do to reduce the redness and swelling? I don’t want to lose the piercing. I love it and would like to heal it instead of taking it out if at all possible. I’ve cleaned it a few times since I noticed the redness with H2Ocean so I’m hoping that will help. If you have any idea whats going on or what I can do to save my piercing please let me know! Thank you!
  -Ali

• 139 Missy // Nov 2, 2009 at 5:55 am

  Hey i just got my hips pierced liek last thursday, and i was just wondering, how can i clean it. Ive been gettin a cloth and using rock salt and stuff liek that,Is there any spray or stuff? And i deff dont want them leavin scars or rejecting. Get bak at me <3

• 140 Haley // Nov 9, 2009 at 3:06 am

  So I just got my hip pierced like 6 days ago…its super red around it and tender, and keeps pussing. Idk if I should just go get it removed or what?? I think it gets bumped tooo much for me too have it..idk what do you think??

• 141 Peg // Nov 22, 2009 at 11:41 am

  Hey im thinking about getting my sideburn pierced. good idea or bad? D: im pretty scared because that part moves alot when you talk and i talk ALOT!

• 142 Mary // Nov 23, 2009 at 8:19 pm

  i got my cleavage pierced about 9 months ago .. and theirs a bump growing under my skin.. what is that? should i be worried?

• 143 Cassie // Nov 28, 2009 at 4:49 pm

  I just got a skin piercing between my Cleavage n its just a barbell … Where i got it done they never told me any thing about a diff bar ….. Is there any chance it will heal ?

• 144 Angela // Dec 5, 2009 at 4:20 pm

  Hi, I am 17, and concidering getting hip or collar bone surface peircings, and am aware of the risks. I was wondering if all peircing reject eventually? If i take the peircing out once it starts to reject will the scar be bad? I also play the violin, wich requires a lot of movement in the collar bone area, where would be the best option for my peircings?

• 145 Katya // Dec 15, 2009 at 11:39 am

  Hi, I’m getting an anti-eyebrow piercing soon and although I’ve wanted it for quite some time, I’m beginning to have second thoughts. That’s mainly because every time this type of piercing is mentioned, it’s in connection with you being unable to have it for longer than a year or maybe two. Scarring isn’t a problem, as I’m already scarred enough, but to be honest, I don’t really want to give up a piercing after only a year or so. It would be a shame.
  Are surface piercings really that unreliable? Are there any tips that may help to prevent rejection, at least a little?

• 146 Yessi // Dec 16, 2009 at 12:09 am

  i got my bottom lip pierced about 3 weeks ago .. and theirs a bump growing on top of my skin.. what is that? should i be worried?

• 147 adellerosealee // Dec 16, 2009 at 11:18 am

  i got my hips pierced a week ago, my right one is healing quiet good, though my left one the ball has opened my piercing hole, and my ball sits slighty under my skin. i’ve very confussed as what to do. i don’t want to remove it unless it is the last resort. i clean them and attend to them properly. at the moment i have a bandaid under the ball so the ball can’t move into the hole. please help!

• 148 jordan // Dec 17, 2009 at 8:13 am

  curt
  i jus got the back of my neck periced and i like it alot but i dont no the proper way to clean it what should i use? and another thing is the percer used a straight plastic bar is that ok

• 149 gregg3ra // Dec 22, 2009 at 11:09 am

  I have had my eyebrows pierced 4 times,2 on each side ha,well I did them myself,I was highh,and all of them came out fine but I streched them out and one of them ripped and it didn’t hurt,coz I woke up and it was ripped and it has a lil scar but its chill still,I only have 1 on my right side now,but I pierced my brigde to days ago,with a safety pin and then now I have a curved piercing in it and I think its a lil tight ha,and its still swallen,yuu think that alright?

• 150 Alex // Dec 28, 2009 at 9:06 pm

  Hi!
  I just got my belly button pierced ( i know its not a surface piercing)
  but i was surfing the web looking for info because i was scared it was infected. Could yhou help me out anyway?
  I got it pierced about a week ago and on maybe the second day it began emitting a white/pale yellow discharge and crusting over
  it’s also red and tender.
  Some sites said this was a very bad sign and i should see a doctor and one said it was normal, whats your take?

  Thanks!

• 151 Kaleigh // Dec 31, 2009 at 6:49 pm

  Hello all,
  I actually was pleased to find this website
  Curt your advice would have been nice to have about five years ago for me when i started my body mod faze,
  Now on surface bars
  I have had My clavical pierced twice once with the bars and once with microdermals
  and hade better luck with the bars as the dermals regected in a couple of months I had my bars for over a year with a little regection in the last couple of months and caved in and took them out and had them re done with microdermals. Now Im on my way and looking to get my Sideburn pierced whats the likely hood of that regecting and in how long?

• 152 Adelle // Jan 3, 2010 at 2:02 am

  Hello Alex, I recently got my hips pierced, and the same thing has been happening lately. It is normal for all piercings too scab, make sure you are not taking the scabs off, and clean it twice a day. I clean mine with Sophomore Soap, its a type of detol soap. But salt water works fine. Make sure your not under cleaning, or over cleaning so usually morning and after noon. Be sure not too knock it as that will cause more irritation, and try not to sleep on your stomach, thats actually what has inflamed my piercings. But as for the discharge, thats just your bodys way off cleaning out your stomach, as at the moment theres obviciously a little infection. Good luck.

• 153 Kaleigh // Jan 3, 2010 at 4:52 pm

  Okay so I bit the bullet and got my sideburn done yesterday and Im pleasently suprised to find that whithin a few hours they were only just slightly red and didnt hurt at all it also didnt hurt to much to do the actual piercing Im going to take this as a good sign :)

• 154 Tamara // Jan 7, 2010 at 3:39 am

  Hey Curt,
  I had a cleavage surface piercing done with a barbell about 6 months ago. The healing took a long time, but once it finally healed I absolutely loved it. About two months ago, I suspected that it might be rejecting slightly and I was preparing to say goodbye to my new friend. Before I could take it out, the bar ripped through my skin. I could tell it hadn’t rejected much due to the length of the rip on my piercing. My problem is that I now have a huge red scar almost an inch long on my sternum. It’s really noticeable and I was wondering if you had any ideas to cover up the scar. I really miss the piercing and contemplated having a microdermal placed on the scar, but I know that’s a bad idea and would draw more attention to the scar. Please help!

• 155 Kaleigh // Jan 7, 2010 at 3:30 pm

  Tamara,
  Just a suggestion and I know Im not an expert But there are products out there for scar reducing and while they wont get rid of the scar completely they will help to fade that red or dark coloring down to something closer to your natural skin color. one of these products is called scarfade< I used it for a scar on my leg ( i got pushed into a barbed wire fence) and had great results with it. You can find these products at any drug store. :) just a suggestion

• 156 Raven // Jan 11, 2010 at 12:59 pm

  hey,
  I wana get my dimples pierced on my lower back! but im really scared its going to hurt? and i dont want it to get rejected! will they still use a surface bar? because the distance between the dimples…

• 157 Jessi // Jan 16, 2010 at 8:21 pm

  hi,
  so i got an anti eyebrow piercing yesterday and im a little concerned about it over all. its very bruised right now a dark purple color. is that normal? and i woke up this morning (total mayb 18 hours after getting the piercing) and there was some blood, is that normal? someone mentioned to me it might have been pierced to deep and im wondering if i wouldn’t just b better off taking it out. please let me know what u think. thx.

• 158 Kate // Jan 19, 2010 at 12:44 pm

  hi, i got my nape done about two weeks ago. its red around the edges but i saw a piercer and she said it’s normal, the piercer used a plastic striaght barbell because he said it allows more movement, is this the same as using the bent barbell you suggested??

• 159 timberley // Jan 22, 2010 at 1:04 pm

  hi, i’ve been doing tons of research on hip piercings and have wanted them since summer of ‘09. the problem is i cheer, so i have to wait for basketball season to be over, i’m planning on getting them done on my 18th birthday, march 6th. two questions, should I get one first and see how i like it then get the other? aaaand spring break starts for us on the 27th of march, would 21 days be enough time for it to heal so i’d be able to swim in pool/be in a hot tub a bit. and wouldn’t it be okay for me to get in the ocean because sea wter would help it?

• 160 josie // Jan 29, 2010 at 7:42 pm

  hi curt its josie again. i still havent gotten the piercing done on my hips i think im going to wait to schools out to avoid athletic practices, will i be able to swim when i get them pierced or will i have to wait till they heal? also i talked to someone about getting implants instead of getting surface piercings? apparently they are less likely to be rejected and are just all around a better idea for me. do you think you could fill me in on what implants are exactly? and will the scaring be worse with implants than with surface piercings if i want to get them out?

• 161 josie // Jan 30, 2010 at 11:07 pm

  ok so i was doing some more research and i found that they are also called skindivers

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