Choosing Eyebrow Piercing Placement

While many piercings date back thousands of years, eyebrow piercings are a recent creation. They began to appear in the 1970s as a fashion statement. If you’re looking to make a statement of your own, eyebrow piercings are a great option. Depending on placement the name, eyebrow piercing, is sometimes a misnomer as it can describe facial piercings along or near the brow. There are a number of placement options depending on the type of eyebrow piercing you get.

Types of Eyebrow Piercings

Although it is a relatively new piercing category, there are already a number of cool variations of eyebrow piercings. We take a brief look at some of the most popular types, including:

• Vertical
• Horizontal
• Multiple
• Bridge
• Anti-eyebrow

Vertical Eyebrow Piercings

Vertical eyebrow piercings are the standard style. Just like the name suggests, this is a vertical piercing that goes anywhere along the ridge of the eyebrow. The most common placement is to pierce at a 35-degree angle from the outside corner of the eye. Most vertical eyebrow piercings are a single piercing with two holes (one in, one out). But alternatives like spiral eyebrow piercings can have 2-3 piercings for 4-6 holes. These have a single piece of jewellery looping through the eyebrow.

Horizontal Eyebrow Piercings

Horizontal eyebrow piercings are similar to vertical. The key difference, of course, is that they are pierced horizontally. Otherwise, the placement options are the same. Once again, the most common location is towards the outside corner of the eye. Vertical and horizontal eyebrow piercings are the most standard types. But you can make them as unique as you like by picking piercing jewellery and placement that fits your style.

Multiple Eyebrow Piercings

Multiple piercings are the big thing in piercings right now. We see this in other piercing types such as the curated ear. They are usually a combination of vertical eyebrow piercings or vertical and horizontal. T eyebrow piercings are a multiple piercing type that always stands out. In these, a vertical and a horizontal eyebrow piercing overlap, creating a T shape.

Bridge Piercing

Bridge piercings are the first of these piercings that ventures off the brow itself. If you trace the ridge of your eyebrow to the bridge of the nose, you come to the location of a bridge piercing. It is a horizontal piercing with the jewellery on either side of the nose, right between the eyes. Your facial characteristics can determine whether this is the right eyebrow piercing for you. The area needs to have enough flesh. If the skin is too tight the piercing may shift.

Anti-Eyebrow Piercing

Anti-eyebrow piercings are opposite the eyebrow. These piercings are below the eye, about the same distance from the eye as standard eyebrow piercings. To get a feel for anti-eyebrow placement options, trace your finger along the orbital bone below the eye. Usually, this piercing is along or just below this ridge.

Eyebrow Piercing Placement Risks

So long as proper piercing safety procedure is followed, eyebrow piercing is generally safe. There are, however, potential risks depending on placement. This is part of why you should go to a professional piercing shop for your next piercing. With any piercing, there is some risk. Usually, the main risks are infection or rejection of the piercing. These are avoided by following proper aftercare, choosing hypoallergenic jewellery, and using experienced piercers at sanitary studios. For some eyebrow piercings, there are claims of an extra risk. The supposed risk is that if you pierce too low between the eye and brow, or too close to the nose you could hit a major nerve. If the nerve is pierced there is a possibility of minor nerve damage. There are two ways to avoid this risk. The first is to choose a different placement for your eyebrow piercing, such as the upper-outer brow. The second is to visit a professional piercing artist at a studio. They have the experience to pierce without going to deep.

Eyebrow Piercing Jewellery

The options for eyebrow piercing jewellery are plentiful. Most, however, fall into one of two categories:

1. Barbell
2. Rings

Barbell Jewellery

Not just for weightlifters, barbells are common for eyebrow piercings. They are a simple piece with a bar going through the piecing. The barbell ends come in a variety of styles. You can choose anything from a simple ball to diamond clusters. The most popular types of barbells for eyebrow piercings are curved barbells. Other options include surface bars, spiral, and circular barbells. Straight barbells, however, should not be used for eyebrow piercings.

Eyebrow rings

Rings are another popular option for eyebrow piercings. Fixed ball and captive bead rings are two of the most common rings for this piercing. A captive bead ring consists of two parts, a ring and a bead or ball. The ring doesn’t complete quite a full circle. The bead fills in the gap between the ring ends, giving the appearance of a completed circle. A fixed bead ring is similar to a captive bead ring. But instead, the bead is in a fixed position. It has the advantage of it being harder to lose the bead. The disadvantage is that upon close inspection, you can see a gap between the bead and the open ring end.

Getting An Eyebrow Piercing in Toronto & Vancouver

Toronto & Vancouver is an ideal city for body modification. Here, you’re able to choose the best piercing artists and studios. In the hands of these professionals, eyebrow piercings are safe, fun, and unique piercings.