In the early days there were piercings of the upper ears, nose, eyebrows, and belly button, and very few outside challenges. Then as time went on and more modification artists started to expand and explore, new piercings like the daith, the madison, and the nasallang came about. But right in the here and now is where mod enthusiasts should feel the luckiest, especially since we live in the age of dermals and surface piercings.
Surface piercings are those piercings in which both the entry and exit points occur on the same plane of skin, with only the tips or decorative portions of the jewelry being visible. This type of piercing utilizes a staple shaped barbell called a surface bar, and the barbell portion itself remains below the skin, with both free ends resting above. This enables artists to pierce the human body almost anywhere.
There are several methods of creating a channel within the skin to house the surface barbell, including the use of forceps and a single needle (like a regular piercing), the use of two needles and no forceps, and the technique known as “punch and taper” which employs a taper or needle along with a dermal punch. The use of many of these approaches will depend on both the area of the piercing, and the preferences of the piercer.
Most surface piercings carry a slightly higher risk of migration or rejection comparative to standard piercings, but with proper aftercare and maintenance, they can be healed and worn comfortably for many years. The surface bar itself is not continually changed out or removed, but the tips can be changed repeatedly to augment the look of the piercing.
Some of the most popular surface piercing sites include the wrists, the nape of the neck, the eye/cheek area, the hips, the clavicles, the sternum, and the side of the head near the ear (in the tragus area).
