Facial piercings are a unique way to draw attention to your face. As soon as they are eligible to get one, many teens want a piercing.  However, especially for teenagers, information on how to safely acquire one is hard to come by. Many people have basic questions about facial piercings that go unanswered, such as inquiries about safety, cleanliness, and the pain level of each kind of piercing.

 You can pierce any part of your face. Nose, lips, eyebrow, cheeks, and even inside your mouth are all on the table. The pain level of a face piercing can vary depending on your own personal pain tolerance and the location, but the common rule of thumb is the more skin there is to pierce, the more it is going to hurt. Eyebrow piercings and nose piercings hurt less because the skin that is being pierced is thin. However, piercings like lip piercings and dimple piercings hurt far worse because the skin is thicker around those areas. The bulk of the pain all comes from the initial piercing session and the first week after it is done. As it heals, it starts to hurt less.

 Facial piercings can be dangerous if you do not approach them correctly. Plenty of youths opt to attempt do-it-yourself piercings at home to avoid the cost of getting one professionally done or to avoid asking their parents. Piercing at home is incredibly unsafe and usually leads to disaster. Professional piercers are educated on the exact location that is meant to be pierced and have specific tools they use to avoid causing trauma to the skin, like piercing needles, which are safer than piercing guns. Attempting piercings at home can lead to dangerous infections and can cause yourself even more pain.

 Aftercare for a facial piercing is just as important as the process of getting the piercing done. It is important to keep in mind that a wound in your face was just created, and it needs to be cared for properly in order to heal. Keeping your piercings clean daily with salt spray or gentle sanitary soap is important in order not to get infections. The healing time can change depending on the location of the piercing. As long as you keep the piercing clean and avoid moving the jewelry around too much, your healing time should not be too long. Facial piercings might not be for you if you are not a responsible person. They require frequent care and looking after. A piercing infection is not the end of the world, but if it does not go away after a few days and starts to ache, keep in touch with your doctor.     

 Piercings are not permanent the way tattoos are; over time, they will close up if you allow them to. One should not get one unless they are sure they want to, but remember that a facial piercing is not a forever decision. “Face piercings are pretty cool,” junior Juan Pina said. “I myself won’t get one, but when I see other people with one, I think it’s pretty sick.” Besides the pain, the social stigma around facial piercings is what usually scares first time piercers most. No matter who you are, there is a piercing for you that you can enjoy if you so want one. Jobs will still be out there for you, even if your pool is limited slightly. Finally, if anyone judges you by a bar, hoop, or ball you have in your face, they are not someone you would want to have as a friend anyway.