Eyebrow
Sites where rejection is most common include those with “surface to surface” piercings, such as the eyebrow, where the piercer picks up a fold of skin and puts a needle through it to insert a piece of jewelry. These piercings have a higher propensity to work the jewelry out and not heal as well.

Nose
Bridge
Piercing of the bridge of the nose is uncommon. In this piercing, a barbell is placed beneath the skin of the nose and above the nasal bone. Ideally, there should be no pressure on the nasal bone from this jewelry.

Septum
Piercing of the nasal septum is more common. Occasionally, the piercing in stretched so thatjewelry or pieced of wood, bone, etc. can be inserted.

The septum or structure between the nostrils is also becoming popular. The jewelry is placed through the septum just above the quadrangular cartilage. There is usually a small depression in this area towards the front of the nose. A ring or barbell can be inserted. Once the piercing is healed, the hole can be stretched and a variety of jewelry can be inserted.

Nostril piercings
With the abundant circulation in the nose, infectious complications are relatively rare.

Oral
Tongue
People with pierced tongues describe them as fun to have. They will often scrape their jewelry along the insides of the teeth to make a noise then display the piercing to others. The jewelry consists of a 0.5-1.0 inch 10 to 20 gauge barbell of surgical steel or gold with a solid post. Threads are tapped on each end of the barbell. The balls may be made of gold, stainless steel, or hematite (a solid, non-porous material) and have a threaded post that fits into the barbell.

Piercing should be along the midline. The tongue is quite vascular and most blood vessels are located to the left or right of the center of the tongue. If the barbell is placed in a forward position, it is said to enhance oral sex. Unfortunately, this forward position also interferes with speech. A compromise is further back, where there is little effect on speaking.

Following the piercing, the tongue will swell for a few days. Normally this does not block the airway or hamper the ability to swallow. If there is bleeding inside the tongue, swelling can become quite large. If the piercer uses a device that is too small, the subsequent swelling of the tongue can cause the device to be buried within the tongue.

Complications of tongue piercing are relatively common. Piercing has been associated with infections, prolonged bleeding, numbness, loss of taste, interference with speech and chewing, and possible inhaling of the jewelry. Infection rates increase when the jewelry is “played with.” The jewelry can also cause the patient to lisp or slur their speech.

Lip
The piercing of the lips is common throughout the world. Lip decorations may be either a ring or a labret stud. The labret is a small bolt with a ball or jewel on one end and a flat plate on the end which goes inside the mouth. Many different labret studs are available including steel, gold plated, glow-in-the-dark Lucite, and a variety of gemstones. Most labrets are positioned in the center of the lower lip about 5-10 mm below the vermilion border. A labret may be positioned in the corner of the upper lip, in the position of an old fashioned beauty mark. This piercing is called a ”Chrome Crawford” after the model Cindy Crawford.

A lip or labret piercing usually takes about 6-8 weeks to heal. Swelling occurs for the first 2-3 days and may last for as long as 2 weeks. Most piercers will install a longer stud during this first two weeks to accommodate this swelling.

Labret studs and lip rings can be imbedded in the soft tissue of the inner lip. This causes an infection.