Surface piercings are any body piercing

Body piercing

Body piercing, a form of body modification, is the practice of puncturing or cutting a part of the human body, creating an opening in which jewelry may be worn. The word piercing can refer to the act or practice of body piercing, or to an opening in the body created by this act or practice...

s that take place on the surface sewn into the body through areas which are not particularly concave or convex, where the piercing canal transverses a surface flap of skin, rather than running completely through a piece of body tissue from one side to another. A surface bar follows the plane of skin, while a standard piercing is pierced through the plane.

Sometimes surface piercings are difficult to heal, because, as the body rejects the body jewelry as a foreign object, the jewelry is pushed to the surface, causing the piercing to grow out or also called rejection. Proper placement and jewelry selection by an experienced body piercer can help alleviate this problem. A well done surface can last anywhere between 3 months and several years.

The best jewelry to be used in a surface piercing is a surface bar, though some might have success with PTFE bar due to its flexibility.

Types of Piercings

Some more common, surface piercings are:

• Corset piercing
  Corset piercing
  A corset piercing is a series of surface piercings done to emulate the appearance of the lacing on the back of a corset. Two rows of bilaterally symmetrical piercings are performed and can be composed of as few as four piercings or as many as the length of the area being pierced and the vertical...
  
  , a series of bilaterally symmetrical piercings, normally done on the back, intended to be laced like a corset.
• Madison piercing
  Madison piercing
  A Madison piercing is a body piercing going through the skin at the front of the neck. They are surface piercings, and have a high rate of migration and rejection. They have a long healing period, if they heal at all...
  
  , a horizontal piercing located just above the collarbone, at the base of the neck.
• Vertical Tragus, in front of the ear through the tragus.
• Nape piercing
  Nape piercing
  A nape piercing is a piercing through the surface of the nape of the neck. Nape piercings are a type of surface piercing. They carry a high rate of rejection and migration, unless they are properly measured and placed...
  
  , located on the back of the neck.
• Neck piercing
  Neck piercing
  A neck piercing is a series of surface piercings done to emulate the appearance of a bite on the side of a person's neck. A barbell is placed in the skin of the side of the neck. When the earring/barbell is removed it looks like a vampire bite....
  
  , located on the side of the neck. (Also called 'Vampire Bites')
• Hip piercing
  Hip piercing
  A hip piercing is a piercing in the pelvic area through the skin near the hip bone. Hip piercing are done in couplets with one on each hip. Hips piercing are a type of surface piercing.-Jewelry:This piercing is generally fitted with a surface barbell...
  
  , located on the pelvis near the hips bones.
• Sternum piercing, located vertically or horizontally on the sternum.
• Wrist piercing
  Wrist piercing
  A wrist piercing is a piercing through the surface of the wrist, first popularized by Jon Cobb in PFIQ. Wrist piercings are a type of surface piercing.They carry a high rate of rejection and migration, unless they are properly measured and placed...
  
  , located on or near the wrist, generally on the upper side.
• Stomach piercing, anywhere on stomach but is usually close to the navel.
• Anti-eyebrow
  Anti-eyebrow
  An anti-eyebrow is a body piercing. Normally it is a small surface bar that is placed above the cheek bone or below the eyebrow. This piercing can be vertical or horizontal, depending on the person's preference...
  
  , located under the eye, or beside

Rejection

The body resists foreign objects inside itself, and that includes piercings. Rejection occurs when it is "easier" for the body to push the piercing out like a splinter than it is to heal a fistula

Fistula

In medicine, a fistula is an abnormal connection or passageway between two epithelium-lined organs or vessels that normally do not connect. It is generally a disease condition, but a fistula may be surgically created for therapeutic reasons.-Locations:Fistulas can develop in various parts of the...

(skin tunnel) around it. Rejection is common among surface piercings as well as navel piercings and eyebrow piercings among others.

Rejection is affected by placement, blood flow, irritation and abuse, as well as general health. The healthier a person is, the less likely problems may arise.

Cleaning

To help decrease the chance of rejection, cleaning a surface piercing regularly is a good idea. The best way to clean it is to use a saline solution or non-iodized sea salt solution. Be careful not to agitate the piercing. The piercing should be cleaned a few times a day for the first few weeks. Here is how to make non-iodized sea salt solution (1/4 tsp sea salt + 8oz warm water), dip a fresh gauze or a fresh cotton ball (beware of the cotton ball as it might leave fiber behind) then hold it against your piercing 5 minutes twice a day. Simply Saline or Wound Wash Saline comes in spray bottle will also useful but soaking method is much more effective because you will benefit from the heated solution.

You should do the sea salt soaking/saline solution soak as long as it takes, even after it heals; continue to soak twice a week to prolong the piercing existence.

External links

• BMEZine page on Surface Piercing Rejection - Explanation of various types of surface piercing techniques and rejection with several photos of piercings in the process of being rejected.
• Body piercing aftercare