The most common types of facial piercings are located around the nose, lips, and cheeks. Some people also get facial piercings done on their eyebrows. There are many different variations in piercings done in these locations, and people often try to get as creative as possible in their variations. The recovery time for different piercings in the facial areas also varies depending on the location and sensitivity of the area pierced. Recovery time is also dependent on how well after-care instructions are followed.
Nose piercings are one of the most common facial piercings. Most people with nose piercings have the piercings done in the corners of their noses, on either the right or left side, just above where the top corner of the nostril meets the side of the nose. Some people also get septum piercings, which are done through the piece of cartilage separating each nostril. Septum piercings tend to resemble piercings done on the noses of bulls, and people often use hoop jewelry to decorate their septum piercings.
Lip piercings, which are also commonly referred to as labret piercings, are also fairly popular. Most types of lip piercings are done through the top of the lower lip so that the jewelry can come out on the other side. Spider bites and snake bites are two common variations on the traditional vertical labret piercing, which is characterized by one piercing in the middle of the lower lip. Spider bites are three piercings in the top of the lower lip that are all close together, while snake bites involve two piercings in the top of the lower lip, which may be spaced apart on either side of the lower lip. Hoop jewelry is often used in spider bite and snake bite piercings so that the piercings will more closely resemble the appearance of fangs.
Cheek piercings are another type of common facial piercing, and these are often referred to as dimple piercings. With cheek piercing, the areas where dimples usually form is typically pierced. These piercings can accentuate the look of existing dimples, or they can make a person appear to have dimples when she does not. Eyebrow piercings are also a very popular type of facial piercing. Most people pierce just one end of their eyebrows, usually on the side farthest away from their noses, while other people might sport multiple eyebrow piercings along the entire length of one or both eyebrows.
Facial piercings can take several weeks to several months to completely heal, depending on the location of the piercings and how well they are taken care of. Eyebrow piercings tend to heal faster than nose and lip piercings because the tissue involved in eyebrow piercings doesn't stay moist, whereas tissue in nose and lip piercings may continually get wet due to the presence of mucus and saliva. Cheek piercings might also take a while to heal because of the sensitivity of the inside of the cheek. People who want their facial piercings to heal as quickly as possible should diligently follow all after-care instructions given to them by their piercing specialists.
