Engagement Ring Dermal Piercings Are Trending On Instagram
Forget septums and nipple rings. The latest piercing trend to take over Instagram is somewhere much more unexpected and painful-looking: the finger — specifically, the left ring finger. According to The Independent, couples are now ditching diamond rings in favor of commemorating their engagements with something slightly more permanent, a dermal piercing affixed with a traditional diamond. That means instead of having their diamonds held on with a band of metal, some engaged couples are getting their ring fingers pierced so the diamond looks like it's just floating on top of the skin.
According to the Association of Professional Piercers, dermal piercings are also called surface anchors, microdermals, dermal anchors, and single-point piercings. The APP describes the method as involving a "tiny ornament [being] inserted into a single opening that is formed in the tissue with the same tools that are used for body piercing."
Unlike other piercings, which has one point of entry and one point of exit, a dermal's single opening "is the entrance as well as the exit." But although they might look complicated, "when properly performed by a skilled practitioner, surface anchor piercing is no more risky than an ordinary body piercing and takes no longer to perform or to heal," the APP states.
"The rejection rate is very high and the scarring can be pretty bad," professional piercer Adrian Castillo told Teen Vogue. "They sit on the surface of the skin so they are very prone to getting snagged."
Another safety issue specific to finger piercings is that they pose an exceptional sanitary risk, as well as being one of the most mobile parts of your body: "Your hands go in your pockets, purses, jackets, shirts, towels, and all sorts of things multiple times a day," Adrian explains. "one good snag of the jewelry could start the process of rejection which could take days or months and leaves you prone to infection or bad scarring."
As Bustle reports, there are also more than a few concerns from doctors and dermatologists, as well. Medical risks of dermal anchors include tissue damage, the damage of nerves and blood vessels, a migrating piercing, and an embedded piercing — all of which come from getting pierced by someone who isn't a highly skilled professional. (Other risks, like infections, come with any piercing.)
The engagement ring piercing trend isn't exactly new — some Instagram posts date back years — but as The Independent notes, it's recently hit viral status on Instagram.
"Most viral [piercing] trends don't go into detail about the healing process, the discomfort, and the possible long term effects of doing these things to your body," says Adrian. "I always tell people to listen to their piercer: A real professional will definitely let you know the cons of any body modification."
Related: 15 Dainty Piercing Ideas for Ears and Body
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