Dermal piercing, Micro Dermal

Dermal piercings: our guide

Dermal/micro dermal piercings are all the rage, but require careful consideration before deciding on. They are hugely popular for their versatility and unique modern style, being one of the few kinds of piercing that stand out from the pack. Like many of the piercing styles now becoming popular, dermal piercings used to be buried firmly in the underworld of body piercing and considered more of body modification than a piercing. While this may be true, it is certain that people are becoming more accepting of this and other more extreme piercing types. While the look achieved can be very striking, such as using horns and patterns of spikes (used to most shocking effect on the head and face) micro dermal piercings are now being seen in much more subtle and innocuous sites. This comes back to the versatility of this type of piercing, enabling the wearer to carefully choose to place their implant almost anywhere the desire. Body piercing groups all over the world are finding innovative ways to combine dermal implants with tattoos, embracing the art of the cyberpunk effect on a transhumanist plane. So the style can really suit any type of piercing aficionado: everything from extreme to feminine and discreet, and the dermal implants viable to be worn in almost any part of the body.

Dermal piercings can only be safely located on certain parts of the body, and choosing to have the piercing in an appropriate location means that advice should always be sought from you piercer at every stage. One should also consider the style of initial piercing, paying attention to your lifestyle during the important healing process for what can be one of the more sensitive types of piercing. However, by providing the information below we aim to help you make the initial decision of whether or not a dermal piercing is even right for you or not, down to choosing the most appropriate look from a seemingly endless array of dermal piercing possibilities.

Dermal Piercings Defined

Microdermal piercings can also be known as just dermal piercings, known for being the only type that enters the body through one single point. Beneath the skin, an anchor is implanted in order to hold the rest of the jewelry in place. Depending on the area that is being pierced, one of two different options for the anchor part of the jewelry can be chosen. One type has a thin round base, and the shallower style is great for locations on the body with thinner skin, such as from the chest up.

The anchor usually takes a flat form and is aligned at right angles to the body of the dermal piercing above the skin. Some jewelry – both footed and skin anchor styles, may have a design such as holes or perforations, enabling the skin to form around the anchor and heal more snugly. Dermal anchor jewelry comes in styles which have a separable piece, allowing the wearer to change the head piece for a different design, and some are fixed in place so that they cannot be removed once inserted.

The most popular ways of inserting dermal anchors are with a dermal punch, and also by a normal needle piercing procedure. First, the location is checked, then a piece of skin can be punched and the dermal anchor emplaced. This procedure requires some experience so always check with your piercer. Threaded tapers and forceps for use with micro dermal anchors are used to insert the anchor. If the piercing was chosen is of the type that screws together with a headpiece, at this point the piercer can then attach the 2 pieces together, leaving the dermal anchor in place intact. This procedure must, of course, be done carefully and with the right tools specifically designed for dermal anchors. The wound will still be very fresh and highly sensitive, so sometimes a piercer will opt to attach the dermal anchor to the decorative piece before implanting the jewelry. Once in place, the healing process can begin.

Choosing Dermal Anchor  Piercing Jewelry

As with all new piercings, it is vital to choose the correct size and shape of your initial piercing jewelry. For dermal anchors, it is especially important given that this style is one of the more sensitive – snagging on clothing, friction from exercise and whether the fresh piercing is getting enough exposure to the air are all factors to consider.

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