The Truth About Dermal Piercings
There is a lot to consider when getting a body piercing. But there is even more to look into when deciding on a dermal piercing, which is a single-point surface piercing. Traditional piercings have an entrance point and exit point — dermal piercings do not. The piercer has to do a bit more work to get your dermal appropriately placed, and you may have to give a little more TLC to your new body modification (via Painful Pleasures).
Dermals can be positioned on the face, the chest, back of the neck, arms, lower back — or just about anywhere — so here's the truth about where and when to get this unique-looking piercing (via Healthline).
Dermal piercings aren't the easiest things to take care of
A dermal punch or a needle is used to remove or separate a small bit of flesh, and then the piercer places a dermal anchor with forceps into the resulting space. The anchor serves as a base and becomes more secure over time (via TatRing). The jewelry is then threaded into the anchor.
Healing time for a dermal is between one to three months — however, it may take longer depending on where it is located.
The downfall of this type of piercing is that they are very prone to migration and rejection due to the fact that they aren't placed deep into your tissue, which means that if it starts to migrate, the piercing will have to eventually be removed if it doesn't pop out on its own.
In order to prevent the dermal anchor from migrating, you have to protect your piercing more than usual. Don't let it snag, become exposed to sweat, or be pulled during the healing process. Another way to avoid rejection is find an area of the body that has more skin. Areas on the sternum, face, nape, or throat are more likely to be rejected. Nevertheless, the piercing may still reject because of the body's natural ability to push out foreign objects (via Painful Pleasures).
Dermal piercings may be tough to get and tough to heal but they look fantastic
Another reason dermals can be a bit tricky is that if they do reject, they may result in a scar, and while this is not as obvious as getting tattooed, it will be a reminder of something you did in the past that didn't exactly work out. While some people are more sensitive to scarring than others, they may also develop something called a keloid which is an overgrowth of scar tissue. If the piercing is removed, it may even leave a small discoloration on the area where the piercing was implanted (via Grazia Daily). According to Healthline, dermals are also a pretty penny — they can cost upwards to $100 — and removing them down the road by a piercer will cost you again.
As you can tell, dermal piercings aren't for the faint of heart. It's more of an implant than a piercing, and the healing process isn't for the casual body modifier, just like you're not likely to sit down for a conch piercing if you're not up to the aftercare. Chat with your piercer and do your research before investing in this one-of-a-kind statement.