If you’re thinking about getting an eyebrow piercing, but you aren’t sure what style of jewelry would be best or you don’t know anything about proper eyebrow piercing aftercare, no sweat! We’ll cover these topics and more in these Eyebrow Piercing FAQs, like what gauge to start with, how to identify and deal with any post-piercing problems that arise, the coolest eyebrow rings on the market, and more.
Common Eyebrow Piercing Questions
Q. What’s the ideal starter size for eyebrow piercing jewelry?
Q. Am I stuck with eyebrow rings, or are there other styles of eyebrow piercing jewelry I can wear?
Q, Where should I go to get my eyebrow pierced?
Q. What do eyebrow piercings cost?
Q. What if I’m under 18? Do I need to take my mom or dad or any other special info with me to get pierced?
Q. Can I get a double eyebrow piercing in one sitting?
Q. What does proper eyebrow piercing aftercare entail?
Q. What kind of problems can arise with a new eyebrow piercing, and how should I handle them?
Q. How long will it take for my eyebrow piercing to heal?
Q. At what point can I change my eyebrow piercing jewelry myself?
Q. How is an eyebrow piercing different from an anti-eyebrow piercing?
Q. Is there special eyebrow piercing jewelry for guys?
Q. If I’m not ready for a real piercing, how can I get a fake eyebrow piercing?
Answers to Common Eyebrow Piercing FAQs
Q. What’s the ideal starter size for eyebrow piercing jewelry?
A. The most popular sizes for eyebrow piercings range from 12g up to 18g. However, the thicker the gauge, the more likely you’ll be to keep your eyebrow piercing long-term, so don’t start out with jewelry that’s too small. Eyebrow piercing are surface piercings, which means they have exit and entry points, but not ones that go cleanly through a body part like earlobe piercings do. Instead, the skin will be pinched to create a forced entry and exit point for the needle and jewelry. From the moment you’re pierced, your body will immediately start fighting against the foreign object, trying to push it out slowly like it would a splinter. If you start of with a 12g or even a 14g eyebrow piercing barbell, your jewelry is less likely to migrate out over time. Piercing deeply and with the heaviest gauge that’s appropriate for a particular body part is the best way to minimize chances of migration and rejection with surface piercings.
Q. Am I stuck with eyebrow rings, or are there other styles of eyebrow piercing jewelry I can wear?
A. There are two primary styles of eyebrow jewelry with lots of sub-styles available. You’re absolutely not limited to eyebrow rings, but if you choose rings, you open yourself up to the options of captive bead rings, seamless rings, D-rings, segment rings, and even spiral rings. You can also choose from more traditional-style eyebrow rings, which look like mini bent barbells, and circular barbells, which are basically horseshoe-shaped rings. Here’s a sample of some of the more popular styles of eyebrow piercing jewelry options available to you:
Q. Where should I go to get my eyebrow pierced?
A. It’s best to have a highly-recommended piercer in your area pierce your eyebrow for you. A professional piercer will be best equipped to pierce you at the ideal depth to minimize chances of migration and rejection. A tattoo and piercing shop will also be able to better ensure that you’ll receive service under the safest standards possible. Your piercer should autoclave the jewelry you’re having inserted right in front of you, setup a sterile tray and lay out all the packaged tools s/he’ll need to pierced you, and wait to open any of those tools until you’re situated, have had your skin prepped, and your piercer has put on a fresh pair of gloves prior to starting the piercing process.
ONLY let a professional pierce your eyebrow with a proper piercing needle that’s been immediately removed from its packaging right before being used on you. Piercing needles are relatively inexpensive now, so there’s no good reason for artists cutting corners and re-sterilizing used needles.
Q. What do eyebrow piercings cost?
A. A single eyebrow piercing averages $40 in the city, although it may cost more in more upscale areas and less in more rural ones. The cost of rent and the volume of traffic are two factors that tend to affect a shop’s piercing price list. If $40 seems steep to you, keep in mind what a small portion the person doing the work will likely receive. They have to pay for tools and jewelry out of the money they make, and the shop they work for will take a commission from each piercing they do, except when the piercer owns the shop or on the rare occasions a shop pays a piercer an hourly salary. Piercing is largely a commission-based business, though, and every penny counts to a piercing artist, so be generous with your tip if your artist does a good job. (Give a minimum of 15% unless they were terrible, rude or otherwise unprofessional, and preferably 20%-25% for exceptional service.)
Q. What if I’m under 18? Do I need to take my mom or dad or any other special info with me to get pierced?
A. In our Piercing Minors article and Tips for Piercing Minors blog post, we talk about state-by-state regulations regarding piercing minors. If you’re under 18 and want to get your nipples or genitals pierced, you’ll simply have to wait until you turn 18. There are a handful of states like New Mexico, Washington, Vermont, and Nevada where there are currently no other state-wide piercing age restrictions, but most shops in those states still require a parent or legal guardian to provide written consent for you to get piercing before you turn 18, and many require that the consenting parent or guardian stay on premise during the procedure. Even if your state allows minors to get pierced with parental permission, you may still find that you have to be over a certain age to get your eyebrow pierced, like 15.
Visit our Piercing Minors page to review the state-by-state list of laws for piercing minors and the repercussions for not following the rules. You may also need to look at your city or county’s website for additional rules added at a local level, and always check with your preferred piercer to see if their shop has set its own minimum age requirements for particular piercings.
Q. Can I get a double eyebrow piercing in one sitting?
A. There’s absolutely no reason you can’t get more than one eyebrow piercing in one sitting, as long as you’re up for the physical challenge. Getting an eyebrow piercing isn’t the most painful thing in the world, and most people’s adrenaline starts kicking when they’re about to be pierced, providing a somewhat numbing effect. If you’re scared that you still won’t be able to take the discomfort, ask your piercing artist to spray on a topical anesthetic like Dr. Numb a minimum of 20 minutes before piercing you. The 5% lidocaine in the spray will numb the skin where you’re about to get pierced and help make it a more comfortable experience.
Q. What does proper eyebrow piercing aftercare entail?
A. Caring for a new eyebrow piercing is pretty much just like aftercare for every other type of piercing. Your piercer will give you a bottle of aftercare spray like Recovery Piercing Aftercare Spray, and tell you to mist it on your piercing 3-6 times per day. That’s one of the most important things you can do to help your piercing heal fully and well, as the saline wash will keep your piercing hole (fistula) flushed of debris and bacteria. It’s also important to minimize touching your new jewelry as much as possible. Note that you may develop crusties, which are just the result of clear lymph that your body naturally excretes when healing any wound drying to a whitish crust that can sometimes make your jewelry feel stuck in place. If that happens to you, soften the crusties with sea salt solution, and then gently wipe them away with a clean tissue.
Do not twist, turn or slide your jewelry to break up crusties, because you can push bacteria into the healing fistula, leading to infection.
While your eyebrow piercing is healing, it’s important to take care of yourself in general. Be hygienic overall, but don’t wash your piercing with soap. Soap can be drying and cause delays in the healing process, particularly if it’s scented. Eat nutritiously to keep your immune system strong, and get plenty of good sleep, since that’s when our bodies heal best. Avoid nicotine and alcohol as much as possible, too. Both things can slow down your body’s natural ability to heal, and alcohol can slow your body’s ability to clot if a scab comes loose.
Q. What kind of problems can arise with a new eyebrow piercing, and how should I handle them?
A. There are a few problems that may potentially arise with a new piercing, but most can be easily overcome with enhanced aftercare. For instance, if you experience excessive swelling and skin around your piercing that’s red, itchy and irritated, you could be having an allergic reaction to your jewelry. Have your piercer change it to a piece of jewelry made from an inert metal like titanium or a hypoallergenic material like BioPlast (PTFE) right away and see if that resolves the issue.
If you develop the notorious “red piercing bump”, don’t worry; it’s highly unlikely you’re developing a keloid or a scar of any kind. This type of issue, called hypergranulation, is most likely to present when pressure and moisture are both present. If your eyebrow ring is too tight, have your piercer change it out for a longer barbell ASAP to get the pressure off before it causes tissue death (necrosis), which can lead to infection.
Signs of infection include red streaks radiating from your piercing, skin that’s hot to the touch, potentially fever, and discharge of thick, yellowish pus. If you have any of these symptoms or have just had your jewelry changed because of one of the other possible issues listed, it’s important to ramp up your aftercare regime for the next one to two weeks. Of course, if symptoms of infection get worse within a couple days, you should see your family doctor about getting on an antibiotic, too.
When ramping up your piercing aftercare regime to address an eyebrow piercing problem, you should go back to misting your piercing morning, noon and night with a piercing aftercare spray, and any other time your piercing feels hot and irritated. You may also want to incorporate 2 full sea salt solution soaks per day, where you saturate a series of clean cotton balls with aftercare spray and press them gently to the front and back of your piercing for a total of 5 minutes. If your skin is dry or cracked, add a small drop of tea tree oil to the saturated cotton ball before applying it. Tea tree oil is a natural moisturizer and antiseptic that can help your irritated piercing heal faster.
Q. How long will it take for my eyebrow piercing to heal?
A. Your eyebrow piercing may appear fully healed within 6 weeks, but it’s best to give it at least 3 months before attempting to change your jewelry yourself. It takes time for the fistula (piercing hole) to thicken and reinforce to a point where it isn’t constantly being irritated, particularly when new jewelry is pushed trough. The longer you leave your starter jewelry alone, the more likely you are to be able to keep your eyebrow piercing as long as you want and with the fewest problems during the healing process.
Q. At what point can I change my eyebrow piercing jewelry myself?
A. The first time you change out any starter jewelry, it can be tough. If you made a mistake and bought jewelry in the next gauge up, you may not be able to insert it yourself fast enough and end up with a closed hole by the time you get to a piercer for help. If you really want to change your jewelry at the 6 week mark, definitely have your piercer make the change for you, even if there’s a small jewelry change fee involved. Even at 3+ months, you may want a helping hand the first time you change your eyebrow ring.
Alternatively, you can try using a few little tools to make it easier to change your jewelry yourself. For instance, get a threaded taper in the same size as your new jewelry, and attached the jewelry to one end of the taper. Apply a small drop of water-based lubricant like Astroglide on the tip of the taper, and gently work it through your piercing. 
Or, instead of using a taper, use a piece of jewelry with a complimentary thread pattern (ex., if your current barbell is external, find an internal one with matching threading or a converter post to help you link up the new and old jewelry and use the new jewelry to push out the old jewelry.
Q. How is an eyebrow piercing different from an anti-eyebrow piercing?
A. An eyebrow piercing is placed anywhere along the ridge of the eyebrow. An anti-eyebrow piercing is placed below the outer bottom corner of one eye. Sometimes anti-eyebrow piercings are done using surface barbells, other times they’re done using dermal anchors. Some people just have a single “tear drop” shaped dermal placed below the corner of their eye as an anti-eyebrow piercing that looks like a permanent tear.
Q. Is there special eyebrow piercing jewelry for guys?
A. There’s a ton of cool eyebrow piercing jewelry for guys. Many guys favor darker colors, like blackout jewelry, as well as barbells with cool shapes on the ends, like alien heads, snakes and other more masculine designs. Here are a few of our most popular male eyebrow piercing jewelry:
Q. If I’m not ready for a real piercing, how can I get a fake eyebrow piercing?
A. If you’re looking for something more realistic than a traditional clip-on earring to make it appear like you’ve had your eyebrow pierced or some other body part like your ear cartilage or navel pierced, we have the answer for you: captive bead rings! 
Now if you’re scratching your head wondering how you can make a real piercing ring look like part of a faux eyebrow piercing, don’t worry; it’s an easy trick. Just pop out the captive bead, pinch the skin where you want to slide on the captive ring, slide it on, and gently squeeze the ends together until the ring stays in place well. You may have to play around with the different diameters until you find a ring that fits closely and well, but it should be a fairly affordable experiment. Make sure you get a ring in a manageable gauge, like 14g, 16g or even 18g, and you’ll be set. Oh, and save the captive balls for later… After all, you never know when you may want to get a real eyebrow piercing and put that captive ring to proper use later!
