Surface piercings are some of the most dynamic and versatile body piercings out there. Curious about getting one but not totally sure what you’re signing up for? Don’t worry, we’ve got answers. This FAQ breaks down everything you need to know before booking your appointment. Keep scrolling to get the full scoop or jump straight to the questions you care about most using the links below. Frequently Asked Surface Piercing Questions Q. What Is a Surface Piercing? Q. What Types of Surface Piercings Can You Get? Q. How Are Surface Piercings Different Than Dermal Piercings? Q. How Are Surface Piercings Placed? Q. What's the Most Popular Gauge for Surface Bars? Q. What's the Best Type of Surface Piercing Barbell? Q. What’s the Right Aftercare for a Surface Piercing? Q. How Long Does It Take a Surface Piercing to Heal? Q. What Problems Can Happen While a Surface Piercing Heals? Q. What's the Best Way to Change Surface Piercing Tops? Q. Where Can I Buy Surface Piercing Jewelry? Q. What's the Best Way to Remove a Surface Barbell? Q. Where Can I Find More Surface Piercing Information? Answers to Common Surface Piercing Questions Q. What Is a Surface Piercing? A. Surface piercings are double-ended piercings that have no natural entry or exit points. Instead, the jewelry is placed just beneath the skin in the dermis layer. To make that happen, a piercer will pinch up a small section of skin, use a piercing needle to create openings, and slide the jewelry into place. Most of the time, this jewelry is a surface barbell piercing. It sits flat under the skin, with only the two ends visible. Once it’s in, the only thing you’ll see are the dermal tops that screw onto each post of the bar—giving you the look you want without all the hardware showing. Q. What Types of Surface Piercings Can a Person Get? A. Surface piercings can be placed in almost any spot you can imagine. Nape, hip, anti-eyebrow, chest, you name it. They all fall under the surface piercing umbrella. Unlike a standard ear or nose piercing, a surface bar piercing sits flat under the skin, giving you tons of creative options for placement and jewelry styles. That said, there are a few no-go zones. You’ll want to avoid areas around joints (like elbows, knees, or shoulders) because all that constant motion and friction make the piercing more likely to migrate or reject. Popular surface piercings include: Face Surface Piercings: Eyebrow/Anti-eyebrow Bridge (across the bridge of the nose) Upper/Lower Abdomen Surface Piercings: Nape (horizontal/vertical on the back of the neck) Chest Cleavage Belly Button Hip Genital Surface Piercings: Christina (above the clitoral hood) Frenum (horizontal across the underside of the penile shaft) Dydoe (through the top edge of the penis) Kuno (through uncircumcised penile foreskin) Lorum (horizontal through the skin at the base of the penile shaft) Scrotum/Hafada Pubic Guiche (between scrotum and anus/perinium Fourchette (on back edge of the vulva) Bonus tip: Not every piercing above is suited to a surface bar piercing. Some genital piercings require straight barbells or captive rings, while eyebrow and belly button piercings are usually done with curved barbells. Surface bars shine in placements like anti-eyebrow, nape, chest, cleavage, hips, Christina, and other flat surface piercings across the body. Q. How Are Surface Piercings Different Than Dermal Piercings? A. The main difference comes down to how the jewelry sits under your skin. A surface piercing has both an entry and exit point. A dermal piercing, on the other hand, is a single-point piercing, with an anchor holding a single top in place. Sometimes people get two dermals close together to mimic the look of a surface piercing, but there’s no hardware connecting them under the skin like there is with a surface bar. The way they’re done is different, too. With dermals, a piercer either uses a dermal punch to remove a tiny bit of tissue for the anchor or makes a hole with a piercing needle. Surface piercings involve inserting a surface bar, which you’ll read more about in the next section. Bonus tip: Learn more about the differences between dermal and surface piercings here. Q. How Are Surface Piercings Placed? A. Surface piercings are a bit more invasive than dermal piercings, and they can sometimes be more complicated to place. The most common method is for a piercer to pinch up a small section of skin, create an entry and exit point with a needle, and then guide a surface barbell through behind the needle. For deeper placements, some piercers use a scalpel to create a small hole under the epidermis before inserting the surface bar. While it sounds intense, the scalpel method actually reduces the risk of migration and rejection because it gives the jewelry a more secure “pocket” to sit in. Whichever method is used, the result is the same: only the two tops of the surface bar are visible on the skin’s surface, while the rest of the jewelry stays hidden. Q. What's the Most Popular Gauge for Surface Bars? A. The most common gauges for a surface bar piercing are 14g and 16g. That said, heavier options like 12g and even 10g barbells are out there, too. The “right” gauge really depends on where your surface piercing is being placed: 16g: Often used for facial surface piercings, like anti-eyebrows. 12g or 10g: Works better in areas with thicker tissue, like the chest or hips. Many 14g and 12g surface bars can share the same tops. Just make sure the threading and size match your jewelry posts before you swap anything out. Q. What's the Best Type of Surface Piercing Barbell? A. Most surface bar piercings use barbells made from either implant-grade titanium or surgical stainless steel. Titanium is the go-to choice if you’ve got any metal sensitivities. When it comes to style, you’ll have options: Length: Determine how close or far apart your dermal tops sit on the surface of your skin. Post angle: Some piercings need wider angles so the tops sit flush instead of sticking up awkwardly. Your piercer will help you choose the best surface bar for your placement, but you can absolutely request your preferred material (titanium vs. steel) and barbell length. Q. What’s the Right Aftercare for a Surface Piercing? A. Just like with any new piercing, aftercare makes or breaks your healing. How to give your surface piercing the best shot at success: Boost your immune system: Sleep well, stay hydrated, eat nutritious foods, and keep up good hygiene. Skip the blood thinners: Avoid alcohol, lots of caffeine, and aspirin. For pain relief, stick with acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil). Keep it clean (but not soaked): No pools, hot tubs, or baths while you heal. Communal water = bacteria risk. Hands off the jewelry: Don’t touch your surface bar unless absolutely necessary, and only with clean or gloved hands. And definitely don’t let others touch it. Dress for healing: Wear loose-fitting clothes to minimize friction and pressure that could cause migration or rejection. Saline is your BFF: Spritz 3–6 times daily with a quality piercing aftercare spray (like Recovery Piercing Aftercare Spray). Add two sea salt solution soaks per day to flush debris, soothe irritation, and keep skin hydrated. DIY recipe: 1 cup sterile water + ¼ tsp sea salt (boil tap water for 5 minutes or buy sterile). Use cotton balls soaked in the solution (hold 30 seconds each, then toss) or apply spray directly. For more details on making your own saline soak, read How Saline Solutions Help with Piercing Aftercare. Dry skin fix: Add 2–3 drops of Recovery Tea Tree Oil to your DIY soak, or 1 drop onto a saline-soaked cotton ball. Avoid creams, balms, or oils: They trap bacteria and clog the piercing channel. Using the Recovery Aftercare Sea Salt + Tea Tree Oil Combo Pack makes this easy. Be patient with jewelry changes: Don’t swap your surface bar tops too early. The dermis needs time to grow around the barbell and secure it. Messing with it too soon can cause dislodging. Bonus tip: If you see signs of infection, hypergranulation, or other issues, increase soaks to 3 times per day and add a piercing-safe antiseptic cleanser once or twice daily. Q. How Long Does It Take a Surface Piercing to Heal? A. Healing times vary depending on the placement, but most surface piercings need at least 3 months before you even think about changing the decorative tops. If you run into any issues like irritation or delayed healing, you may need to wait longer. It’s always smart to have your piercer check your healing progress before switching jewelry. For a small fee, many piercers will even change the tops for you, which reduces the risk of messing with a still-sensitive piercing. Good news is the longer you’ve had your surface bar piercing, the easier it’ll be to swap out tops yourself when you’re fully healed. Q. What Problems Can Happen While a Surface Piercing Heals? A. Most surface piercings heal without major issues, but there are a few common problems to watch for: Excessive Swelling If swelling makes your decorative tops sink into the skin, act quickly: Take acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil) if you can tolerate them. Apply a clean, wrapped gel ice pack. Visit your piercer: They may suggest temporary healing posts to relieve pressure. ⚠️ Too much pressure can lead to necrosis (tissue death) and infection, so don’t ignore major swelling. Hypergranulations These look like red, puffy bumps near the piercing site and are often mistaken for keloids. The difference is, hypergranulations usually stay right at the piercing site, while keloids grow well beyond it. Caused by excess pressure and moisture. See your piercer for healing posts if your tops press into your skin, Ramp up aftercare: 3 saline soaks per day (add tea tree oil if needed), 3–6 daily saline sprays, and antiseptic rinses or swabs as needed. Infections Warning signs: thick yellow pus, red streaks, skin that’s hot to the touch, or fever. How to reduce your risk of infection: Prevent infection with good aftercare. If one develops, increase aftercare: 3 saline + tea tree oil soaks per day, 3–6 daily saline sprays, and antiseptic cleansers 1–2 times per day. If it worsens, see a doctor. If prescribed antibiotics, finish the full course. Migration & Rejection Because surface bars have no “natural” entry/exit points, the body sometimes pushes them out like a splinter. Piercers reduce this risk by using a heavy-gauge surface bar piercing and placing it deeply. The scalpel method can also help. How you can help: Wear loose clothing to avoid friction and stick to saline (not soap) for cleaning. If rejection starts, see your piercer. Removing the jewelry early reduces scarring and makes re-piercing easier later. Piercing Scars Scars usually form later, not in the first 3 months. If you see a bump early, it’s more likely a hypergranulation or rejection issue. Keloid scars (rare) grow beyond the piercing site and are usually hereditary. See a dermatologist for removal options. Hypertrophic scars (raised) and atrophic scars (indented) are more common. They can be treated at home by massaging silicone scar gel or jojoba oil into the tissue twice daily until it fades. Help prevent piercing scars with consistent aftercare, both during healing and after removing a surface bar. For more about avoiding piercing scars, check out our in-depth guide to piercing aftercare. Q. What's the Best Way to Change Surface Piercing Tops? A. Once your surface piercing is fully healed, you should be able to change your tops by hand. But if they get stuck, here are some tools and tips that can help: By Hand: Most of the time, healed tops can be unscrewed and swapped out without tools. Body Jewelry Forceps: If you still need more grip, forceps can securely hold the tops so you can twist them free. Bonus tip: If you want jeweled tops without constant unscrewing, try magnetic dermal tops. Once your piercer installs a magnetic base in place of your starter tops, you can change decorative tops anytime—no tools required. Q. Where Can I Buy Surface Piercing Jewelry? A. We carry a huge selection of surgical steel and titanium surface barbells, plus tons of decorative tops. Check out our Surface Barbells section to browse the full collection at some of the best prices online. Q. What's the Best Way to Remove a Surface Barbell? A. When it’s time to retire your surface piercing, always let a professional piercer handle the removal. Trying to take it out yourself can cause unnecessary damage and scarring. For a small fee, your piercer can remove it safely and cleanly. Q. Where Can I Find More Surface Piercing Information? A. We’ve got plenty of resources beyond these FAQs. Dive into blogs and full-length articles like: Surface Piercings vs. Dermal Piercings Dermal Piercing & Surface Piercing FAQs
