The wedding industry has seen lots of crazy trends. Sexy lingerie-inspired wedding dresses, tattooed engagement rings, and pets serving as honor attendants (ok, maybe that’s just more cute than crazy!). But now, according to The Sydney Morning Herald, engagement piercings are the latest trend.
What are engagement piercings? Instead of wearing a ring, the diamond (or stone of choice) is actually pierced onto the finger—like an earring on the lobe. But, while piercing a piece of loose skin like the earlobe is fairly common, “dermal piercings” might be a bit risky.
The Morning Herald interviewed a dermatologist who noted that this type of piercing on the hand might be subject to more risk for infection, noting that our daily habits could expose the piercing to gross bacteria or a simple task could rip the piercing site. While you can remove an engagement ring when you’re handling raw meat or washing your hair, you cannot remove a fresh piercing!
Still, if you’re absolutely committed to showing your commitment to your beloved by showcasing your love with a piercing, be careful and research all your options. The site TatRing suggests that titanium should be used in dermal piercings. Piercings are a foreign object, and any piercing can become infected. Or your body may reject the piercing. So pursue this trend at your own risk! A professional piercer should be selected who has vast experience at this type of piercing. This is not the time to visit a local discount piercer. Once the piercing is in place, your piercer should tell you how to keep the area clean.
As for what jewel you choose for your engagement piercing, that’s entirely up to you. A loose diamond may be selected to be made into a pierce-able piece. Or choose another type of stone. Some individuals use multiple stones for a trio of piercings to create a unique three-stone finger design. The more stones, however, the more piercings you might need!
The size of the piercing is also up to the individual. Of course, larger diamonds might be more likely to catch onto clothing or be more cumbersome. Jewel sizes should be discussed with a professional, but many of these piercings tend to be on the smaller side—after all, the jewel does have to fit within the size of the finger! So while this might look like a cool edgy trend, you might also be limiting the diamond or stone size that you can choose for your statement piece. For some, this might not be an issue. However, if you love massive carat diamonds or more shapely stones, a piercing might not be the best option for you.
Since there are health concerns with any piercing, you should also talk with a doctor about any possible risks or concerns. As for pain, every individual is different and has a unique pain threshold. But there will be healing time for any piercing.
Healing may also come with a not-so-pretty appearance. If you want that insta-worthy engagement pic, a piercing may take some time before you can show it off on the ‘gram. This won’t be the ‘I just got engaged, look at the ring’ kind of experience!
Every individual and every love story is unique and every couple showcases their love and commitment differently. However, a ring is the safest symbol of forever! Before you settle on the engagement piercing trend, be cautious, do your research and find out any risks associated with the procedure before you pierce that diamond into your skin. Your engagement should be a joyous moment, it shouldn’t send you to the ER.
