Brides with Piercings! Let's Talk!

As a society, we can’t deny that piercings have grown in popularity, because well, they’re cool! Piercings are a fun way to express our individuality. I, myself, have 15 piercings, and I’m always willing to add more. As a professional makeup artist and hairstylist who specializes in weddings, I’ve had the opportunity to work with many brides who have facial piercings and a lot of them ask my opinion as to what jewelry would best compliment their overall bridal look. It offers me a lot of space to be creative and help guide them towards informed decisions regarding not only their makeup and hair, but their piercings as well in order to achieve their dream bridal aesthetic.

Trending Jewelry

While your facial piercings can certainly be the center of attention on any regular day, we most likely don’t want them to attract ALL the attention on your wedding day. I recommend choosing jewelry that compliments your overall look, rather than statement pieces on your face. Consider things like your wedding gown and the other jewelry you might be wearing i.e. a necklace, earrings, bracelets, etc. Are you wearing gold, silver, diamonds/jewels, pearls, or something different? Does your dress have any beading? Try choosing facial jewelry that is cohesive with these elements

As a wedding professional, I’m still seeing a lot of gold, and a lot of pearls on my brides (although I do predict that silver will be making a comeback). My favorite body jewelry website, BodyArtForms has endless options to choose from. A few options I think would compliment a lot of bridal looks include gold or white gold/silver studs and simple hoops (clickers are my personal favorite because they’re the easiest to put in and remove in my experience, while still being very secure). These are always safe options that are still really beautiful.

If you’re looking for something a little more unique but still along the lines of the “traditional” bridal realm, this Gemmed Marquiss screw is super cute and dainty but unique, or even this Gemmed Marquiss septum ring (pictured below from BodyArtForms).

Of course these options are generalized based on what I’m currently seeing in the wedding industry. If you’re someone who wants to showcase your piercings with more eye-catching jewelry, you do you! BodyArtForms has so many options!

No Piercing Look

Sometimes brides prefer to forego or camouflage their facial piercings on their wedding day, and that’s ok! Maybe you have family members with more traditional views, or maybe you just simply don’t want your piercings to show. Regardless, there are options for you too. Of course the obvious option is take out the jewelry… but what if you don’t necessarily want your piercing to close or don’t want the hole to be visible? What I recommend doing in these circumstances is getting what’s called Retainer or Hider Jewelry. These are either clear or flesh colored, and while they may still be visible up close, they will generally do the trick of concealing them to most of your guests and in your wedding photos.

Proper Maintenance And Cleanliness

More often than not, I see piercings on clients that look red/inflamed, dry, flakey, and sometimes even bumps or keloids. While these issues can be concealed with makeup, most of the time makeup is going to magnify these imperfections surrounding your piercings, making these unsightly issues even more visible and potentially causing them to worsen. No thank you!

To avoid these issues altogether, it’s extremely important to regularly clean your piercings with a gentle cleansing solution. I recommend following your professional piercer’s aftercare instructions. BodyArtForms also has many aftercare products, and my personal secret weapon for all my piercings has been HibiClens.

New Piercings

While I am someone who will always be in your corner to get a new piercing, I would not necessarily recommend getting one right before your wedding. Piercings take a long time to heal, and are susceptible to swelling, inflammation and even infection when they’re brand new. Because of this, it would be almost impossible to wear the jewelry you’d like to wear for your wedding in your new piercing. If you are dead-set on adding to your collection before your wedding, be sure to schedule your piercing appointment with a PROFESSIONAL piercer at least 6 months before your wedding day. This will ensure your piercing has time to heal, given you’re following proper aftercare instructions. And please, I BEG YOU, do not get pierced by someone using a piercing gun. Piercing guns cause way more trauma and your piercing will take way longer to heal. We’re not getting pierced at Claire’s anymore you guys! Did I just age myself? Yes, yes I did.

I'll conclude this by saying piercings can be such a cool way to express yourself! Regardless of whether you want to enhance your bridal look by including your facial piercings or covering them up, I hope these tips and recommendations will help you make an informed decision that best suits your vision for your wedding day. As always, remember to choose a look that makes you feel comfortable and confident. Be Authentically You!

Love and Beauty,

Karissa Lorinne