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People Are Ditching Classic Engagement Rings For Piercings

Updated September 8, 2021

Although I sport a tattoo, I've never felt the need to get any part of my body pierced. I was born with enough holes to manage, I don't need to add any more. But hey, if folks want to trick themselves out with shininess, I don't begrudge them at all. They don't need my permission to pierce!

But nobody wants to see anybody get injured or suffer long-term drawbacks to piercing. However, it looks like that might be possible with the recent trend of folks piercing their fingers.

And you have to hate to see something awful come from something done to celebrate a joyous occasion.

In many families, engagement rings are heirlooms, passed down throughout the generations as a powerful symbol of love.

Instagram | @lizbuenaventura

Nothing says "Welcome to the family" like a ring with a pedigree, after all.

Mind you, there's something to be said for starting new traditions, too, and making things uniquely your own. Which is why some people are opting to go without rings when they get engaged, and are instead getting piercings.

Dermal piercings put a twist on the old tradition, ditching the ring but not the stone.

Instagram | @ontheflywoods

So your ring finger will still sparkle, but instead of a band you can take on and off, it's embedded into your skin.

Nobody's too sure where this idea came from, but pics started popping up on Instagram as the practice gained popularity.

Instagram | @barnacle.ct

While the trend seems quite popular among women, there's no reason why it can't be done by anyone who appreciates it!

Billy DeBerry, a professional piercer, says he's been doing dermal piercings for engagements for at least a decade.

However, he told People that he's "only noticed them become popular since social media exposure."

Searching #fingerpiercing on Instagram turns up almost 5,000 results, suggesting it is indeed a growing phenomenon.

And as it turns out, people aren't shying away from mixing both traditional rings with dermal jewelry.

You might be wondering if the pain matches the pretty when it comes to dermal piercings.

But according to DeBerry, "If it will hurt always depends on the individual,” he told People, “Some people do a lot better than others."

He also says that the piercings are safe and easy to change out or even remove altogether if people decide they don't like them.

"Micro dermal anchors are safe and the body will hold them for years, as long as they're in ideal places and if implant-grade titanium is used," he said. "No stitches or doctor is needed for removal. It takes seconds to remove them."

However, many medical professionals are urging people to put some thought into it before committing to a finger piercing.

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As Dr. Lisa Kellett told Global News, fingers are troublesome spots to pierce, with unique complications.

"There are digital nerves and arteries that supply the finger, and if you were to pierce through them it would be a big problem," she says.

AKA, gushing blood outta your finger — something no one needs to experience.

It's not just the bleeding and the potential for nerve damage, either.

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"If you catch your finger on something, it could cause tearing or scarring, and scarring, in particular, can cause significant problems in range of motion and function of the finger," she says. "Unlike other parts of the body, the finger doesn't have a lot of tissue and it's hard to graft over that area."

In fact, it can be such a tricky spot for a piercing that some veterans of the piercing industry refuse to do it.

As Whitny Lapointe, a body piercer at Toronto's The Village Ink, told Global News, "It's highly infectious because you're always touching things with your hands, and it's very likely that you'll get it caught on things. It's not safe."

And many dispute the idea that finger piercings can last for a long time.

"The rejection rate is very high and the scarring can be pretty bad," professional piercer Adrian Castillo told Teen Vogue.

"One good snag of the jewelry could start the process of rejection which could take days or months and leaves you prone to infection or bad scarring."

And while you did sign up for a long-term commitment by getting a dermal piercing, it wasn't a commitment to scar tissue.

Regardless, many people continue to choose piercings over the traditional ring — but there are other options, too.

Instagram | @good_sign_tattoo

Tattoo rings have seen a rise in popularity as the taboo around tattoos has dissipated.

One of the greatest appeals of the tattoo ring is the complete control one has over what their ring will look like.

Instagram | @la_petite_butik

For some, it's a simple design like this one. Just a band and a promise to each other.

For others, they throw the whole idea of a ring away in favor of something more unique.

Instagram | @juan611

It's not uncommon to see words like trust, love, or a classic Mr. and Mrs. tattooed on the side of newlywed fingers.

Or, opt for the best of both worlds — a diamond, a piercing, and a tattoo, all on one hand.

Instagram | @_deadly_black_witch

Whatever you prefer, all that matters is that you love it, and that you understand the risks before you make any commitments.

h/t Global News

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