Microdermal Anchoring and Dermal Accessories

What is a Microdermal piercing?

A Microdermal piercing (also known as Microdermal anchoring) is a similar procedure to any surface piercing; however, it involves only one single-point incision into the skin creating a ‘pocket’ for Microdermal jewellery. The Microdermal anchor is held in place by ‘hooking’ into the pocket of skin. The single-point entry of the procedure means that only one end of the jewellery is seen on the surface of the skin, unlike standard piercings that will have two accessories at each entry hole of the piercing.

What are the advantages of a Microdermal piercing?

Microdermal anchoring is a very versatile procedure that can be placed almost anywhere on the body, although healing can indeed be difficult on areas of high movement. As dermal anchors allow the skin to move, pull & stretch, this allows the body to heal with less scarring and smaller possibility of the jewellery migrating and rejecting. A great range of placement possibilities have been successfully accomplished with dermal anchoring, such as the face, fingers, neck, arms, head, hips and back; all of which are much more difficult to heal as standard surface piercings.

Microdermal piercings are great for body modification where only one visible threaded accessory is desired, such as a ‘Third-Eye’ Microdermal, placed in between the eyebrows.

Microdermal piercings are also very popular as an alternative to lip and labret piercings, as they make tooth damage & gum recession a thing of the past!

How long does a Microdermal piercing take to heal?

Healing time varies depending on placement and care. Some people find healing a fairly quick process within 1-3 months, however, some have been known to take 6-12 months. It is important to note that even after this time, a regular cleaning routine is still important. Careful aftercare instructions will be provided to you when your piercer has done the procedure, depending on how the piercer feels is best for you to look after your new modification!

View our full range of Blackline Dermal Anchors and Accessories!

How is a Microdermal piercing removed?

Microdermal anchors are considered a permanent piercing; once healed, they can only be removed by making an incision into the healed flesh to allow the anchor to be removed. For this reason, it is important to carefully consider the placement of the jewellery when deciding to have the procedure.

View our full range of Titanium Dermal Anchors and Accessories!

Body Piercings and Piercing Retainers

Body piercing retainers are designed to be discreet, whilst keeping your piercing open. Piercing retainers are commonly made from transparent acrylics such as Bioplast, Bioflex and PTFE but can also come in a variety of metals for hidden piercings such as the Septum.

This Titanium septum retainer can be flipped up into your nose, out of sight!

Any acrylic retainer can be worn during medical procedures, x-rays and scans as they do not contain any metal. Piercing retainers are also ideal for wearing to work, school and for playing sports to prevent injury. Piercing retainers are very versatile and can be used for virtually any piercing you have, from nostrils, eyebrows and navels to stretched ears and genital piercings. We have a wide selection of retainers to choose from, in many different sizes and shapes.

The best thing about Bioplast, Bioflex and PTFE acrylic is the ability to autoclave (pressure-steam sterilize) the retainer for initial piercings, so you can request to be pierced with a retainer at your piercing studio. If you need to change your existing jewellery for a retainer before your piercing has healed you can ask your piercer to autoclave and fit the retainer for you.

Different Types of Piercing Retainers

Here is an overview of the different types of retainers you can find and the piercings they are most commonly worn in. Remember, body piercing jewellery and piercing retainers can be used to your own personal requirements; as long as they fit your piercing size correctly you can wear them wherever you choose or need to!

Labret Retainers:

Labret retainers are very versatile and come in a variety of styles, including clear-top, flesh-tone, beauty-spot-black and clear o-ring. Labret retainers are also known as ‘lip retainers’, however, they are not only used for lip, labret and monroe piercings but also earlobes, tragus and other cartilage ear piercings. The soft acrylic material and flat base plate on labret retainers make them incredibly comfortable to wear in ear piercings, whilst also preventing injury or damage to the teeth and gums for oral piercings. Labret retainers are available in two gauges (thicknesses); 1.2mm and 1.6mm, and 3 different lengths; 6mm, 8mm and 10mm.

Nostril Retainers:

Our Nose Piercing Retainers are available in two different designs; the professional hook nose screw studs that 'twist' into your nose piercing, or the straight nose pins that have one straight stem. Nostril retainers are also available in different gauges (thicknesses) to ensure you have a perfect fit! The most common nostril piercing size will be 1mm, but we also have 0.8mm and 1.2mm for those who may have downsized or stretched up.

Tongue Retainers:

Tongue retainers come in a variety of colours and shapes, with a standard length of 16mm that can easily be cut down to length and re-threaded for a perfect fit (re-threading of acrylic stems is explained further on in this article). The most secure retainers for tongue piercings would be the dome-topped barbells, available in transparent clear, flesh-tone and pink. The dome-top is threaded onto the end of the bar, ensuring to stay in place just like any standard threaded barbell.

Curved Retainers:

Curved Bioplast retainer stems can be used for eyebrow piercing, navel piercings and any other piercing that will fit the size of the stem correctly. We have them in both 1.2mm and 1.6mm gauges, at a long length of 25mm that can be cut down and re-threaded for a perfect fit. More information on re-threading acrylic can be found further below. A flat base-plate is fixed to one end of the curved retainer stem, but you can choose to add your own accessory onto the other end of the stem. We have a selection of accessories to use for securing retainers in place, shown further below.

Silicone Flesh Plug Retainers:

If you have stretched your piercings and need larger gauge hiders to keep them discreet, these flesh-tone silicone hider plugs are the way to go! Available in a great range of sizes from 2.4mm to 19mm, these stretched-piercing retainers are flexible and soft, making them easy and comfortable to wear for any occasion.

Circular Barbell Retainers:

These 1.2mm micro-circular barbells are available in 1.2 x 8mm, commonly worn in micro septum, earlobe, tragus and cartilage piercings that fit this gauge and internal diameter. Both ends of the circular barbell stems are threaded to fit any 1.2mm accessory, although you can also use our range of push-fit balls and o-rings, shown further below…

Barbell Stems:

We have a wide selection of barbell stem retainers that can be used for different piercings as required by you, from lip, labret and monroe piercings to cheek, eyebrow, nipple, conch, tongue and other piercings that fit the gauge and length of the stem correctly.

Barbell stem retainers come in a variety of styles, including a straight barbell without any fixed ends, or with a fixed base-plate in the form of a ball, or flat disc or half-ball (dome).

Barbell stems are available in both 1.2mm and 1.6mm gauges, with varying lengths that can easily be cut down and re-threaded to fit virtually any piercing perfectly!

We also have long strips of PTFE stem (which can also be purchased as a set with a Threading Tool) as shown below, which can be cut down and worn in any piercing that fits either 1.2mm or 1.6mm gauges. More information on re-threading of your acrylics can be found further below.

Piercing Retainer Accessories:

Piercing retainers can be held in place using push-fit balls or o-rings, which can be easily fitted by pushing them onto the end of the stem. Push-fit labret retainers will be supplied with their own push-fit accessories, which will fit into the hollow stem of the stud.

Push-fit balls, silicone o-rings and Bioflex discs are available in different sizes, so you can use them on both 1.2mm and 1.6mm stems.

Cutting and Re-Threading your Bioplast, Bioflex and PTFE Stems

Acrylic stems are flexible and soft, therefore can be easily cut down to your desired length and threaded for a custom, snug fit in your piercing.

Simply trim the retainer stem at a slight angle (remember to allow some space for the thread when measuring the length!) and use the Threading Tool to push and twist a new thread on the end of the stem; quick and easy!

If you do not have this handy little tool, not to worry! You can do the same thing using a metal threaded accessory by pushing and twisting it onto the stem, which will screw a new thread onto your stem (but may be slightly trickier!).

Other Acrylic Body Piercing Jewellery

Acrylic Smooth Segment Rings are a cheap and lightweight alternative to heavy large gauge jewellery. They are very easy to open and close, and are perfect for PA piercings where metal jewellery is not an option. These smooth segment rings are ideal for healed piercings only, as they cannot be autoclaved.

Acrylic Ball Closure Rings are available in a range of sizes and colours. The captive accessory is easy to remove and fit, making these rings quick and easy to use!

Diary of a Snug Piercing

Chapter 1 - To the studio…

“It was almost a week ago now, since I popped over to Manchester with my friend Jen to further decorate my ear with metal! I knew exactly what I wanted - I was starting an ear project after already having my lobes done twice, my helix and my nostril pierced. I always loved the look of a snug more than say a Daith or a Rook. I had read up on snugs for months beforehand so I knew exactly what I was getting myself into - a painful piercing that can be pretty problematic to heal! I figured it would be worth it.

I'd been to ‘Holier than Thou’ before and I believe it to be the very best piercing studio in the North West of England at least! It's wonderful - they'll do almost anything because their techniques extend so far. I entered the shop, all bright and full of wonderful body jewellery, and showed my friend Jen (who'd never been there before) around the shop. When it was my turn I asked for a snug and the shop assistant (with the most gorgeous scarification and bright pink hair) put me down on the list and gave me the usual forms to fill in. Because it was a Saturday it was busier than usual, and there was a nipple and a navel before my snug. This didn't take long though, not when you're browsing through portfolios. Finally Marcus came out with his smiley face and said "snug?”.

I followed him into the studio (Jen had decided to stay in the shop) which is always bright, clean and comfortable, and I can honestly say I'm not nervous any more before a piercing. I think the adrenaline gets me so much that I don't panic. I asked him about the jewellery, he said he would be using a titanium curved barbell/bananabell type piece, which would be slightly too long to allow for swelling. This was exactly what I wanted anyway, and it would be pierced at 1.6mm (14ga). He complimented my ear shape and said how much he also loved snugs...but pointed out that they're still quite unusual which makes them more interesting to look at.

He marked my ear where he thought it would be best for healing and it was in the middle of my ear right where I wanted it. I nodded and sat back down, placing my hands on the padded seat in case I needed to squeeze! He did the "breathe in, breathe out" routine and I'd be lying if I said it didn't hurt; it did. I could feel the needle going through one side right to the other...it took slightly longer than my nostril because there was more cartilage and it was done freehand. I'd say it was roughly twice as painful as my nose, but with my nose I barely felt a thing. So my snug was also a completely bearable sensation. I didn't feel the jewellery go in either, which was good.

When it was done I was so happy. It looked beautiful - subtle but very noticeable at the same time. Marcus asked if he could take a photograph for his portfolio because I had such a "prominent ear shape for a snug". I was flattered and said yes! He took the photo and it looked great! After thanking Marcus repeatedly, I returned into the shop part of ‘Holier than Thou’ where Jen was waiting. I felt fine and already my ear was giving me no stinging or pain. She looked at it and approved of it very much! I paid the lady with the bright pink hair (£20 which I think is a fantastic price) and left in complete happiness.

I will continue to go to ‘Holier than Thou’ - it has a great atmosphere about it. Even though the general type of person that goes in there is very heavily ‘modded’, it is not at all intimidating like I'd have thought 3 years ago when I was 14. It's actually quite beautiful and very interesting. I love seeing other people's piercings and tattoos.

Well, it has been almost a week and I can say Miss Snug has settled into the family perfectly! She has not swelled up at all and gets minimal crusties. I have avoided banging my ear and I haven't slept on the snug side either. I do sea salt soaks once or twice a day with drops of tea tree oil in - works a treat! At the moment my snug, notorious for causing problems, has been the least problematic of ALL my piercings. And I'm not complaining either! If you like this piercing and think it would fit in well with the structure of your ear (because that is important for successful healing - the deeper it can go the better) then I say go for it! It's so pretty. All my friends have complimented it.”

Chapter 2 – The Healing Process

Picture 2 - (First 2 weeks)

"CONSTANT MAJOR SWELLING! My snug and whole ear is throbbing all the time, even with ibuprofen/ice/warm salt soaks. There’s not much bar left either but luckily there’s no signs of imbedding. I don’t know if I’m just being a wimp or not but it’s really painful at the moment and I’m just trying to stick it out. I was told that this would probably last a week so I’m not looking forward to sleeping."

Picture 3 - (1 Month in)

"The swelling has gone down somewhat but when I compare my snug ear to my other ear it still looks a lot bigger! And, oh yes…I’ve developed the beginnings of 'The Bump'. This is a familiar sight. Time for the tea tree oil I think. Sleep is still impossible on my snug side by the way."

Picture 4 - (3 Months in)

"My snug is still not happy and has swelled up a bit more from when I’ve accidentally slept on it (I'm an acrobatic sleeper!); so temperamental. It still has daily crusties and a bump on one exit hole. I just have my hair over my ear all the time to hide it and I’m beginning to question if this was really worth all the damn effort. I know other people who for one reason or another have retired their snugs…they really can be hell. But I’ve ordered a Bioplast curved barbell which is a gauge lower than it is now and still generous in length (as you never know!), as recommended by a piercer friend."

Picture 5 - (5 months in)

"My snug is actually bump-less for the first time in about 4 months! It just kept shrinking and growing, shrinking and growing. But I’m determined to keep it away now. My ear’s general swollen state (which I thought would never go) has actually gone down dramatically over the last couple of weeks and there is so much of the Bioplast bar showing as you can see (which seems to really have done it a lot of good!). I’ll have to get another shorter Bioplast bar when I’m brave enough to change it again to avoid any new irritation from the bar moving."

Picture 6 - 7 Months in

"My snug has gone through so many stages; it’s unbelievable! As it stands now it is FINALLY happy, and loved as though it was the day it was done. I’ve considered retiring it so many times over these 7 months but I’m so glad I didn’t! It’s a big commitment…you can’t just leave snugs alone, you have to look after them or they bite you in the bum (or ear in this case). My ear is “normal” sized again which is great to see, and the Bioplast curved bar I have in is only 6mm (to give you an idea of the extent of swelling it was double that when it was pierced!). I’m so pleased though. I affectionately refer to my piercing as ‘Snuglas’, and now show it off at every given opportunity as it is bump-less, crust-less, pretty and perfect.

If you're considering getting a snug (because they do look amazing) just make sure you go to a piercer who knows what they are doing and puts a very large curved barbell in - not a straight one. 12mm is usually sufficient but even mine swelled right up to the bar. Also, be prepared for a lot of pain, some headaches, neck ache even, and throbbing pains. Ibuprofen does help but when you sleep it's very difficult to not sleepily roll over and wake yourself up in agony!

But don’t let this put you off (she says!) because I am so glad I stuck with it. And you never know, everyone's different, you might have a breezy healing process. It's a lovely piercing to own and also one you don't see every day. I love it!"