They might’ve once been the reserve of gothic teenagers, but piercings are now a mainstream beauty priority. As seen from celebs like Cynthia Erivo and Florence Pugh, a well-styled, well-chosen piercing really can improve your beauty game. But if you’ve never had a piercing before, or you’re thinking about getting your first piercing in adulthood, then you might not have a clue where to start with finding the chicest option.
Teenagers typically lean towards the most outlandish or statement piercings. Yet, as an adult in the working world, you want something that’s more casual and that serves as an addition to your outfits, rather than a screaming statement all of the time. But what piercing fits that bill?
Frustratingly, the answer varies for everyone. Keep on reading as we delve into a few considerations that could help you find the perfect piercing at last.
# 1 – Think About Your Features
Features should undeniably be the first thing you think about when considering piercings, as these literally mean the difference between a piercing that works and one that definitely doesn’t. Ultimately, you want a piercing that works in harmony with your features, rather than an ill-suited one that stands out in the wrong way at every turn.
Face shape is perhaps the main consideration here, especially when you’re thinking about facial piercings like a nose ring, septum, or lip piercing. In this instance, people with an oval face can typically look fantastic with statement earrings or a sleek nose stud, while a round face can work best with teardrop studs, helix piercings, or a nose ring. There are plenty of face shape tools you can use if you’re unsure which category you fall into. Then, you’ll be able to do a little research into your most flattering options.
Bear in mind that other features should also play a role here. For instance, you may sometimes find that cartilage piercings are both unflattering and sometimes not even possible on certain ears. Equally, you’ll want to think about nose shape, with everything from the depth of your dips to the width of your nose itself making a difference. Let’s say you have a wide nose with subtle dips; you may well want to shop for gold nose rings here to finish your look. Alternatively, if you have a narrow nose with deep dips, striking studs may well work better.
# 2 – Consider What Works With Your Style
Let’s not forget that even the technically best piercing for your features will still look out of place if you don’t also factor general style into your choice. As we’ve already touched on, you no longer need to be a teenager all dressed in black to look great with a piercing, but you will want to tread carefully with style matches in mind.
After all, if you tend to lean into sleek professional outfits complete with shirt, skirt, and blazer, a septum or helix piercing is unlikely to feel like a good fit. That’s not to say you can’t still go down this route, but beware that you’ll possibly make more of a statement than you intend by doing so. Instead, people who love this look might prefer to opt for more subtle piercing additions, like small earring studs or rings, and a nose stud at most.
But how about if you prefer a slightly alternative style? Perhaps you’re all into dungarees, Docs, and flowing dresses. In this case, you’ll undeniably complete your look better by scrapping those subtle piercings in place of more outlandish choices, like earring stacks, nose rings, septums, or even a lip stud.
Simply take a step back, think about the items in your wardrobe, and then get realistic about which piercings would actually work the best alongside them.
# 3 – Lifestyle Must be a Factor
If you forget to factor your lifestyle into this decision, then even the technically best piercing for your features and style won’t be enough to save your looks. So, it’s also well worth thinking about your general lifestyle and situation before you jump on the piercing bandwagon.
It’s especially important to factor in your job here, as you want to be sure that you can actually wear that piercing daily. Luckily, employers are becoming way more accepting of piercings nowadays, but there are still situations where statement piercings simply won’t work. For instance, if you work in a hospitality environment, you might be limited on the piercings you can get for safety reasons. Alternatively, if you work a job in a very traditional office setting, anything aside from small earring studs is probably a bad idea.
Alternatively, there are many environments where piercings can become a key part of your work look. For instance, many fashion retailers love individual looks across their staff members. Equally, modern offices and co-working spaces are all about colourful self-expression, meaning that even a snakebite lip ring could fit well.
# 4 – If In Doubt, Try it Out
If you’ve gone through this list and still aren’t sure about piercing specifics, why not just try a few things out to see if you like them? There are now plenty of fake or magnetic piercing products out there, and wearing these for a week or so will help you to judge everything from appearances to general lifestyle practicality.
Admittedly, you’ll want to steer clear of really cheap fake piercing jewellery, as this can look bad even if the piercing idea is technically good. So, always seek high-quality options that give you an accurate representation of how a piercing would look. This is sure to help you find confidence in your choices, and will also help you adjust to those looks before they become permanent fixtures that you can’t change even if you wanted to.
Conclusion
Piercings can be a real game-changer for your overall style, and they can be the thing to set you apart in the most striking ways possible. Simply make sure you choose the right piercing for you using these top tips.
