Body Jewelry Glossary
Acrylic - A transparent plastic material that has optical clarity resembling glass; also known as Plexiglass, which is strong and stiff
Aftercare - Taking care of a healing body piercing to guarantee that the fistula strengthens without the occurrence of problems, like infection, hyper granulation, and scarring
Anesthetic - It usually contains a little bit of lidocaine, which numbs the skin tissue
Anneal - The process of heating and then cooling down a metal or glass to make it less brittle
Anodization - An electrolytic process to color titanium
Antiseptic - An agent to apply on the skin before it is pierced to remove any microorganisms
Anticoagulant - A medicine that reduces blood clotting
Antitragus - The spine of cartilage that comes out above the ear canal
Argyria - The blackening of the skin around a pierced area after the silver drains into the pierced hole before it heals
Attachments - Add-ons to the main body jewelry part
Autoclave - A sterilization device that uses high-pressure steam
Barbell - Body jewelry that contains of a post with balls on each end to keep the piercing in place
Banana - A barbell curved like a banana; usually worn as an eyebrow or navel jewelry
Basic Piercing Jewelry - Also referred to as “starter jewelry”; any jewelry used for a new piercing.
Beauty Mark - Piercing through the skin above and to the side of the upper lip (see Monroe or Madonna piercing)
Blowout - The forced pushing out of the skin to the other side of the piercing
Body Jewelry Pliers - Two types of pliers that safely attach and remove a captive ring
Body Modifications - The changing or enhancing of one’s physical for aesthetic or personal purposes
Bull Ring - A circular, U-shaped barbell with balls at both ends; usually used in septum piercings. It is also referred to as a circular barbell
Caliper - A tool that accurately measures the thickness of body jewelry
Cannula Piercing Needle - A piercing needle that is sheathed in a plastic tube. It is also referred to as a piercing catheter
Captive Bead Ring - Ring-shaped body jewelry that has a gap that grips a bead. This bead can be removed to insert or remove the body jewelry. It is also called ball closure ring (BCR)
Cartilage - The tissue giving shape to the nose and ears
Chloroxylenol - An antiseptic and disinfectant used for disinfecting the skin and cleaning tools
Circular Barbell - A barbell shaped like a horseshoe with balls at both ends
Clamp - Used for holding the skin or piercing supplies during the piercing process
Crusties - Lymph discharge that appears as a yellow crust. It indicates proper healing and should not picked or pulled off forcibly
Curved Barbell - A slightly curved or bent barbell
Daith - A piercing through the smallest fold of cartilage in the ear, just above the ear canal
Dangles - Hanging extensions on body jewelry
Dermal Punch - A razor-sharp, circular blade that makes a round hole in the body
Dermis - The layer of skin beneath the epidermis and above the subcutaneous layer. It is the thickest layer of the skin.
Epidermis - The uppermost layer of the skin that covers the dermis
Expander - A plug used to expand or enlarge a piercing
External Threading - A type of threading that has detachable ends with bulging threading attached into a shaft with bare threads on either end
Extreme Body Modification - The changing of one’s physical appearance in more extreme means. Examples are scarification, branding, tongue splitting, and so on
Faux Body Jewelry - A type of jewelry that can be used without undergoing piercing
Fistula - The piercing hole made by a piercing needle, dermal punch, scalpel, or other tools
Flesh Tube - Body jewelry in the shape of a tube that commonly has two O rings or flared ends to keep it in place.
Forceps - An instrument designed to hold the skin in place before it is pierced.
Frenulum - A part of connective tissue that bridges the gap between any two body parts, which are also known as “webs”
Frenum - A frenum or frenulum is a piece of soft tissue that runs in a thin line between the lips and gums.
Gauge - The thickness of piercing needles or body jewelry. The measurements are counter-intuitive because the smaller the number of the gauge is, the larger the item
Gauging - Gradually stretching a piercing to accommodate larger gauged jewelry
Glutaraldehyde - A toxic disinfectant as a cold sterilant used to clean certain piercing supplies
Granulation Tissue - New connective tissue and microscopic blood vessels that form on the surfaces of a wound during the healing process.
Gum Recession - The wearing away of the gums, making it easy for bacteria to build up
Hallmark - A mark that indicates the purity of the material
Helix - The curved edge around the top of the outer ear
Hemostat - A type of forceps that can be used to firmly grasp body jewelry to attach or remove an attachment.
Hypergranulation - A piercing problem caused by pressure and too much moisture, characterized by the appearance of light red or dark pink flesh that can be smooth, bumpy, or granular and forms beyond the surface of the stoma opening
Hypertrophic Scar - An elevated scar that builds around a healed body piercing or above a healed fistula
Industrial Piercing - Multiple piercings on the ear that are connected with a single piece of jewelry
Industrial Navel - Two navel piercings connected with one body jewelry item
Infection - The invasion and multiplication of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, or parasites
Internal Diameter – The measurement of body jewelry, which is the distance from one side to the other side
Internal Threading – Body jewelry from which the threads in the post match with ends that have threads outside
Labret – A type of body jewelry that consists of a post with a flat-shaped end on the bottom part. It is commonly used for lip piercings
Lobe – The most common pierced area of the ear; considered to be the biggest and softest part of the body part
Lymph – A clear fluid being discharged from recovering piercings that will dry in a hard deposit around the jewelry.
Mastitis – The painful swelling of the breast tissue that sometimes involves an infection.
Migration – The slow movement of body jewelry from its original location
Necrosis – The process of death of body tissue that cannot be reversed. It occurs when too little blood flows to the tissue
Nipple Shields – Body jewelry that is placed around the nipple and is kept in place by the barbell that goes through it
Nose Bone – Nose jewelry that has a small ball on the end of the post to keep it secure
Nostril Screw – Nose jewelry with curved hook end to hold the jewelry in place inside the nose
O-Ring – A rubber ring that fits on a single-flared plug and holds the piercing in place
Parking – The slight shifting of a piercing to one side or the other
Piercee – The person undergoing piercing
Piercer – The person performing the piercing
Pincher – A style of nose jewelry that is horseshoe-shaped and used for septum piercings
Pocketing – A situation where the ends of the jewelry are “pocketed” under the skin, leaving the middle exposed
Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) – A material used to make flexible, nonstick body jewelry that is often preferred during pregnancy
Receiving Tube – A piercing tool used for delicate areas to receive the needles after piercing. They aid in preventing needle prick.
Rejection – The process of the body of rejecting or forcing out body jewelry
Resorption – The rubbing of a jewel against the bone due to poor placement; causes disintegration
Retainer – A type of body jewelry that often comes in clear or flesh colors that is used to keep a piercing open but not visible
Ring Opening or Closing Pliers – Pliers that are used to gently open or close ball closure rings, seamless rings, segment rings, and other similar items
Rook – A cartilage piercing in the uppermost ridge of the inner ear, located above the tragus in the antihelix
Septum – The middle cartilage of the nose that separates the two nostrils
Scarification – The act of covering, disguising, and transforming the body by creating wounds in one's own flesh in order to cause indelible markings.
Sharps Container – A plastic container especially used to dispose of piercing needles, scalpel blades, and other sharp tools
Sleeper – A plain ring designed to be worn in freshly pierced ears. They must be worn around the clock, which explains their name
Sterilization – The process of killing microorganisms through the use of a high-temperature procedure
Sterilization Pouches – Bags where piercing tools are put before being placed in an autoclave
Stretching – The process of enlarging the piercing size by replacing the jewelry with a larger size
Surface Barbell – A long barbell for surface piercings that has bent ends which stick out above the skin
Surgical Skin Marker – A marker used to make temporary marks on the body, indicating where a piercing will be placed; also known as a piercing marker, surgical pen, and tattoo pen
Taper – Body jewelry that narrows down from a preferred gauge to a finer point; used to slowly expand the opening of a piercing
Threading – The ridges that screw the base and the attachments together
Threadless Jewelry – Body jewelry that does not involve any threaded parts
Tongue Splitting – The process of dividing the tongue in half to give the tongue a “forked” look
Tragus – The cartilage opposite of the inner curve of the ear that peeks above the ear canal
Transverse Lobe – A piercing comprised of a barbell that is pierced through the earlobe from side to side, rather than front to back
