Piercing Trends for 2022 & Figuring Out the Right One for You

Roller coasters and sky diving can satisfy many adrenaline junkies, but sometimes a piercing is what it really takes to get the adrenaline flowing. Since we’ve all been cooped up the past two years, it makes sense that people are adorning themselves with new piercings. First, it’s nice to be able to get a piercing instead of a rush of adrenaline from making a trip to the grocery store. And second, now that we can relatively safely venture out into the world again, it makes sense that we’d want to add a few new things to ourselves.

The pandemic saw the return of 90s fashion, and along with it many piercing trends from the 90s are making their return. So, let’s check out the piercing trends for 2022 and help you figure out which one is right for you.

Constellation Piercings

I don’t know about you, but I spent a ton of time getting my feelings hurt by Co-Star and other astrology memes during the pandemic. Or maybe it’s just the emotional, sensitive Pisces in me. Either way, astrology and constellations are everywhere these days. So why not bring the celestial sky to your ears?

A constellation piercing, much like in space, is a cluster of three or more piercings that spread throughout the ear. What’s great is that piercers can make these constellations unique to you in that they use your anatomy to determine the layout of the constellation. And, if your anatomy is fit for it, you can even create constellations similar to your astrological sign. Both lobes and cartilage can be pierced with constellations, which increases the variety you can achieve with them.

Stacked Lobes

Lobe piercings have always been popular. It used to be that people only chose whether they wanted single, double, or triple lobe piercings. These days stacked lobes have become more and more popular; they simply add versatility. Since piercings have become more and more popular, as well as the idea of having more piercings, stacked lobes give the option of achieving just that.

A stacked lobe piercing occurs when someone gets a standard lobe piercing as well as a second piercing placed symmetrically above it. In this way, you’re covering more of your lobe’s real estate. What’s really cool about stacked lobe piercings is you can get as many as fit per your anatomy. For example, if you have larger ear lobes, you could possibly fit six piercings in total!

Mixing and Matching

Are you the type of person that never wears matching socks? Or maybe you love to pair patterns with each other. Either way, this next piercing trend is right up your alley. Mixing and matching has become all the rage so far in 2022. Not only is this mixing up stacked lobe piercings with traditional lobe piercings, but it’s mixing jewelry too. You can mix metals and have a combination of gold and titanium. You can have all the different colors of gold. You can mix and match studs and hoops. There are so many options, and that’s why mixing and matching is great—it can match literally anyone’s style.

Belly Button Piercings

Butterfly clips, color-blocked hair, and crop tops. Yep, the 90s are definitely back. If you were a child in the 90s, like I was, then you’ll remember the first time you saw your beloved pop icons, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, be photographed in midriff-showing outfits to display their sparkly navel rings. Us 90s kids begged our parents to let us get our belly buttons pierced.

Well, for those of us who had really strict parents, or for those millennials who have really cool parents, now is your chance. They’re back in fashion! Whether you want sparkly gemstone-filled jewelry or something plainer, there are tons of jewelry options when it comes to your belly button piercing.

Tragus Piercings

You know the little triangle of ear cartilage near the opening to your ear canal? That’s called your tragus and it can be pierced. A tragus piercing offers a lot of versatility despite the small area that’s being pierced—you can wear a hoop, stud, or barbell in it.

 

Something to take into consideration is that because it is made of cartilage, this piercing is often more painful than lobe piercings. It’s nothing you can’t handle, though. If you’re searching for a dainty piercing to decorate your ear, this is the perfect one for you.

Conch Piercings

This is a cartilage piercing that’s becoming increasingly popular among men. If you’re looking for a piercing that can match any style, a conch piercing is definitely the way to go. This piercing goes through the cartilage in the middle of your ear. You can wear either a hoop or a stud in it. Hoops will rest along the outer cartilage of your ear, framing it nicely. A stud will draw attention to the center of your ear.

Much like the tragus piercing, because this is a cartilage piercing, it will hurt more than a traditional lobe piercing. However, it’s a deep breath in, a large exhale out, and you’re all done!

Asymmetry

Much like mixing and matching, asymmetry is all about the layout of your piercings. Where mixing and matching combines jewelry types, colors, and types of metals, asymmetry is more about placement. For example, on one ear you could get your lobe, your daith, your rook, and your tragus and on the other ear, you could get your lobe, a second lobe, your conch, and an industrial. Now, you don’t have to get each piercing all at once. But the mismatch of piercings between ears is a huge trend in 2022.

Septum Piercings

One of the most commonly asked for piercings these days is the septum piercing. Going right through the sweet spot in between your nostrils, much like a bull, the septum piercing is low on the pain scale. One of the other benefits of a septum piercing is that there’s so much versatility in the type of jewelry you can wear: from clickers to segment rings, curved barbells to captive rings, the choices seem endless. Another benefit of a septum piercing is that you can wear it flipped up if you have to hide it for work; you can even wear a septum retainer that allows you to wear jewelry without it showing.

Although mask mandates are lifting, one thing you do want to be conscious of is healing a septum piercing while having to put on and take off a mask. Your fresh piercing can become easily irritated due to all the movement around it as well as any friction from the mask rubbing against it.

Multiple Helix Piercings

I might be aging myself a bit here, but I remember when I was younger and I’d watch Daria, yearning for my ear to be pierced all the way from the lobe to the top of the ridge like Jane’s ears were. She had multiple helix piercings.

If this doesn’t ring a bell for you, maybe this will: a standard helix piercing goes through the upper cartilage of your ear. Multiple helix piercings include a standard helix piercing and then the stacking of additional helix piercings above or below it. This allows for tons of variety when it comes to the type of jewelry you wear; you can pick all studs, all hoops, or you can mix and match (see above). This makes them adaptable to many styles and rather timeless.

How to Figure Out the Right One for You

While we can’t make the decision of which piercing or jewelry to get, we can give you some quick pointers on how to decide which is right for you:

• First, think if there’s any piercing or jewelry that you’ve been eyeing for a while. If it’s a piece of jewelry you’ve been lusting after, think of where that piece of jewelry would look best and which piercings utilize that type of jewelry.
• Next, think of your personal style, does the piercing or jewelry you’re thinking of go with it? Is your style always changing so you need a versatile piercing that you can change out the jewelry often when it’s healed?
• Does your work or do your parents have any rules about where you can and can’t have piercings?

Most importantly, though, consult with your piercer. They can help determine which piercings are suitable based on your anatomy.

The Main Point

2022 is the year of more. From constellation piercings to stacked lobes or even multiple helix piercings, excess is in! And speaking of excess, Urban Body Jewelry has tons of jewelry options to suit the latest piercing trends. Be sure to browse through our collection of septum clickers, cartilage rings, and more.

PHOTO CRED:Marlon Schmeiski, Samanta Sokolova